Year: 2025 (Page 3 of 4)

Update on Room Reservations at Foothills

February 6, 2025 / Rev. Sean Neil-Barron

We know it’s been frustrating at times to figure out how to reserve a room or get your event fully supported—and our old system didn’t always match the energy and mission you bring to Foothills. We hear you, and we’re working to change that.

To do that we are revamping our process for requesting rooms and promotion for groups within Foothills. Our aims are to reduce confusion, streamline communication, and ensure your events get the resources and attention they deserve.

Two Key Forms for Group Leaders

1. Group Meeting Space Request Form

Purpose: For your regularly scheduled group meetings that do not require wider promotion.
Link: Group Meeting Space Request Form
Example: A recurring committee or ministry team meeting where you simply need a room and a time slot. Or, a group gathering that is only for your group.

2. Church-Wide Events (Facility Use & Promotion Form)

Purpose: For any gathering that invites broader participation than your existing group members or needs extra publicity because you are recruiting new members
Link: Facility Use & Promotion Form
Example: An invitation to join a new round of small groups, an event put on by your group that seeks to invite people who are not in your group.

Tip: To ensure plenty of time for effective promotion, please submit your requests at least two weeks before you want publicity to begin.

Group Leader Hub

Additionally we are beginning to build out the Group Leader Hub on ChurchCenter, that will contain a one stop shop for everything you need as a group leader. You can access it at online or from the ChurchCenter app in the Nav menu.

Next Steps

Bookmark the Links: Keep these forms handy for quick reference.
Start Using Them: From now on, please use these forms for all building use requests or event planning.
Spread the Word: If you know other group leaders who need guidance, point them to these forms or this email.

Thank you for your patience while we improve. We’re excited to build a system that truly supports the life and mission of our congregation. If you have any questions, just let us know!

P.S. Rental Requests
For any outside organization or new community group looking to use our facilities (whether paid or free), please direct them to the Rental Request Intake Form.

Rev. Sean Neil-Barron

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.

Notice of Meeting: Congregational Meeting, Feb. 23, 2025

February 5, 2025 / Katie Watkins

NOTICE OF CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

The Board of Trustees announces Foothills’ will host a congregational meeting on Sunday, February 23rd at 1 PM. This meeting will be available to attend online and in person. The purpose of this meeting is to vote on the annual operating budget for 2025, Q2-Q4. Please CLICK HERE to register for the Congregational Meeting.

Unitarian Universalist churches are independent and self-governing. Annually, each congregation must vote to approve its budget for the upcoming year.

Our bylaws require a quorum of 10 percent of our membership to convene this budget approval meeting. We encourage all friends members of the congregation to attend. Per our church bylaws, in order to vote in congregational meetings, you must be on the membership rolls at least 30 days in advance of the meeting. If you are unsure of your membership status, please contact the Foothills office at (970) 493-5906.

In December, we voted to approve the Q1 Budget to allow us to address cash flow challenges – you can read more about that and the other topics covered here. The meeting agenda will consist of a review of 2024 yearend financials and update on cash flow, and details of the 2025 budget.

We look forward to seeing you at this important moment in the life of our congregation.

Mary Klecan
President
Board of Trustees

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.

Celebrating Green Sanctuary

February 4, 2025 / Lauren Kenning

On Sunday January 26th, we celebrated our congregation’s affirmation as a Green Sanctuary through the UUA’s Green Sanctuary 2030 program. This was the culmination of three years of work by many, many people in our community, and an opportunity to reassert our commitment to the practices of green sanctuary throughout all of our ministries. This includes the work of mitigation, adaptation, justice and congregational transformation.

Here are the teams and groups carrying forward this work into the coming year, and beyond:

Journey Groups – this Winter’s cycle of Journey Groups use curriculum developed by Foothills member Dianna Vanderdoes, shaped by her work in leading Active Hope and Resilience groups through our Green Sanctuary efforts. After this concludes, we will discern how this work will become part of our regular cycle of group offerings.
Community Garden Group – this group manages and cares for our Foothills community garden, but that’s not all. It’s also an amazing group for fellowship, shared meals, educational opportunities, and even concerts in the garden. More info and sign up here.
Natural Connections – eco-restorative practices in nature – this group coordinates service to and engagement with our watershed and local ecosystem, e.g. tree planting, bird watching, and pinecone gathering that will be a part of the coming year’s activities. Join here.
Earth Based Practices and Rituals – a group for the exploration and practice of earth-based traditions and rituals. More info and sign up here.
Sustainable Practices for our building and grounds – this is a small team that coordinates and supports sustainable practices on our campus. Join here.
Intersectional Action and Organizing Team – this group is building a coalition and advocating at the legislature across the intersections of our values in climate, immigration, reproductive, racial, economic, trans/queer and housing justice, in partnership with Together Colorado. Join here.

Lauren Kenning

Lauren earned her BA in Theatre from the University of Denver and began her career as a teaching artist and performer. She shifted to project management finding an alignment in this field of her soft, interpersonal skills with her organizational expertise. Lauren is mom to two energetic boys and three cats and enjoys spending free time knitting, reading and hiking.

The History Project Interviews

January 29, 2025 / Lauren Kenning

You may get a call!

At Foothills we want to continue gathering information for future historians and to help the church better know and serve its congregants. The History Project team interviewed about 50 long time and senior members for the 2022 church history book, Seeking the Truth in Love. Not only did those stories add to the telling of our church history, the Ministerial Team also found the information shared to be helpful for pastoral care, enriching memorial services, and serving individuals in other ways.

We want to do more interviews! As a joint project of the History Project Team and the Caring Listeners, a team has stepped forward to do more interviews with senior and long time members (who joined after 1990). If you fit into that category, you may get a call (or email) with a request for an interview, which should take about an hour. It can be done in person or by phone and the information gathered will be made available to you and church staff.

This is a project that likely will take a year or more, so you may not hear from us right away. When we do call, we hope you will say “yes” and allow us to hear more about your time at Foothills.

Yours,

Bonnie Inscho, on behalf of the Foothills Legacy Interview Team

Lauren Kenning

Simplifying Giving: New Names, Same Mission

January 27, 2025 / Katie Watkins

At Foothills Unitarian, our commitment to unleashing courageous love is powered by your generosity. Whether you’re pledging, giving to the Sunday plate, or contributing to our Community Care Fund, your support makes a tangible impact on our community and beyond.

To make it easier for everyone—newcomers and long-time members alike—to understand what they are supporting, we’ve made some updates to the way we talk about our giving funds. Here’s what you need to know:

Pledges: The Foundation of Our Mission

Your pledge to the Operating Fund is the foundation of everything we do at Foothills. Pledges allow us to plan for the greatest possible impact in the year ahead. They fund our staff, programs, and operational expenses, from Sunday worship to small groups, justice work, and beyond.

Importantly, pledges do not cover all of our expenses. We also count on unpledged gifts to support our Operating Fund throughout the year. These gifts often come from:

Newcomers
Members or friends who didn’t pledge but want to give
Pledgers who have more capacity than they anticipated or want to support a specific initiative

On our Giving Page, gifts marked as “Operating Fund” or “Pledge to Operating Fund” first go toward fulfilling pledges. Once pledges are covered, they help close the gap on our remaining operating needs.

Sunday Offering Plate: Supporting Long-Term Partnerships with Local Impact

For years, our Sunday morning offering has been shared 50/50 with local partners through what we’ve called Share the Plate. While this name is familiar to long-time members, it isn’t as intuitive for newer givers. To clarify, recipients of these funds are long-term partners, local organizations that align with our values. We do ongoing work with these partners, that is funded by our operations, which is why 50% of the plate goes to Foothills Operating Fund.

The other 50% is given as a Community MicroGrant to one of our partners. These partnerships are strategic, ongoing investments in creating a more just, compassionate world—and your Sunday offerings make this possible. Our Community MicroGrants are only offered to these longterm partners, Unitarian Universalist collaborative funds, and on occasion, direct support in response to a severe natural disaster or urgent humanitarian need.

Community Care Fund: Supporting Those in Need

Our Minister’s Discretionary Fund has a new name: the Community Care Fund (CCF). This fund provides one-time basic needs support within our Foothills community and beyond.

Sometimes, people fall into tough spots. The Community Care Fund ensures we can respond quickly and compassionately when there’s no other safety net. This might include:

Helping pay a medical bill
Providing moving assistance
Supporting unbudgeted needs within Foothills
Assisting organizations doing work aligned with our values

By renaming this fund, we hope to highlight its purpose: caring for our community with dignity and love. Foothills does not provide basic service support to the general community, as there are other organizations that fill this role. We always encourage inquirers for direct support to contact 2-1-1, the local resource hotline for this type of support. Regularly attending congregants and members may request support, and if it falls within the defined guidelines, receive a one-time gift to help with an urgent need.

Making Giving Clearer

We hope these updates make it easier for everyone to understand where their gifts go and the incredible impact they have. Whether you’re pledging to sustain our ongoing work, giving to the Sunday plate to support local partners, or contributing to the Community Care Fund to care for those in need, every gift matters.

Thank you for your generosity and your partnership in unleashing courageous love. Together, we’re building a stronger, more compassionate community.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out or explore our Giving Page.

Let’s continue to make a difference—together.