March 13, 2020: A letter to the JUC congregation from Rev. Wendy Williams and Board President Paula Reed.
In these extraordinary times, we need community now more than ever. While circumstances preclude us from being physically together, we remain a strong and united community that will rise to this challenge together. Jefferson Unitarian has long met our spiritual needs in so many ways: Services, gatherings, music, religious growth and education, and many others. For now, we must change how we do these things, as we continue to answer the fundamental imperative that we do them. For that reason, communication between and among leaders and congregants will be ongoing and intentional.
First and foremost, we at JUC need to be looking after ourselves and each other. Our focus will be on our spiritual health and our new ways to deepen, connect and engage as a strong and vibrant faith community. We may not be seeing each other at services, but we will be worshiping together through live stream on Sundays at 11 a.m., singing, reflecting, and giving together for the foreseeable future. As the staff discusses and crafts other ways to engage our community in this time (stay tuned for details), we hope members and friends will stay connected by reaching out to one another by phone and email. Of course, please do continue as always to reach out to the church if you have a pastoral need at cares@jeffersonunitarian.org or (720) 248-7249.
Second, as you know, we have been progressing toward our goal of Making Room, and have entered into an agreement in principle to swap/purchase the Lakewood Church of the Nazarene. While this is still an important goal, Thursday night the board and Making Room leaders decided to pause the capital campaign. We know that there is a great deal of uncertainty now, and we have heard your messages of concern. Our timeline for pledging to the campaign and for voting whether or not to move forward with the swap/purchase will shift. We don't know yet what this will look like, or exactly when the capital campaign will resume. But for now...rest. Rest knowing that, as always, transparency is our goal and we will work through this uncertain time together. To that end, we welcome your comments, questions, and concerns as always. Feel free to contact the Making Room Posse at (303)720-6207 or makingroom@jeffersonunitarian.org.
Jefferson Unitarian Church, as it has throughout its history, will successfully navigate these challenges too. We know that. While we are not, in this moment, linked by hand, we are by heart. We are linked by our determination to add to the sum of love and justice in the world. We are linked by our willingness to honor our past by living boldly into our future together.
We are grateful for each of you.
With love for our beloved Jefferson Unitarian Church,
Paula Reed & Rev. Wendy
As you read in the above letter from Rev. Wendy Williams and Board President Paula Reed, we intend to resume our capital campaign at some point for the swap/purchase of a larger church campus at Lakewood Church of the Nazarene. We just don’t know when.
In the meantime, if you find you have an extra few minutes (or more) on your hands, how about taking the time to poke around this website and dig into the abundance of information here? Under the Information tab, for example, you can peruse the Space Criteria Document, the Financial Feasibility Study, and the Property Fact Sheet. The More tab includes the LCN Q&A, with answers to dozens of questions about finances, design, and possible renovations. Also under the More tab, there’s a place for you to ask your questions. As good UUs, we DO love our questions!
In these extraordinary times, we need community now more than ever. While circumstances preclude us from being physically together, we remain a strong and united community that will rise to this challenge together. Jefferson Unitarian has long met our spiritual needs in so many ways: Services, gatherings, music, religious growth and education, and many others. For now, we must change how we do these things, as we continue to answer the fundamental imperative that we do them. For that reason, communication between and among leaders and congregants will be ongoing and intentional.
First and foremost, we at JUC need to be looking after ourselves and each other. Our focus will be on our spiritual health and our new ways to deepen, connect and engage as a strong and vibrant faith community. We may not be seeing each other at services, but we will be worshiping together through live stream on Sundays at 11 a.m., singing, reflecting, and giving together for the foreseeable future. As the staff discusses and crafts other ways to engage our community in this time (stay tuned for details), we hope members and friends will stay connected by reaching out to one another by phone and email. Of course, please do continue as always to reach out to the church if you have a pastoral need at cares@jeffersonunitarian.org or (720) 248-7249.
Second, as you know, we have been progressing toward our goal of Making Room, and have entered into an agreement in principle to swap/purchase the Lakewood Church of the Nazarene. While this is still an important goal, Thursday night the board and Making Room leaders decided to pause the capital campaign. We know that there is a great deal of uncertainty now, and we have heard your messages of concern. Our timeline for pledging to the campaign and for voting whether or not to move forward with the swap/purchase will shift. We don't know yet what this will look like, or exactly when the capital campaign will resume. But for now...rest. Rest knowing that, as always, transparency is our goal and we will work through this uncertain time together. To that end, we welcome your comments, questions, and concerns as always. Feel free to contact the Making Room Posse at (303)720-6207 or makingroom@jeffersonunitarian.org.
Jefferson Unitarian Church, as it has throughout its history, will successfully navigate these challenges too. We know that. While we are not, in this moment, linked by hand, we are by heart. We are linked by our determination to add to the sum of love and justice in the world. We are linked by our willingness to honor our past by living boldly into our future together.
We are grateful for each of you.
With love for our beloved Jefferson Unitarian Church,
Paula Reed & Rev. Wendy
As you read in the above letter from Rev. Wendy Williams and Board President Paula Reed, we intend to resume our capital campaign at some point for the swap/purchase of a larger church campus at Lakewood Church of the Nazarene. We just don’t know when.
In the meantime, if you find you have an extra few minutes (or more) on your hands, how about taking the time to poke around this website and dig into the abundance of information here? Under the Information tab, for example, you can peruse the Space Criteria Document, the Financial Feasibility Study, and the Property Fact Sheet. The More tab includes the LCN Q&A, with answers to dozens of questions about finances, design, and possible renovations. Also under the More tab, there’s a place for you to ask your questions. As good UUs, we DO love our questions!