Thanks to the Fellowship's Planning Committee for providing periodic updates on the UUFP Expansion/Relocation progress.
This Pulpit Minute was delivered by Sandy Burkes-Campbell at a September 2023 Sunday Service.

Note: Article may be received in duplicate due to recent website troubleshooting.

We began our planning process at a congregational workshop six years ago (!) when members agreed that our VALUES (the essential core of who we are as a religious community) would be WONDER, LOVE, SERVICE and GENEROSITY.

We have looked at and ruled out many properties, since voting to move early in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. For example, earlier this year we considered a lovely property with green space, but it was far out in Buckroe, too small and is already flooding in every major storm.

Many of you know that our committee and the real estate task force identified a property this summer that would enable us to live out our vision. It had enough square footage, parking, and green space and the location wasn’t bad. Unfortunately we were outbid, but we learned a lot from that experience.

In the future, we will keep the congregation informed in-the-moment if we visit a significant property and if we make an offer to purchase. Also our committee is discussing ways to better keep you informed in addition to the monthly pulpit minutes.

So, once or twice a month, you will receive an email from the Planning Committee to keep you in the loop about our activities. This will also give you the opportunity to learn more about the rolling five-year plan that we update annually for the policy board.

Right now we are in the process of gathering goals from our committee chairs so that we can add a new year to our rolling five-year plan.

Most committees need new volunteers on their teams to help in many areas. As you sit there wondering how to share your talents, I invite you to go to the uufp.org home page; find the black header; click on "CONNECTION"; you will see a drop-down menu. Click on  “Volunteering is Belonging” and indicate an area that interests you by completing the volunteer form. I am sure you will find one or more activities where your talents will be welcome. In fact, I just found that information on the website myself, so we all need to spend more time browsing our wonderful UUFP website!

Stay informed and join a team. It takes all of us to make this community work both inside and outside of our walls. And it will take many more volunteers when we do find our new home and move!

As we have said before, there are not many church properties for sale in the size that our vision calls for, which is around 15,000 square feet, but we want you to help us and look around the peninsula. Feel free to bring any interesting commercial building that you see to our attention at planning@uufp.org 

And for those of you on Facebook, please continue to share ideas on the group page “What does our new UUFP Space look like.” If you are not on Facebook, send us an image you find appealing! Maybe you have visited another congregation that impressed you. Share it with us!

Our members include Parker Stokes, Rachel Bevins, Steve Kadar, Gayle Phillips and me. Please feel free to share your opinions and questions with us.

Thank you all!