Welcome, Unitarian Universalists!

We’re welcoming another community to rent our facility on Sunday afternoons and some Wednesday nights. The Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City (UUSIC) approached our Staff and Board a couple months ago, asking if they could rent our facility while they wait for the construction of their new building. UUSIC has enjoyed a very long history in Iowa City, and the community is moving out of its downtown Iowa City location and building a new facility in Coralville (on Oakdale Blvd). 

Working with our staff and board, we’ve decided to make a rental agreement offer, which they have accepted, that will last from October, 2015 to March, 2017. We did this because we don’t regularly use our facility on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings, so it’s available, and the rental income will only help further our church’s mission. While we anticipate growing in our community, and perhaps adding a second Sunday worship service, we don’t expect any problem with their Sunday afternoon meeting time (their time would be 1-4 p.m.). We also want to be good neighbors to another community in transition, and we have quality space to share. And in the spirit of looking out for the common good, this agreement seemed to fit who we are in our Blue Ocean values and ethos. The UUSIC community shares many of our own concerns like Hands on Faith service efforts, building healthy relationships, and working towards justice. 

Our communications with folks in the UUSIC community have been clear and consistent and easy. They are organized and generous-spirited. So we have full confidence that we’ll be able to navigate this arrangement well, both in the initial set-up but also as things come up over the months.  

If you have any questions about how this may affect our church facility or community, feel free to talk to any of the Staff or Board.