July 8, 2007 Update

• Facilities: ArchiTexas will incorporate feedback from the City of University Park’s staff before the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting (delayed until August) and City Council meeting in September, when our rezoning request will be considered. In the meantime, the Facilities Team and ArchiTexas will consider priorities for short-term improvements. Comments on the master plan are welcome. Please submit them to Tom Kirwin for distribution to the Facilities Team.

• Capital Campaign: The May and June campaign effort yielded encouraging results, with well over 100 new pledges. We still have a long way to go to fund our Chart and Compass aspirations, and critical decisions lie just ahead. Our contributions are our gifts to each other, our children and the larger community, and will become our living legacy. Pledges can be dropped off or mailed to the Church Office or placed in the collection plate. Our thanks to the 310 members and contributing friends who have to date pledged over $5.7 million toward our $9-million goal.

• Social Justice: The Social Justice Team continues its Peacemaking Initiative as part of a three-year UU Peacemaking Study/Action Issue process; Ian Hunter is the Peacemaking Initiative contact. Work also continues on the Chart and Compass budget allocation for Social Justice startup.

• Center for Public Dialog: The Business-Plan Development Team led by Charles McMullen continues working on a draft for presentation to the Leadership Team. Timelines for stakeholder input from the congregation, the Chart and Compass Team, and Board of Trustees are now being developed to allow time for incorporating responses and making changes before moving forward.

• Publicity and Branding: The team is very busy making arrangements and preparing materials for a church-wide campaign launch on Ingathering Sunday (September 9th). Workshops with the church’s Program Management Team and staff are being prepared to introduce the new brand, positioning, and creative executions. If you are an attorney with trademark expertise, or can recommend one, we are in need of help with trademarking creative work-product. Please contact Tom Kirwin if you can help.

• ~ Ellen Magnis and Mike Birrer Leadership Team Co-Chairs
  ~ Fritz Kuehn Leadership Team Communications