Year: 2023 (Page 3 of 8)

The Communicator: Church News September/October 2023

September 6, 2023 /
View a PDF of the September/October Communicator!

The Building Bulletin: August 2023

August 14, 2023 /

We have good news on the building front!! You may remember that the rooftop unit for our HVAC system has been delayed while we waited for a coil required for the air handling unit to be shipped from overseas.  We have been notified that the coil has been received and is being installed by the manufacturer. We now have a more realistic schedule for completion of the project.  

The unit is ready for shipping and will be delivered within the next two weeks. The delivery truck will be met by a crane that will pick up the unit and position it on the roof. Once in place, the unit requires about a week to set up and begin running. This is followed by a few weeks of testing and balancing.

Since the unit will be up and running during the testing phase, the carpeting and wood required to finish the sanctuary interior can be acclimated and installed while that work is proceeding, letting us finally see our beautiful new worship space.

The admin area remodel is generally complete except for some loose ends to be addressed. The staff has started moving into the new space, determining permanent locations for equipment and supplies, and organizing the area. A new heat pump is replacing the current furnace for this area. It has been installed and will be providing air conditioning to the office as soon as a minor electrical task is complete.

In other news, we will have to purchase a new fire alarm panel. We had planned to delay replacing the current panel, but it has proven to be inadequate and will need to be replaced.  We are still working with the fire department to get the final specifications.  A working fire safety system is required for any kind of occupancy in the new area. Until this work is complete, this is still a construction zone. Do not enter the area unless accompanied by a staff member.    

Recent storms have caused issues with the exterior landscaping. Keeping the grading intact and finding a dry window for pouring cement outside the basement door is proving to be a challenge. Graders will need to be recalled.  This means that large machinery will be on site again. Please stay out of the area.

Thanks to a great group of volunteers, our delivery of church chairs was unloaded and moved into storage on July 19. This hardy crew unloaded the truck, unboxed and unwrapped 400 chairs, and loaded them into the storage container. Many thanks to our volunteers and to Pinkard Construction for providing the storage container. After the carpeting is installed, the chairs will need to be moved from storage into the building, so look for additional opportunities to help in the coming weeks.     
 
In addition to the new construction, the courtyard will be refurbished, reinstalling the pavers removed during construction, and pouring some new concrete. The main door will receive new trim, flashing, and paint, providing a better first impression of our lovely new space.

Rainbow Villages: Creating Sanctuary Under the Rainbow

July 20, 2023 /

In the wake of a tidal wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and hate which is sweeping our nation, I want to share with you what has been giving me hope. 

For the last 3 months, we have been working at Foothills behind the scenes to launch what we are calling “Rainbow Villages.” Rainbow Villages creates sanctuary and support for transgender and nonbinary people and their families who are seeking a safe haven away from states with anti-trans laws. 

In a recent Data For Progress survey, it was alarming to learn that hundreds of thousands of transgender individuals have already left their home states, and over a million more are considering doing the same in the coming months. Many are in need of active support from wider communities to make their relocation possible. That’s where Rainbow Villages come in.

In May of this year, we here at Foothills were contacted by the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, an organization founded in WWII to help Jews and other persecuted people escape occupied Europe, to aid in an underground effort to assist Trans and Nonbinary people and their families who were relocating to Colorado to find sanctuary.

The ask was big: find free housing for 3 months, build a support system for jobs, medical care, and other related life needs, and build a community of care and connection for those who would settle here in Northern Colorado. An amazing group of humans from Foothills not only said yes to the challenge, but two families in our congregation opened their homes and have made it possible for us to welcome and support two people who have already joined us here in Northern Colorado.
 
With so many more individuals and families seeking refuge in Northern Colorado, Rainbow Villages needs to expand. We will welcome more families locally, and Rev. Sean is working with three other congregations to develop their own Rainbow Villages. We take up this work because we believe in unleashing courageous love and providing a safe space under the rainbow. And now we need your help to make sanctuary a reality for as many people as possible.

Here are three important ways you can get involved in this critical work:

1. Get Involved as Part of the Rainbow Village Crew: We are looking for people like you to be part of a village of support. We need hosts to offer space in their homes, and we need volunteers to provide support in navigating government programs, accessing healthcare, finding employment, and establishing social connections. By joining forces, we can provide a warm and welcoming community for those settling in our area. 

I'm Interested in Joining a Rainbow Villages Crew

2. Give Money to Support Rainbow Villages: Our effort to support our new neighbors requires financial resources. Your generous contribution will help us address the practical needs of those seeking sanctuary, respond to their immediate needs, and set them up for success in their new lives. We’re also seeking a significant donation of $30,000 to rent a house and support a family moving here. Your contribution, no matter the amount, will make a meaningful impact and allow us to continue this vital work.

Support the Rainbow Villages Fund

3. Lean into Your Own Discomfort: It’s essential to recognize that many trans individuals live in discomfort and even unsafe environments daily. Despite not fully understanding all the terms and complexities of gender and maybe sometimes not knowing what to say, we urge you to lean into your discomfort and step in and support these individuals anyway. A great resource to help build your competency and understanding is “Beyond the Gender Binary” by Alok Vaid-Menon.

Thank you for considering these calls to action. Together, we can make a difference and create a safe and inclusive space for those in need of a new home. Together, we can further the work of liberation.

With deep appreciation and hope,

Rev. Sean Neil-Barron

The Communicator: Church News July/August 2023

July 7, 2023 /
View a PDF of the July/August 2023 Communicator

July/August 2023 Series Invitation: God. A Concept

July 7, 2023 /

God, the concept, has different names, metaphors, and practices across time and cultures. They all reckon in diverse ways with the fundamental mystery at the heart of existence. Often Unitarian Universalists think we must accept or reject the concept of God or Gods, but as we know, any binary is false.
 
Our July/August series – God. A Concept – is an exploration of ideas about Gods you might not have considered. Inviting even the non-theists amongst us to explore how various concepts of God might provoke, inspire, and deepen our theological imagination. Helping to move through past religious trauma, not simply through the deconstruction of old beliefs but towards the reconstruction of new ones.

This series invites us to grow – to contain more of the experience of this life, which includes people’s beliefs and experiences of God that we do not share or understand. The invitation of this series is not to change your beliefs but to expand your understanding – and grow your capacity to love more parts of the world.

Join us this Sunday at 9:30 AM in person or online as we kick off our new series God. A Concept with a service titled Why “God”? Together, we’ll explore the universal presence of the concept of God across human civilizations and why the category of God is crucial for living a full life, even for humanists and atheists.

Rev. Sean

Learn more about our "God. Concept." series.
Get details about our Sunday services.
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