Resolution Wording:  "The membership of Sunrise shall: Authorize the sale of the Woodmen Building adn the approximate 7.8 acres of original land and the approximate 8.8 acres of adjacent land purchased."

Vote results:  316 in favor and 26 against.  The reolution passed.

Sunrise UMC All Church Conference Scheduled for Noon, Sunday, April 10, 2011, at Briargate Campus

The Sunrise UMC Church Council has approved an All Church Conference scheduled for noon on April 10, 2011, at the Briargate Campus with the Dist. Supt., Rev. Melanie Rosa, presiding. The purpose of the conference is to vote on a proposed resolution of Sunrise United Methodist Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado, authorizing the sale of (1) the Woodmen Building and approximate 7.8 acres of original land, and (2) the approximate 8.8 acres of adjacent land purchased in 2009.

By the United Methodist Book of Discipline rules, the voting on this type of resolution will occur at an All Church Conference consisting of all Sunrise members present at one meeting in one room at that time with no absentee balloting allowed.  The vote on the resolution will be a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote with a simple majority vote determining the results.  That is, you must be present to vote on this resolution. Come vote!

The Mission of Sunrise is:  Knowing Christ and Making Him Known.  Serving Christ by Serving Others, and the Vision of Sunrise is:  To Change Our World One Life at a Time. 

 Sunrise has been planning for several years to relocate all of our ministries to a united campus.  The congregation and staff have been faithful in giving their time, talents and financial resources and in living out our Mission and Vision.  To be a faithful Body of Christ, Sunrise must respond to God’s challenges and opportunities.  Our immediate challenge and priority is to move Sunrise to a financially viable position for the short term and long term.

The sale of either Briargate or Woodmen property will allow us to reduce the principal amount of the bonds by retiring a portion of the bonds resulting in an improved position to meet our ongoing financial obligations, including annual bond payments.  The congregation already authorized the sale of the Briargate property on May 4, 2008. 

The Sunrise congregation and staff will continue with facility and ministry transitional planning, given the potential for a sale of facilities, and for the future relocation of all of Sunrise ministries to one campus.  The Sunrise congregation and staff will continue to pray to discern God’s plan for Sunrise and His people.  

This resolution shall be in effect immediately upon its adoption. 

NEED MORE INFO?  We have conducted Question & Answer sessions on Saturday March 12 and Sunday March 13 after each service with moderate attendance.  We will conduct Question & Answer sessions again on Saturday April 2 and Sunday April 3 after each service to continue to address your questions and concerns. 

You can also address your questions to the following church leaders via email:  BuildingCommittee@sunriseumc.com  

Bruce Thorson, Church Council Chair
Roy Thomas, Finance Committee Chair
Hank Poburka, Trustee Committee Chair
Larry Nichols, Bldg. Committee Chair
Gordon Stegner, Bldg. Committee Architect/Builder, Team Leader
Barb Colclough, Bldg. Committee Communications Team Leader

Church Council, the Building Committee, our Pastors and Leadership are committed to keeping you informed and invite two way open communications.  Remember, we are not defined by a building.  The strength of Sunrise is all about the people, the programs and ministries, and our love for our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

Sunrise UMC Church Council and Building Committee Update Feb 2011 

The long-term vision of a united campus at Woodmen is still moving forward. Along the way we have met our share of opportunities and challenges. One significant challenge is the financial need to cover the annual bond payments. For 2011, this amount is $480,000. In 2012 it grows to over $560,000. Currently our operating budget is covering $180,000 of this need; the rest is being funded from our capital campaign funds. At the end of 2010, the balance of our capital campaign funds was $531,000. At the end of 2011, we anticipate it to be approximately $224,000. If the level of contribution from the operating budget remains the same, we will have an unmet need in 2012 of over $150,000. 

Sunrise has received unsolicited interest in both our buildings, nothing has been sold. There are several conditions that would have to be met in order for a sale to go through. First, we would need acceptable lease-back options to help maintain continuity with our current worship programs. Second, in maintaining the vision of a facility large enough for all our programs and worship needs, a sale would be contingentupon the ability to purchase additional land from Cook at an acceptable price. This additional land, along with the 8.88 acres that were purchased in 2009, would be the future home of Sunrise when we are in the financial position to move forward. This is a complex and dynamic process. However, based on these new opportunities, the Building Committee has recommended, and Church Council has proposed putting the Woodmen building up for sale. An All Church Conference will be held this Spring to vote on the listing of the Woodmen building. 

We know we are not assured of selling either facility in the near future/needed time frame. We will concurrently bring in Horizon Stewardship for a funds drive that would focus on building an operating reserve that would meet our debt needs for 2012 and following years. 

Due to many options and potential timing issues, it is imperative to plan for several options, especiallyregarding interim space needs. Church Council has directed the Building Committee to move forward in the detailed planning for these opportunities. The possibility for change, especially with multiple dynamic options, is hard for each of us, but we continue to believe the challenges and opportunities will ultimately result in God’s vision of a united campus at Woodmen. 

We also want to celebrate several positive things happening at Sunrise: Pastor Olon has transitioned to Sunrise and brought with him a renewed enthusiasm for worship; we have had a 5% increase in worship attendance; we have a first-class music program which helped bring in a 20% increase in Christmas and Easter program attendance; we had a $45,000 increase in 2011 pledges over 2010. 

NEED MORE INFORMATION? We will conduct Question & Answer sessions on Saturday, March 12, and Sunday, March 13, after each service. We will not have all the answers at that time but will do our best to address your concerns.

You can also address your questions to the following church leaders via email to buildingcommittee@sunriseumc.com: Bruce Thorson Church Council Chair
Elizabeth Anderson Church Council Vice Chair
Roy Thomas Finance Committee Chair
Hank Poburka Trustee Committee Chair
Larry Nichols Building Committee Chair
Gordon Stegner Bldg Committee Architect/Builder Team Leader
Barb Colclough Bldg Committee Communications Team Leader

Church Council, the Building Committee, our Pastors and Leadership are committed to keeping you informed and invite two way open communications throughout this facilities planning process. Your specific input at selected times may be requested, depending upon the options that unfold moving forward. 

Remember, we are not defined by a building. The strength of Sunrise is all about the people, the programs and ministries, and our love for our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We ask that each of you continue to pray God’s blessing on Sunrise and to ask Him how He can use you to fulfill his will and vision for Sunrise. 

To watch the latest Building update please click here

Questions?  Want Information?  Come!  When? Where? 

Have You Heard ~ The Architecture Firm of RNL will update the progress for the master plan and design of the new Sunrise worship facility this Sunday, Aug. 29 at 11:45 in the Briargate Sanctuary.  The update will include a few progress drawings and a general idea of what will go where.  Please attend this meeting for firsthand information about where they are in the process.  

Church Council Update:

1. At the August 15 Church Council Meeting, Council approved hiring a consultant to assist RNL with the cost estimations for the new facility.  The Building Committee, based on interviews, selected Nunn Construction to assist with the pre-construction cost estimating. Sunrise Church has a great past working relationship with Nunn Construction, a key builder for the Briargate facility. They are a local company with a solid reputation.  Per the terms of the arrangement, payments for the services are deferred for a year, until Sept 2011, with the potential of being waived should they be selected for the full construction services.

2. At the same meeting, Council also approved hiring a consultant to assist with a future capital campaign to raise funds for the new worship facility at the Woodmen campus.  Based on the unanimous recommendation of the interview group, Horizons Stewardship was chosen. Horizons Stewardship is unique in its approach, focusing on helping churches live out their God-given vision, with PRAYER as the motivator. A feasibility-readiness study, lasting two to four months, will begin this fall.  The study has three parts: historical and present data analysis; leadership survey; and oral interviews. These will help determine the readiness and viability of a future campaign. The intention is to proceed with a capital campaign based on the feedback and timing recommendations from this feasibility study.  

Prayer Team Update:

It is exciting that the Prayer Path around the perimeter of the Woodmen property is nearly complete! We recognize and give thanks to Steve Boyce and all those who helped in this accomplishment. We encourage everyone to schedule time to walk or pray for the prayer path, incorporating it into your routine.  Watch for the future date to dedicate the Prayer Path. See you at the dedication!  

From Larry's Desk...

The Building Committee has given the highest priority to establishing and maintaining a high level of communication and dialogue with the church community throughout the process. This website provides one means to achieve our goal. We will post updates, seek comments, and answer questions through this medium.

When the Building Committee began the process in Fall 2008, it adopted a charter, which accompanies these comments.

The Building Committee continues to pray for God’s divine guidance knowing that if we are doing His will, the way will follow, as God desires. We ask that the church community continue to pray with us.

In God’s unfailing love,

Sunrise Building Committee
Larry Nichols, Chairman

Resources

• Building Committee Minutes
• Bond Drive
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Building Committee Charter
• Building Committee Photos

Bond Company:

Rives, Leavell and Co.
1-800-748-8877
www.rivesleavell.com