Month: November 2019 (Page 1 of 2)

by Sonia Koetting, Foothills Climate Justice Ministry Lead

Foothills Climate Justice Ministry group is very involved with the roll-out of SB-181 in Larimer County. We’re a member of the Larimer Alliance for Health, Safety & the Environment. 

And we’ve been drinking from a fire hose to catch up to what we need to know about oil and gas development in our state. After a summer of task force meetings, Larimer County served its draft regulations just a couple weeks ago. The task force has been excused for the time being. Leaders in Larimer Alliance have scrambled to get best advice from state-level sources, and to produce our formal response to the county’s suggested regulations. County planners have said the second draft will appear in early December, so a thorough response to the first draft was imperative. See the county’s draft regs here.

Last Thursday I had the honor of representing Foothills Climate Justice Ministry to county staff who hosted an Open Door day to hear comments on this first draft. We presented our letter of response and we discussed some of its points. Setbacks, recent news on health issues within 2,000 feet, and air quality monitoring were covered. While some have said the worst health effects happen only in the first couple weeks of drilling, I was able to mention that endocrine disruption is for life. I, myself, have a son who was born with a heart defect after being pregnant while living just over the hill from a refinery in Richmond, Calif. 

The entire discussion lasted an hour and all parties were calm. Later, another group from the Larimer Alliance showed up and stayed for 2 hours. We made a strong showing and we feel we have been sharing science with our county staff that they would not otherwise have had — in part because planning for O&G development is only one responsibility in their jobs as county planners. 

Here are 6 summary requests in the letter the Larimer Alliance (and Foothills Climate Justice Ministry) presented to Larimer County:

1. Implement strong accountability which keeps the burden and impacts of O&G development from costing Larimer County taxpayers.
2. Develop strong land use codes regarding O&G operations to protect and minimize risk to public health, safety, welfare, and environmental resources. This should include mandating a 2,000 foot setback from homes, high occupancy buildings, parks and recreational facilities, and critical watersheds and sensitive environments.
3. Require strong and definitive standards addressing air and water quality, as well as nuisance factors of noise, odor, traffic, etc. This should include continuous air quality monitoring such as conducted by INSTAAR in Boulder County. 
4. Remove loophole language that promotes ambiguity and potentially allows unnecessary risk to the public in all these areas of concern.
5. Assert by printed word and action the county’s clear intent to protect public health, safety, welfare, and the environment, with a timely and transparent public process regarding all stages of O&G development in Larimer County.
6. Finally, we stand by our original request to put a hold on O&G permit decisions until the COGCC completes their rule making, and the county develops their own comprehensive and complementary system of regulation for O&G projects. 

Meanwhile, at the state level, last week was also the COGCC (Colorado Oil and Gas Commission) rule making regarding flowlines. Larimer Alliance filed as a party to those hearings. I was witness to the testimony on opening day at UNC campus in Greeley. Several elected reps spoke in favor of not overburdening the industry, but offered no specific science supporting their instinct. On the second day, Erin Martinez appeared. She is the woman who survived the Firestone explosion that killed her husband and brother. She has had 23 surgeries since. To help you understand what flowlines are, the developer who built her house bumped one thought to have been long abandoned; instead, it was connected to a live source of natural gas. These old lines appear is many, many neighborhoods. Often they’re discovered when you try to install sprinklers or run electrical to the shed. 

GOOD NEWS! Our state has decided to require all new and existing lines be mapped, with maps readily available to the public via the COGCC online, or, for more detail, in a few offices across the state. All old equipment must be removed unless special exemption if disruption would be more injurious to the environment. You may have heard some of this news. Here’s a link to KUNC’s report.

Next up is air quality rule making, of which Larimer Alliance is also a party. Many of you are aware that our air quality on the Front Range fails American Lung Association standards and is in non-attainment of the federal EPA for ozone levels. The west side of Fort Collins (our church included) is hit particularly hard as the VOC’s from Weld County ride the wind back to bump the mountain and drop right there, with some splitting north to Wyoming and some down to Boulder. It is likely to be as damaging as smoking one pack of cigarettes per day (including children). The evidence of this pollution is recorded by INSTAAR air monitoring at Boulder Reservoir. (This equipment is mentioned above and we’ve recommended that our governments purchase — despite a price tag near $500,000.) Asthma, sniffles and chronic respiratory distress are some of the byproducts. 

Those of us working hard on this issue appreciate your effort in understanding this moment in our state’s history. If you would like to know of events, or participate overall in the campaign, discover more at LarimerAlliance.org.

Join Foothills Climate Justice Ministry to stay connected.

I’ll end with my ever-present prayer and most recent credo for the weeks ahead: Breathe free or die!

Katie Watkins

Katie believes the best things in life are the result of collaboration and diverse perspectives coming together to produce something greater than any individual could. She is passionate about systems, efficiency and collaboration for better community outcomes. She loves dreaming up the big picture and drafting the roadmap to make it happen. She has a background in operations, fundraising, communications and program development, as well as over a decade of nonprofit management experience in Northern Colorado.

Her greatest joy in life comes from her family. Her husband, Steven, a principal at Wellington Middle School, and daughters Emmaline and Esmae are the lights of her life. Together they love mountains, music and all kinds of food. She is passionate about women supporting other women in all stages of life and especially through the critical moments that make or break us. She believes that one of the most important things in life is to be kind.

Being outdoors makes her soul come alive. It always roots her in gratitude and is one of the reasons she loves living in Fort Collins.

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope wherever you are this Thanksgiving, you are surrounded by just the right amount of family, and food, and that you feel loved and safe and well.

Over the last five Sundays, we’ve been talking about our partnership with the Food Bank.  I don’t have the total of what your giving raised quite yet, but I do have a big gratitude to share. 

Late this afternoon, I received an email from Courtney Butnor (one of our site leads who shared about her experience 2 Sundays ago) reporting in from today’s Mobile Food Bank. Not only has our Food Bank team added 20 new volunteers in the last few weeks, but today, we served a record 122 families. And, every one of them received a turkey breast for Thanksgiving.

Wow! Thank you to all those who helped make the Food Bank possible. It’s not too late to join the team, or to shop at a future Food Bank. Learn more here. 

And now for the joke promised in the title! Posted by the ministry coach that Sean and I work with – it’s a good reminder to keep turning towards joy – which is, we know, in these days is an act of resistance. 

Thanksgiving Joke
There’s a woman in the frozen section of the grocery store. You can tell from a mile away that she’s irked about something. She’s looking over the turkeys. Picks one up, shakes her head “no,” puts it down. Picks another one up. No, still not good enough. She’s been a while there in the frozen section, and appears to have individually inspected and rejected each single turkey when a stock-boy happens by.  “Young man,” she calls out. “Excuse me!”  The stock-boy turn around, says, “Me?” “Yes, you,” she says. “Now, see here. I’ve been looking over this selection of turkeys. They’re all so terribly puny. Don’t they get any bigger?” The stock-boy looks at her. Looks at the turkeys. Back at her. Then in the gentlest way possible, he says, “Ma’am, I hate to tell you. But these turkeys are dead.” 

This Sunday we start a new series, Slow Down with a service on coming to terms with all the stuff we can’t get to on our to-do lists.  Sounds about right for the kick off of the holiday season, eh? See you – and your out-of-town guests! – 8:30, 10, or 11:30. 

In partnership,
Rev. Gretchen

Notes from Disciplined: Week 5 – Now What?
Listen to the message

Music
We sang our theme song for the last time Divisionary (Do the Right Thing) by Ages and Ages
Christopher shared his original new song, Breathe, inspired by this worship series
At 8:30 & 10, with the Choir’s support, we sang Life Calls Us On
In the 11:30 we sang May the Life I Lead,Oh, River, and Magnificence

Practices 
Though the series is over, you can still use our Disciplined Practice Guide and  this audio recording to practice our prayer beads. 

Katie Watkins

Katie believes the best things in life are the result of collaboration and diverse perspectives coming together to produce something greater than any individual could. She is passionate about systems, efficiency and collaboration for better community outcomes. She loves dreaming up the big picture and drafting the roadmap to make it happen. She has a background in operations, fundraising, communications and program development, as well as over a decade of nonprofit management experience in Northern Colorado.

Her greatest joy in life comes from her family. Her husband, Steven, a principal at Wellington Middle School, and daughters Emmaline and Esmae are the lights of her life. Together they love mountains, music and all kinds of food. She is passionate about women supporting other women in all stages of life and especially through the critical moments that make or break us. She believes that one of the most important things in life is to be kind.

Being outdoors makes her soul come alive. It always roots her in gratitude and is one of the reasons she loves living in Fort Collins.

On December 8th, you will have the chance to vote to ordain Christopher Watkins Lamb, our current Music Lead, to the Unitarian Universalist ministry. 

As is written in our denomination’s handbook on ordination:

Ordination isn’t just about one person’s ministry. In the Unitarian Universalist tradition, authority to ordain (and to call) ministers rests squarely with the congregation, a decision that Rev. Joanna Crawford calls “a theological statement.” She elaborates:  

The sacramental duties [of ministry] are referred to as the “priestly functions,” even though none in our tradition go by the title of priest… [F]or an ordination, the congregation as a whole, the church body, does the priestly function… They draw out from their midst an individual, acknowledge the calling in their life, and because we are a tradition of learned clergy, often recognize the education, training, and fellowshipping that has been a part of their preparation. And then they set the individual apart, giving them special authority for ministry. It takes away my breath: not just the transformation of the ordinand, but the transformation of the congregation itself, into this priestly role. It is incarnation, as the congregation becomes the body of Unitarian Universalism, of our heritage, our traditions. The ordination will happen to me, but it is not about me. It’s about the holy mystery in which we understand ourselves as a Unitarian Universalist congregation. We do not require an intermediary or higher authority, such as a bishop, to acknowledge the workings of Spirit; we are that authority.

Ordination is for life, and represents a dedication of one’s life to service and leadership in Universalist Unitarianism. It is not the same as calling a minister to serve a particular congregation. It is a UU congregation solemnly declaring that we recognize a minister fit to serve the Unitarian Universalist movement.  

Should we vote to ordain Christopher, we would be affirming that we find in him a strong and capable minister for our faith.

Christopher has been with us since July in his current role, and in September was granted preliminary fellowship by the Ministerial Fellowship Committee, the ministerial credentialing body of the UUA. He now meets the recommended criteria for ordination. Christopher has served as the Ministerial Intern at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, the Spiritual Care Resident at CSU, and is currently a hospital chaplain with UCHealth.

Four Foothills members, Becky Draves, Jody Donovan, Ken Tremblay, and Rev. Tom Rhodes served on Christopher’s internship committee during his 12 months as Colorado State University’s first Spiritual Care Resident. The Committee writes: “Christopher has had a significant impact at Colorado State University. He has supported grieving students, staff, faculty, and families of deceased students. He has supported students who have experienced traumatic incidents in their lives. His pastoral care and presence has rounded out the types of services Colorado State Health Network has been able to provide to the student community.”

Prior to the vote, there will be an informational gathering Sunday, Dec 1, at 9:35 am and again at 11:05 am (on either side of the 10 am service) in room 26 (RE wing) to explain what ordination is and how it is a right and a responsibility of all UU congregations, and to invite questions and dialogue around Christopher’s ministry. We hope to see you there!

Katie Watkins

Katie believes the best things in life are the result of collaboration and diverse perspectives coming together to produce something greater than any individual could. She is passionate about systems, efficiency and collaboration for better community outcomes. She loves dreaming up the big picture and drafting the roadmap to make it happen. She has a background in operations, fundraising, communications and program development, as well as over a decade of nonprofit management experience in Northern Colorado.

Her greatest joy in life comes from her family. Her husband, Steven, a principal at Wellington Middle School, and daughters Emmaline and Esmae are the lights of her life. Together they love mountains, music and all kinds of food. She is passionate about women supporting other women in all stages of life and especially through the critical moments that make or break us. She believes that one of the most important things in life is to be kind.

Being outdoors makes her soul come alive. It always roots her in gratitude and is one of the reasons she loves living in Fort Collins.

I know, it’s kind of ironic to send a message that may be distracting you from whatever you were in the middle of, right after a message about attention. 

I’ve been thinking about it a lot, actually – how we make sure that the things we ask you, the people of Foothills, to pay attention to are truly worthy of that attention. 

It’s one of the reasons I decided to start using these weekly emails to send the podcast, readings, music, and resources from Sunday – because we hope that Sunday is a space where we explore things that are most worthy of this limited, precious resource of attention – and so whatever we can do to invite us to go deeper, and to keep reflecting, even a few days after Sunday has passed – it’ll be worth it. 

This coming Sunday is the last in our Disciplined series.  Which means we’re nearing the end of our collective practices invitation….so maybe you’re wondering….now what?

Whenever we try out a new commitment, or challenge ourselves to grow in new ways –it’s natural and important to consider how the experience has changed us, what it has opened in us, and what it would take to sustain and deepen these learnings, as our 4^th principle said, “in our free and disciplined search for truth and meaning.”

Kristen will be preaching, the choir will be singing at 8:30 and 10, and we will be saying goodbye and thank you to our Office Manager, Kathryn Boyle. And most importantly, there will be current and future friends eager to help you – as I said on Sunday – stay put, and breathe, and pay attention.  See you there. 8:30, 10, or 11:30.
 
In partnership,
Rev. Gretchen

Notes from Disciplined: Week 4 – Paying Attention
Listen to the message

Music
Divisionary (Do the Right Thing) by Ages and Ages
I Am Finding My Way
Love Has Already Won

Practices 
Share in a collective practice using our Disciplined Practice Guide. 
In our 11:30, we experienced our Prayer Bead practice together, which you can find on page 3 of the Guide or in this audio recording. 
Text COMMIT to 970-00 to be a part of our tips and reminders throughout the series

Text
From the Benediction, Mary Oliver’s poem Sometimes
Article from the Onion on the Guy on the Verge of Having Fun
The Cure for It All by Julia Fehrenbacher 

Resources
Your Attention is a Finite Resource (article)
The language of “Paying Attention” 
Deep Work by Cal Newport (a book filled with incredibly useful tips for managing your attention) 
Victoria Safford’s gorgeous Sermon on the Ethics of Attention

Remember The world today needs us, more than ever, to pay attention with intention to that which is truly worthy – as an act of love.What are you setting your heart to? 

Katie Watkins

Katie believes the best things in life are the result of collaboration and diverse perspectives coming together to produce something greater than any individual could. She is passionate about systems, efficiency and collaboration for better community outcomes. She loves dreaming up the big picture and drafting the roadmap to make it happen. She has a background in operations, fundraising, communications and program development, as well as over a decade of nonprofit management experience in Northern Colorado.

Her greatest joy in life comes from her family. Her husband, Steven, a principal at Wellington Middle School, and daughters Emmaline and Esmae are the lights of her life. Together they love mountains, music and all kinds of food. She is passionate about women supporting other women in all stages of life and especially through the critical moments that make or break us. She believes that one of the most important things in life is to be kind.

Being outdoors makes her soul come alive. It always roots her in gratitude and is one of the reasons she loves living in Fort Collins.

I’m writing to let you know that Kathryn Boyle, our Office and Facility Manager has submitted her resignation notice. Kathryn has been with us for over a decade, and she has been a critical steady presence of care and commitment, especially over the transitions of the last few years. If you’ve ever helped put on an event, or helped with Sunday, or called the office for basically anything — you know how important Kathryn’s presence has been for Foothills.  

Kathryn has grown tremendously during her time with us, and with that we can only be happy for her that she has found a position that is a wonderful opportunity for her. When I met with her, I told her that while I was already grieving her absence, and already wondering how the heck we would figure things out without her, I am sincerely happy for her and support her in taking this move. Below you’ll find a note from Kathryn where she shares more about what’s next.

I know that many of us will want to say goodbye and thank you to Kathryn, so we hope you’ll join us on Sunday November 24th (at the 8:30 and 10:00, and between the services) when she will be with us — without any work duties! Come for hugs and thank yous, maybe a few tears, and lots of good wishes.  

As I said, we have a lot to figure out with her absence, and we are just beginning to figure out a plan for interim coverage until we can fill the position more permanently. Once we have more information, I will be in touch. For now, if you are able to step up and help with hospitality over the next few weeks, that is deeply appreciated! If you aren’t already a part of our hospitality team, sign up here.  

Let me know if you have any questions.

In partnership,
Rev. Gretchen 

Dear Foothills Folks,

It is with mixed emotions that I would like to tell the congregation that I will be leaving my position as Office and Facilities Manager at Foothills.

I will be starting a new career as Administrative Manager and Provider Relations with Seniors Helping Seniors of Northern Colorado. I am looking forward to this growth opportunity with the foundation I have gained here. Maybe I’ll see some of you at this great program.

My last official day will be Thursday, November 21; however I’m hoping to see you Sunday, November 24th for hugs and goodbyes. 

In my time with Foothills, I have had the privilege and pleasure of knowing so many wonderful people. This job has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally, and provided me with the flexibility that I needed at times in my life. It has also given me so many opportunities to serve, as well as be supported by this community. I truly love you all and will miss you.

I’m looking forward to seeing you all this Sunday and next week. 

With gratitude,
Kathryn Boyle

Katie Watkins

Katie believes the best things in life are the result of collaboration and diverse perspectives coming together to produce something greater than any individual could. She is passionate about systems, efficiency and collaboration for better community outcomes. She loves dreaming up the big picture and drafting the roadmap to make it happen. She has a background in operations, fundraising, communications and program development, as well as over a decade of nonprofit management experience in Northern Colorado.

Her greatest joy in life comes from her family. Her husband, Steven, a principal at Wellington Middle School, and daughters Emmaline and Esmae are the lights of her life. Together they love mountains, music and all kinds of food. She is passionate about women supporting other women in all stages of life and especially through the critical moments that make or break us. She believes that one of the most important things in life is to be kind.

Being outdoors makes her soul come alive. It always roots her in gratitude and is one of the reasons she loves living in Fort Collins.