Dear Foothills friends and members,
The sanctuary was filled with an incredible energy on Sunday as 165 members and another 30 or so friends came together to discuss and ultimately vote on the question of becoming a sanctuary congregation. A few wondered if this was the best way to improve our broken immigration system, and others were concerned about the risks involved.
Ultimately, however, these concerns did not overcome the 92% who voted to affirm that becoming a sanctuary congregation was a core part of our religious practice, deeply connected to our affirmation of the inherent worth and dignity of every person and our understanding that we are all in this life, together. With this overwhelming majority, we are now officially a sanctuary congregation.
Which of course means, the real work begins! Today many of us were working on logistics, which basically fall into the following areas:
a) Our Guest – The Guest Relations Team (previously the Applicant Team) has been solidified to include Jessica Davis, Jeff Dean and Johanna Ulloa, and myself. We have finalized the applicant process and are moving through the steps. My sense is that we should know by the end of this week or early next week who will be the first guest to take sanctuary with us, and when.
b) Funding – We have established a fund to support building enhancements, legal counsel, furniture, living items for our guest, staff support dedicated to supporting the sanctuary initiative, and other incidental costs required to ensure we and our guest are able to make this work. Donate to this fund here (and feel free to pass this on): foothillsuu.org/sanctuary-fund
c) Communications – There’s going to be a lot happening, and quickly, especially in the next few weeks. We are creating systems to ensure that those of you who want all the information can get it – and those who want just the highlights can get that too – and everything in between. Look for more information on this in the next few days. Meanwhile, we’ve already been connected with the local press – check out the article in the Coloradoan. An article with the North Forty News will be coming, and there will be more extensive press release once we have someone in sanctuary.
d) Volunteer coordination – Sue Ferguson is working with Rev. Sean to establish an easy and integrated way to schedule our volunteers into the needs. We’ll soon have more information on this. Meanwhile, you can express your desire to be a part of the core volunteer list by joining this group here.
e) Building, Safety and other details – We already have a new and improved plan for where our guest will be staying during the time before we can remodel the basement. We also moved forward with the insurance policy application. And we formulated the organizational structure for this work moving forward – more information on this in the coming days.
On Sunday I spoke about leaning into uncertainty as our friend – this process definitely gives us some good practice in this – as there’s a lot we’re trying to work out, and quickly. So it’s a good thing we all have a good sense of humor, and that we know we are all just doing the best we can to try to do that next right thing.
Thank you all for your partnership,
Rev. Gretchen
Rev. Sean is Foothills Acting Senior Minister while Rev. Gretchen is on Sabbatical.
Responsible for Worship, Justice Ministries, Faith Formation Strategies and sits on Foothills Executive Leadership Team with Director of Finances and Operations Katie Watkins.
Sean was born on Treaty 7 land in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and comes to Foothills after four years in New England where he completed seminary at Harvard Divinity School where he studied alongside future imams, rabbis, justice activists, and other Unitarian Universalists. Sean is a self-proclaimed nerd — particularly about history, current politics, science, and Star Wars. Outside of ministry you will find Sean hiking or cooking up a storm with his partner Charles, watching his son’s basketball games, all under the watchful eye of their dog Dollie.