Issues & Questions
Raised During Focus Groups Regarding the Legacy Campaign
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Throughout the focus group process, questions and comments were raised that highlight some important issues that the Steering Committee believes need additional attention. We have tried to respond to all or almost all of these either in the groups or directly with the individuals who raised the issue or both. However, we wanted everyone to know the variety of issues that are being raised. And, we wanted the opportunity to respond to them. This document does not represent all the questions asked or issues raised; it represents the ones we heard most often.
1. I feel like the Steering Committee ignored the Strategic Planning Committee options for plans and action.
The SPC (Strategic Planning Committee) provided the starting place for the Steering Committee; their work was valuable and useful. In fact, most of their recommendations and all of their input was considered and used moving forward. (If you haven’t already picked up the SPC report, you can get a copy in the Church office.)
The SPC did two years of analysis that was very important to our work. They also held Congregational meetings where they received lots of feedback and suggestions. Among the many things they got strong feedback about was to remain on the existing footprint and preserve the existing chapel. The results from the Feasibility Study further confirmed the wishes to stay in our present location and preserve the chapel.
Envisioning the future through Focus Groups opened unlimited possibilities of our needs, space requirements, and a sense of liberal religion in the valley 25 years out.
2. I don’t think we can build all of this for $3.5 million.
We are aware of the high cost of building and fully realize that, unfortunately, $3.5 million doesn’t go very far. However, the architectural team needs input and has requested our “dreams” to proceed with creating the best possible structure we can build for the money we are able to raise. In addition, we have considered building in stages, so we need to prioritize the needs and wishes of the congregation. We prefer to think big and then cut back.
The $3.5 million target was the number projected by the feasibility study that could be collected within the congregation. However, it is likely (and some believe highly likely) that the Legacy Campaign could result in available funds up to $5.5 million, particularly if we are able to capture all the additional money from sources outside the congregation.
3. I don’t want to be a member of a ‘mega-church’.
We have no plans to build a mega-church! Nobody from the Strategic Planning Committee to the Steering Committee or any other participating and involved members have shown any desire for a mega-church—of any kind. It takes a minimum congregation size of 1000 to have a mega-church. We are one-third that size.
We all want our sanctuary to be comfortable, warm and inviting. We currently hold 185 in our chapel. If we were able to facilitate around 350-400 at one time, it would allow for our entire Church community to gather at once. For many, a space for 350-400 would not feel so big that it is impersonal. We’d like to have options for small, medium, and large worship services. Most everyone has stressed the need to maintain the intimacy that characterizes our congregation and our needs.
4. Why don’t we just build or seed another church, a new UU congregation, instead of putting money into First Church?
These are really two different issues. One does not preclude the other. Down the road, we may explore another congregation, but we still need to focus on this piece of property and what this current congregation needs and wants to give future congregations on this site.
In addition, huge growth is projected for downtown Salt Lake City. First Church wants to be available for this demographic group. And, there are efficiencies in size. Researchers have predicted that small churches will become extinct due to overhead costs, salaries, etc. They will not be able to operate efficiently. We need to maintain a critical number of members to assure our own presence in the future. We need to plan for and expect growth in our current church.
5. I don’t think our church is actually growing, so what is the real issue?
Some of our congregation truly doesn’t see our size and our current buildings as a problem, but it is. No matter how you calculate the numbers (members, friends, attendees); we are facing a space crunch. At the 11:00 a.m. service, people always end up sitting in Eliot Hall when they would rather sit in the chapel. And Eliot Hall is in true need of major renovation or repair.
Studies have shown that at 80% full, visitors perceive that the church is full and it does not feel welcoming. Also, we have a large group of people who come sporadically who many have some of the same feelings. Our church is organic; it does grow, change, and evolve all the time. The Salt Lake City area is growing. We want to maintain a vibrant presence and a welcoming feel to all visitors.
Also, can we afford to be complacent? In the last year, we have expanded our reach at the University with the campus ministry and other community projects. We continue to reach out with Jazz and Folk Vespers and many other community connections. We need to be in a place to respond to growth and potential new members.
6. I feel like the Steering Committee is pushing a capital campaign on the congregation.
The Steering Committee is not pushing any agenda whatsoever.
However, we are trying to listen to what the Congregation wants and to develop an option that the Congregation can consider and vote upon. There will be no capital campaign unless the congregation votes on it on May 18, 2008.
When we were formed, we read the Strategic Planning Committee Report and decided that in order to continue to move the project forward, the Church should follow the SPC’s recommendation to do a feasibility study. This piece was critical because we didn’t know what discussion to pursue. A study would give us a starting point to discuss what’s possible.
§ The Feasibility Study shows we can raise the money, and indicates that there is a substantial desire to do so.
§ Many members of the congregation have expressed an overwhelming need for a change to our facilities to better serve our Church community and the greater community of Salt Lake. We wanted to know what that meant, so we decided to do focus groups to get a picture of the vision and desires of our members.
In sum, the Steering Committee was formed to respond to the needs and concerns of the congregation and is only acting with the approval of the congregation and the Board of Trustees.
7. We can’t raise enough money through pledges, how can we ever really raise millions of dollars?
Pledge funds and capital campaign funds come from two different sources of money. Fundraising for a capital campaign is ideologically different from annual pledge drives. We have hired a professional to research the capital campaign numbers and feel very confident in his highly researched recommendations. Initial responses have been extremely positive and promote a lot of confidence that a campaign could be successful.
8. I am at the church for Tom Goldsmith. His influence in our community - and in my personal life - cannot be replicated by another minister…if he goes, this church will falter.
The size of any church community fluctuates with leadership, as well as with other factors such as the political climate, economics, and other demographic issues. However, First Church offers a competitive salary package, has a vibrant congregation, is located in an attractive environment and is a dynamic part of the greater and growing UU community.
In sum, First Church has great potential for any new ministry calling. We feel confident that if, or when, Tom Goldsmith retires, we will be able to attract a vibrant new leader. Structural needs of a community are truly separate from human resource needs, and although there is a relationship, one does not necessarily depend on the other. Remember, “If you build it, they will come…!”
9. How will we meet the demands of a new structure and new space with the current administrative staff?
A Legacy Campaign and the subsequent building cannot and should not be pursued without the accompanying plans for adding people to run and administer the church and the properties. The big advantage to a new space would be potential space for large groups, performance space, and many smaller groups. The value of those spaces could be immense and would help offset much of the costs.
If the Congregation votes to move forward in May, The Steering Committee and/or Board of Trustees will most likely put in place a separate committee to work in conjunction with an outside professional to study and recommend additional staffing or structure that will need to be in place to provide on-going support and management of the new space to maximize the value of the property and what it would offer to the community.
10.I felt the Steering Committee had a predetermined agenda to build a new church, so focusing on the future was a way to ignore contrary opinions.
The Steering Committee does not have an “agenda”—but we did create a process for pursuing issues that needed time and attention. We had clear guidelines from the SPC and we had clear lists of organizational needs. We did not ignore or avoid contrary opinions. Every focus group had time to discuss their issues. Several focus groups had more time devoted to concerns than with the envisioning and futures discussions.
We also felt a push from many members to move forward and stop analyzing and holding meetings. A missing piece of the work over the last couple years has been time to allow the members a chance to just creatively focus on the future. The vision will help us build the other components of our strategic plans—plans that require a clear vision to focus on.
11.Nobody has solved the parking problem and it hasn’t been addressed.
Parking was addressed by the Strategic Planning Committee, and while they didn’t solve it, they found several ways to address it with any building choices. Architects will have to address and help solve the issue. We are in the process of finalizing a contract with McGillis School that should solve some of those concerns. Several options are still at play. It has not been ignored.
