The Village Meetinghouse: Waitsfield United Church of Christ
The Village Meetinghouse: Waitsfield United Church of Christ
O
ne Vermont congregation’s
ne
Vermont
congregation’s
success
in following
a
success
in following
a
community-based
model
for its
community-based
model for its
major capital
fundraising cam-
major
capital fundraising
cam-
paign—which
went well over
its initial
paign—which
went
over of its all initial
goal and raised
over well
a third
funds
goal
raised
a third of all funds
from and
outside
the over
congregation—can
be
from
outside the
an inspiration
for congregation—can
other small town be
an
inspiration
for other
small town
churches
nationwide.
Waitsfield
United
churches
Waitsfield
United
Church of nationwide.
Christ, whose
white steeple
Church out
of Christ,
white steeple
pokes
among whose
the surrounding
village
pokes
out among
the Mad
surrounding
village
and green
hills of the
River Valley
in
and
green
hills
of
the
Mad
River
Valley
central Vermont, has became a hub for in
central Vermont,
has became
hub arts
for
community
gatherings,
culture a and
community
culture service
and arts
events,
and gatherings,
a place providing
and
events,
a place
providing service and
care for and
those
in need.
care Recently
for those the
in need.
congregation em-
Recently
em-
braced
a bold the
plan congregation
to renovate its
his-
braced
a bold plan to adding
renovate
its his-
toric
meetinghouse,
accessibility
toric
meetinghouse,
adding and
accessibility
and improving
the amount
quality
and
improving
the
amount
and
of available space for programs, quality
minis-
of available
space Funding
for programs,
minis-
tries,
and events.
the congrega-
tries, and
events.
Funding
the congrega-
tion’s
vision
required
launching
a major
tion’s
required
launching
a major
capital vision
campaign.
Waitsfield
turned
to
capital
campaign.
Waitsfield
turned
to
Partners for consulting services, recog-
Partners
for consulting
recog-
nizing
Partners’
focus on services,
raising funds
nizing a Partners’
focus
raising beyond
funds
from
wide variety
of on
sources
from
a wide variety
of sources beyond
congregation
members.
congregation
members.
Campaign
chairman and congrega-
Campaign Jon
chairman
and
congrega-
tion member,
Jamieson
said
of their
tion member,
Jamieson
said
of their
challenges
and Jon
how
Partners
helped
challenges
and a how
Partners
helped
them: “we are
United
Church
of Christ
them:
“we are located
a United
of relig-
Christ
congregation
in Church
the least
congregation
located
in the
least a relig-
ious
state in the
nation.
We had
build-
ious that
state
in the nation.
We had
a build-
ing
suffered
from years
of deferred
ing
that suffered
years of deferred
maintenance
and from
a congregation
that
maintenance
and
a
congregation
that to
could not afford to support upgrades
could not its
afford
to support
upgrades
improve
efficiency
and utility.
Part- to
improve
and utility.
ners
was its
the efficiency
only consultant
that Part-
under-
ners
consultant
that out
under-
stood was
that the
we only
would
be reaching
to
stood
that
we
would
be
reaching
out
the larger community to achieve our to
the larger
to achieve
our
goal.
They community
help us define
our mission
goal. communicate
They help us define
our mission
and
it effectively.
I don’t
and communicate it effectively. I don’t
think we could have succeed ed without
think
PSP!” we could have succeeded without
PSP!” Partners helped the congregation
Partners
helped the congregation
embrace
a community-based
fundrais-
embrace
a
community-based
fundrais-
ing model that leveraged support—and
ing
model gifts—from
that leveraged
support—and
financial
a wide
variety of
financial
gifts—from
a wide
variety
of
neighbors,
friends, civic
leaders,
and
neighbors,
friends,
civic leaders, and
others outside
the congregation’s
cur-
others
outside the As
congregation’s
cur-
rent membership.
the congregation’s
rent membership.
As the
congregation’s
pastor,
the Rev. Nancy
McHugh
shared,
pastor,
the this
Rev.
Nancy McHugh
shared,
”We
have
beautiful
facility now—but
”We
have this
now—but
the reason
we beautiful
have this facility
beautiful
facility
the
we have
this
beautiful
facility
now reason
is because
of the
wider
community
now helped
is because
of the this
wider
community
that
to make
happen.
There
that helped
to make
this happen.
There
were
hundreds
of people
that partici-
were
of people
that partici-
pated hundreds
in the capital
campaign…
We are
pated
in the and
capital
We are
so grateful
hope campaign…
we can continue
to
so grateful
we can
continue
be
a greater and
and hope
greater
asset
to the to
be a greater and greater asset to the
community.”
community.”
The steering committee for the
The steering
for the from
campaign
brought committee
together leaders
campaign
brought together
leaders Civic
from
both
the congregation
and beyond.
both the and
congregation
and beyond.
Civic
leaders
elected officials
were also
leaders
and
elected
officials
also
friends to
the
campaign
and were
provided
friends
to
the
campaign
and
provided
key guidance and advice about signifi-
key guidance
and advice that
about
signifi-
cant
grant opportunities
the
con-
cant grant successfully
opportunities
that the con-
gregation
sought—including
gregation
a six-figure successfully
award from sought—including
a special, limited
a
six-figure
from
a special, limited
opportunity award
for flood
remediation
funds
opportunity
flood
remediation
funds
through
the for
State
of Vermont
and FEMA,
through
State of Facilities
Vermont Grant.
and FEMA,
as
well as the
a Cultural
as
well efforts,
as a Cultural
Facilities
Grant. to
Other
like a special
campaign
Other
efforts,
like
a
special
campaign
reach out to the many second home- to
reach out
the
many second
home-
owners
in to
this
ski-focused
region
also
owners surprisingly
in this ski-focused
also
yielded
strong region
responses
yielded
surprisingly
strong
responses
and significant
financial
contributions.
and significant
financial
contributions.
Along the way,
the congregation
the its
way,
the congregation
even Along
changed
name—deciding
to
even changed
its name—deciding
adopt
“The Village
Meetinghouse” to
in
adopt
“The
Village Meetinghouse”
order to
emphasize
both its past as in the
order
to emphasize
past of
as wor-
the
town gathering
place both
and its
house
town and
gathering
place and
and future
house as
of a wor-
ship,
its present
ship, and
and irreplaceable
its present and
future
as serving
a
vital,
civic
asset
vital, and irreplaceable civic asset serving
United Church of Underhill. “We identified the need in our
United
Church
Underhill. “We
the need
in our
community
for of
providing
meals to identified
children and
families
community
for vacations
providing
meals
to children
families for
during school
along
with
the need and
for support
during
school
vacations
along
with
the
need
for
support
for
senior citizens. With that, we decided to go to the congrega-
senior
citizens.
that, we our
decided
to Building
go to the to
congrega-
tion with
a plan With
to renovate
Gifford
be used
tion
with
a
plan
to
renovate
our
Gifford
Building
to
be is used
in the winter months when our Clutter Barn program
not
in
the the
winter
months when our Clutter Barn program is not
using
space.”
using the
This space.”
past spring, Underhill moved forward with plans
This past
spring, Underhill
moved forward
with plans
to renovate
the Gifford
Building, sending
out a request
for
to renovate the Gifford Building, sending out a request for
one and all. The Rev. McHugh explained
one
and all.
The Rev.
the name
change,
“as McHugh
a way of explained
commu-
the
name
“as community
a way of commu-
nicating
to change,
the wider
that we
nicating
the to
wider
that the
we
really do to
want
be a community
place to serve
really
do
want
to
be
a
place
to
serve
the
community in lots of different ways —
community
in lots
of different
ways
—
programming,
groups,
meetings,
din-
programming,
groups,
meetings,
din- for
ners,
or being able
to provide
a place
ners, or being able to provide a place for
people in need. We felt like Village Meet-
people
in is
need.
We what
felt like
Meet-
inghouse
exactly
we Village
are. The
inghouse
exactly what
are. The
new
name is embraced
our we
history
and
new
name
embraced
our future.”
history and
helped
us move
into our
helped us move into our future.”
proposals to five local architects to plan renovation of the
proposals
to five
local
to plan
of the
building. This
fall,
the architects
congregation
will renovation
meet with the
archi-
building.
This selected
fall, the congregation
will meet
with
archi-
tect they have
for the job to refine
plans
and the
decide
tect
they
have
selected
for
the
job
to
refine
plans
and
decide
the best way to move forward with reusing the building for
the
to move
forward
reusing
building
the best
food way
pantry,
senior
citizen with
outreach
and the
other
public for
the
food
pantry,
senior
citizen
outreach
and
other
public
programming.
programming.
“The Partners program has helped UCU in many ways,”
program has me,
helped
UCU
many ways,”
said “The
Pastor Partners
Goldenbogen. “For
I think
the in biggest
benefit
said
Pastor
me, to I think
biggest
benefit
has been
to Goldenbogen. “For
help the congregation
think the
bigger
and to
has been to help the congregation to think bigger and to
SACRED PLACES • AUTUMN/WINTER 2017-18 • 13
SACRED PLACES • AUTUMN/WINTER 2017-18 • 13