Read about our past activities as we prepared to move from our facility on RR620 to our new home!

November 2002

GROWTH FUND CAMPAIGN UPDATE

  The Growth Fund Campaign (GFC) is in full swing.  By now, you have read about the campaign in the newsletter and in the case statement, mailed to you last month.  You have seen the presentation on the computer screen in the church lobby.  You have taken in the food, fun, and information at the canvass dinner.  During church, you have heard testimonials by fellow Live Oak folks, outlining their reasons for financially supporting the GFC.  We hope these messages have helped you understand our goals, increased your excitement, and stirred your commitment to help make these plans our shared reality.

            In October, we conducted canvasser training sessions, with the trusted help of Dave Rickard, our consultant for the GFC.  The training provided helpful information on the canvassing process, and gave volunteers the chance to ask questions that could come up during their visits.   Thank you to the thirty-one (31) people who volunteered as canvassers! Your enthusiasm and dedication will ensure the success of this combined canvass.

            During the month of November, canvassers will conduct their pledge visits with church members and friends.  This year, we intend to have each member and friend of Live Oak canvassed in person.  Please welcome your canvasser as an ambassador of the church, and use your visit to get to know him or her either for the first time or in a new way. 

The face-to-face visit allows your canvasser to share information about both the 2003 operating pledge and the three-year GFC.  The visit also gives the canvasser the opportunity to hear your story – what brought you to Live Oak, what makes it special in your life, and what improvements you would like to see in the life of the church.  Your canvasser will answer any questions you may have about the current fundraisers and have you complete two pledge cards:  one for the 2003 operating pledge and one for the Growth Fund Campaign.

You can make the canvass process an enjoyable church event.  Start by not worrying.  No high-pressure tactics will be used.  All financial support of the church is truly appreciated.  Only you will make the decisions on what to give.  Just keep in mind, ”Give until you really feel good”.

September 2002

GROWTH FUND CAMPAIGN UPDATE

 As we welcome the fall season, we also prepare for the upcoming Growth Fund Campaign (GFC), which will raise money for our long-awaited new building.  In last month’s update, we described the overall rationale and goals for the campaign and sketched out important dates in the process.  This month we will outline the leadership roles needed for a successful campaign and the people who have stepped forward to fill those roles. 

General Chairs – George Huntington and Jon Durbin – This capable duo is responsible for the overall success of the GFC. 

Associate Chairs – Tere Kaulfus and Gary Schumann – The associate chairs will provide leadership should the chairs, for some reason, become unavailable.  In addition, they will be heads of the actual canvassing organization.  In this role, Tere and Gary will recruit the canvassers and team captains. 

Publicity and Education Chairs – Julie Lake, Sue Ann Kendall, and Sarah Swords – You will be hearing from Sarah, Sue Ann, and Julie frequently, as they write newsletter articles each month about the GFC, draft letters to the congregation, prepare the canvass brochure, and help train the canvassers. 

Hospitality Chairs – Greg Sedlock and Scott Osborne - Greg and Scott will make all the arrangements for the Kickoff Event, which will be a congregational dinner at the new church on Friday, October 25.  They will organize the food, decorations, childcare, and entertainment for adults and children for this big evening. They will be tapping into many resources in the congregation to make this event a huge success.

Financial Management Chair – John Iacoletti - John will be responsible for the record-keeping and initial collection part of the canvass.  He will establish a system to issue and track pledge cards and to acknowledge all pledges received.  He also will set up a system for billing and recording payments over the life of the pledges, as well as keep track of expenses of the campaign. 

Continuing Campaign Chair – Jon Durbin – Jon will follow-up on making pledge calls to members and friends who were not contacted during the initial drive, including new members.

Many volunteer opportunities exist in each of the above areas.  You can make a difference to the success of the overall drive by contacting any of the above people, to volunteer your ideas and energy!!

Late-breaking news - Canvasser Training, which was scheduled to take place on the weekend of October 11-12, has been rescheduled for October 4-5, so that this important process doesn’t conflict with other church events.  Dave Rickard, the consultant we have hired to facilitate the GFC, will be conducting this training.  He will be training members and friends as canvassers to collect pledges for the GFC and the 2003 operating budget, since we are combining those efforts this year. 

Thank you to everyone who is already working toward making our new home a reality! Please contact us with questions.

August 2002

“Live Oak UU Celebrates Move into New Building” ...  In approximately a year, we could be reading that headline in our local paper.  To that exciting end, many Live Oak members and friends have already started work on planning for the new facility.  The New Facilities Transition Committee (NFTC) has been working closely with our architect, Gayle Borst, on planning the renovation and cosmetic changes to make the building and grounds “our own.” You may have spotted members of the NFTC at church, sporting new nametags that feature a picture of the new building. 

The Finance Committee is working with the NFTC to coordinate the fund-raising process for the building, which we are calling the Growth Fund Campaign (GFC). The goal set for the GFC is $300,000, to be raised in gifts and pledges collected over three years. As the publicity and education chairs for the Growth Fund Campaign, we will provide you with updated information about the fund-raising effort, through newsletter articles, letters, and other materials.

One of our church’s first actions to launch the Growth Fund Campaign was to meet in March 2002 with Dave Rickard, a consultant from the UUA’s office on Congregational Fundraising.  Dave laid out a process for Live Oak to follow in order to successfully raise the needed funds for the combined canvass, which will raise funds for both the new building and for our church’s 2003 operating budget.  The following shows the scheduled steps in the GFC process:

August 2002 – Planning for the Canvass – Dave will visit with us again, to facilitate our planning for the combined campaign, assisting with canvasser recruitment, preparation of materials, plans for the kick-off event, etc. 

October 11-12, 2002 – Canvasser Training- Dave will train Live Oak members and friends in face-to-face canvassing for both the GFC and the regular annual pledge drive.  We hope many of you will volunteer to help as canvassers.

October 25, 2002 – Kick-off Event – We will celebrate the start of the combined canvass with an extravaganza!  We have the use of our new building for the evening, and plans are underway for a fun evening of dinner and entertainment for all ages. 

October 25-November 25, 2002 – Canvass Visits – During this month, you will have a personal visit with a canvasser to make your pledges to the GFC and the 2003 pledge drive.  It will be important to complete all the interviews in this month, in order to get budget information to the Finance Committee before early December, when the 2003 budget is prepared.   

How can you help?  The process of moving into our new building will be remembered as the single biggest volunteer effort undertaken yet by Live Oak.  How can you help us reach our goals? We need volunteers in all phases of the Growth Fund Campaign. If you have any ideas for the new building, join the New Facilities Transition Committee and help make the decisions. You could also help as a canvasser, and as a volunteer for the GFC kick-off event. In addition, the Finance Committee needs your help to plan and carry out the combined canvass.  Your participation will help ensure a successful transition to our new building, and make that headline in the paper come closer to being a reality.

Julie Lake

Sarah Swords

July 2002

SOME GROWTH FUND CAMPAIGN Q & A’s
(frequently asked questions)

WHEN will the campaign be held?
The Growth Fund Campaign will be held in conjunction with the annual canvass in the fall of 2002, which starts with our Canvass Dinner on Friday, October 25, at the new building.  In the past two years we have been canvassing by phone.  This year you will meet with your canvasser face to face.  There will be two pledge cards, one for the annual canvass, one for the Growth Fund.

WHO decided to have this campaign?
We all did.  When we agreed to swap property that had been donated to us for the Cypress Creek Church, we agreed a capital campaign was part of the deal.   The swap was approved by congregational meeting.  In the May 2002 Steering Committee meeting, the Growth Fund Plan was reviewed and given the thumbs up to proceed.

WHAT is the Growth Fund?
The fund has two purposes.  It is first intended to cover the costs associated with the move to the new building and secondly to support a membership growth.  Since the needs are complex, we have created five categories to help clarify the plan.
1.   Renovation of the sanctuary, improvements, & repairs.
2.  One-time items we need to buy (capital goods).
3.  Moving and first year start up costs.
4.  Maintenance Reserve Fund
5.  Membership & Staffing Fund

WHY do we need to do renovation?  What's wrong with the building the way it is?
While the building is structurally adequate, the congregation agreed, when we approved the "swap", that certain changes should be made in order to transform the somewhat plain building into our own aesthetically pleasing spiritual home. Additionally, not all the renovation is merely cosmetic.  Better lighting is needed in the sanctuary so that those of us with "aging eyes" can see our hymnals and orders of service.  The stage needs some renovation in order to accommodate a piano and our choir as well as a pulpit.  A comfort room is planned, so that parents of young babies can participate in the services without disturbing others.

WHAT are the first year startup costs?
The new building is five times larger than our current building.  With the new building come increased costs.  Our utilities will run over $15,000 per year.  Our insurance will exceed $6000 per year.  We will get some relief after we have moved out and lease our current space.  The first year we must absorb all these costs.  Of course, we will also have some start-up expenses with the new utility services and also specific moving costs.

WHY a maintenance reserve fund?
Keeping our new facility properly maintained will also help to protect and preserve our investment in it.  The building recently received a new roof, but there are many major other systems that will fail over time.  When these system failures occur, we can rely on the maintenance reserve instead of having a church financial crisis.

WHY do we need more paid staff?
We are a growing congregation and we anticipate that growth will accelerate once we are in the new, larger building.  Our current paid staff is already pushing the limits of their required work hours; it stands to reason that with a larger congregation we will need our paid staff to work more hours.  The current draft of the staffing plan maps staff hours based on membership size.

HOW was the fundraising target decided?
There are several proven ways to project how much a congregation can probably raise.  Dave Rickard, our fund-raising consultant, used four different prediction models, and all indicated that we could probably raise between $225,000 and $350,000.  The finance and transition committee have been studying needs, and have concluded that what we need is $300,000.  Whatever amount is raised, the spending decisions will be made at Steering Committee.  If you want to participate, join us there!

June 2002

NFTC – WHAT IS IT? DO YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED?

The New Facilities Transition Committee was developed so that we may have a somewhat smooth transition from our current location to the El Salido property in the summer of 2003. Our fearless leader, George Huntington, has been diligently outlining and delegating tasks to various teams that work within the purview of this committee. There are many decisions being made that will impact the atmosphere and finances at El Salido. Would you like for your ideas to be considered and to have a role in helping with this exciting period in the life of Live Oak? There are several options to accomplish this. First, you can join the email list for the transition committee to keep up to date on major decisions and developments and give your input. To do this, contact George at ghuntington@austin.rr.com. Second, you can come to the biweekly meetings of the transition committee. They are listed on the church calendar. Finally, join the specific team(s) that you are most interested in impacting with your ideas and energy by contacting the team leader listed below:

Team Tree. Leader: Glenn McIntosh
    

     Task: Relocate memorial tree.

Team Rock. Leader: Tere Kaulfus

     Task: Move rocks from Hatch property

Team Space. Leadership: Paid staff

     Task: Short & long term space usage

Team Celebration. Leader: Gary Schumann

     Task: June 8 BBQ & open house at El Salido

Team Sign. Leader: John Phelps

     Task: Investigate & propose signage

Team Staffing. Leader: George Huntington

     Task: Develop a 5-year staffing plan

Team 3315. Leader: Tere Kaulfus         

     Task: Tactical details of physical move & capital items needed for non-RE spaces

Team High Tech. Leader: John Iacoletti

     Task: High tech needs & usage

Team Low Tech. Leader: Charles Van Sickler.   
      Task: Physical plant operations

Team Library. Leader: Carolyn Dower

     Task: Church library development

 --Tere Kaulfus – for the NFTC

May 2002

UPDATES ON THE NEW CHURCH 

We have agreed to lease the "shed" or large out-building back to Cypress Creek Baptist from June 1, 2002 to May 31, 2003. We will be paid a lump sum of $7,500, which is being applied to the Growth Campaign fund. This gives us extra funds and solves many issues we would have been faced with on 'sharing' the facilities.

The New Facilities Transition Committee (NFTC) has been refining the renovation plan with Stewardship architects and developing a wish list of capital items needed. There will be an update on the Growth Campaign (formally known as Capital Campaign) at the May Congregational meeting.

The first draft of how to use the Growth Campaign funds will be presented in the May Steering Committee. The Transition & Finance committees will jointly host some info sharing meetings in mid-late May, dates will be announced in the next newsletter and by email. --George Huntington for the NFTC

April 2002

Meetings have been continuing, including meetings with Gail Borst, our architect, and a meeting with a UU fund-raising consultant to help us determine how we are going to finance the necessary items we will need for the move. We still need ALL the help we can get for the various committees involved in planning! Maybe you'd like to help with planning for the grounds surrounding the building, or the committees working on low-tech or high tech items...and the list goes on. Attend a biweekly meeting to learn more! We usually meet at 6:30 pm, every other Wednesday. The church administrator or designate can tell you when the next meeting is. 

January 2002

This new committee has been charged with coordinating and planning for the move to our new church (Summer 2003).  We held our first meeting on Jan 20, and have agreed to meet every other week on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:30 (before choir practice) at our current location.  Our next meeting dates will be: January 30, February 13, and February 27. 

We have re-hired Stewardship Architects to: a) develop a master site plan; b) propose improvements to the sanctuary; and c) propose 'green' improvements to the overall site.  Our next few meetings will be focused on setting clear direction for and interacting with Stewardship.

THE DETAILS OF THE LAND-FOR-CHURCH SWAP IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD…

Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church recently sold their 19-acre Hatch Rd property to Hill Country Bible Church and then promptly bought the Cypress Creek Baptist Church (CCBC) building on El Salido Pkwy in Cedar Park. This swap has been in the works for several months, with finance chair George Huntington and trustee/in-house attorney Gary Schumann and his law partner, Mitchell Savrick, planning and negotiating. Closing papers were signed on January 16 & 17 by church president Jennifer Swan, with Gary Schumann present. CCBC will lease the building from Live Oak until May 31, 2003, at which time they must vacate or face a dramatic increase in rent. On May 31 of this year, Live Oak will take occupancy of the 2400 square foot portable building located behind the CCBC building. Live Oak has immediate use of the 3 acres of undeveloped land adjacent to CCBC. A transition committee has been organized by George Huntington to make decisions about use of the land and the portable building, and to determine and oversee the innumerable tasks ahead of us to prepare to occupy the main building. Everyone is encouraged to contribute ideas and to take part in whatever task(s) interest them.

Copyright ©2006, Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church.
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