Chris Sealy, Project Management Posse
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Architect Kevin Keady holds up his hand to signal "wait a minute" as he quickly adds to his already copious notes. He doesn't want to miss any juicy comments from the church staff on what they'd like have in a new JUC campus.

This is the first day of "nitty gritty" design sessions as the Making Room campaign continues its effort to move From Dreaming to Defining . All JUC staff members have given most of their Sunday afternoon to delve into questions such as: How close should the nursery be to the sanctuary? What classrooms need their own sinks and child-sized toilets? Should filing cabinets be in offices or in the central copy room? What's the optimal capacity for a chapel?  

Chris Sealy, Project Management Posse
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​​As we explore finding a larger campus for JUC, this fall we’ll tackle From Dreaming to Defining!  We want to get down to the nitty gritty of what we’d want in a new place and this is the perfect time to do it! All of our input will help us create a Design Criteria Document for an architect when the time comes.   

Chris Sealy, Project Management Posse

​Perhaps you're wondering what in the world is happening with JUC's big Making Room effort.  After all that hoopla before the spring vote to support the search for a larger campus to help us better fulfill our mission - the meetings, the videos, the articles, the vote itself, and then - nothing? What's up with that?

Essentially, we're waiting for more specific and detailed information about what we're calling the leading contender, and at the same time keeping an eye out for other possibilities in our search area.  

Debby Bower, Project Management Posse

Our Making Room journey since last August has had many phases in just nine months. A high point was April's Special Congregational Meeting at which 342 members cast votes and over 87% authorized the Board to seek a larger property in our Jeffco search area to welcome all, grow our ministries, and engage our community. The energetic participation was wonderful and underscored JUC's commitment to our democratic principles and making decisions about our future and legacy together.
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Today, I'm pleased to share an update of where the Making Room property considerations stand. In a nutshell, we're smack in the midst of the Discovery Phase, which currently features a slow onward march. While it is possible that a flurry of activity could burst forth in short order, the current reality is in keeping with early insights from our Stewardship Consultants and others: the process of finding and coordinating a new church home could be a multi-year endeavor.

Chris Sealy, Project Management Posse

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Now that the congregation has authorized the Board to actively look for a larger property for JUC, there's time for a little breathing room. The Property Evaluation Task Force is exploring the possibilities in our Jefferson County search area, including a property that's been dubbed a contender. For a few weeks, until things such as appraisals and reserve studies are completed, there probably won't be a lot of big breaking news. For that reason, the Making Room team will staff a table after services just twice a month during May and maybe a bit longer. So....save up your questions and comments for 1st and 3rd Sundays.

Debby Bower, Project Management Posse

Welcome to the messy middle of the JUC Making Room deliberations! It's a place of questions and ponderings, angst and hopes. And it's exactly where we should be as we approach our Special Congregational Meeting, Sunday, April 15 to consider pursuing a larger church home in the area. Such a home would be a base from which we can truly live into our mission, nourish our spirits, welcome new members, visitors, and partners, and serve as both a convener of social justice and beacon of Unitarian Universalism.

Jef Fugita, Trustee


As we have embarked on the journey for Making Room, we have all had a full range of emotions to what this means to us personally, and to our congregation. The following Chalice Lighting by the Reverend Julianne Lepp of the UU Congregation of Eau Claire may provide some insight.
   

Chris Sealy, Project Management Posse

Consultants Kay Crider and Rachel Maxwell capped a three-day weekend of meetings with JUCers with a presentation on the Making Room conversation.  It included financial and organizational data – as well as info on all the processes involved – that could be useful in deciding whether to look for a larger space.  
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Kay listed the results from a recent survey of members that revealed opinions on several topics, including JUC’s strengths (#1: ministers and staff) and challenges (#1: facilities).  

Chris Sealy, Project Management Posse
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What prompted the Making Room conversation at JUC?  How did we get to this point of examining whether our congregation should look for a larger space in our part of Jefferson County?

To answer these questions and bring everyone up to date on the Making Room conversation, Board of Trustees members and Rev. Wendy presented an informational briefing between services on Sunday, March 4th. You can watch the presentation below. It includes JUC membership and visitor numbers, a timeline of JUC’s facility history, a financial snapshot, growth figures of other metro area UU churches, limitations of our existing campus that preclude its expansion, and a map of the potential search area.