Planning St. Aidan’s Future:
A Progress Report
By Paul Voakes
Senior Warden, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church
August 28, 2024
In the spring of 2022, the St. Aidan’s Vestry began a journey of discernment with the question, “What is God calling St. Aidan’s to be, and to look like, 50 years from now?” That’s a simple question with, we’re coming to find out, a complex series of answers.
In these first two years of the journey, we have identified our values and visions, we’ve studied the experiences of other churches with similar goals, we’ve reached out to organizations that might join us as partners or collaborators, and we’ve gathered tremendously helpful advice as we proceed.
In the summer of 2023, using our own parish budget and parishioners’ gifts, the Vestry and its Discernment Committee secured the services of Trestle Strategy Group, an experienced, Boulder-based real estate consultant, to help us navigate local land-use laws, relationships, and politics. In the spring of 2024, we were awarded a grant from Trinity Church Wall Street in New York, to commission a study to assess the financial and physical feasibility of development on our 2.4-acre property. After a competitive bidding process, we hired jv DeSousa Architecture and Design to conduct the study, which we expect to be finished in early 2025. To help inform the feasibility study, we have also commissioned a Property Condition Report, to determine the condition and lifespan of our building and its current infrastructure.
Our pursuits are driven by the values and visions the congregation expressed at the outset, through a prayer-filled process of discernment and listening. Most importantly, we want St. Aidan’s to continue as an Episcopal parish with a mission to “shine Christ’s light on CU, Boulder and the world.” We believe that partnerships will enable us to accomplish more than we could alone. We want to enhance Boulder’s interfaith experience, especially in serving CU. We want to enhance our collaborations with, and perhaps even share space with, other organizations that serve the greater community. We want to use our property to create new and significant community benefit: perhaps some combination of housing, a childcare facility, a performance space, or something else. We want to care for our environment by achieving a low carbon footprint while protecting a beautiful outdoor area and historic oak tree. With the expert support and knowledge of jv DeSousa and Trestle Strategy, we are actively exploring the feasibility of working with various local partners to achieve those dreams and desires.
Frequently Asked Questions
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That has never been our assumption, nor has it become a goal during this process to date. We are aware, however, that we have a chapel that can accommodate our current average Sunday attendance, and that our main sanctuary seats about five times our Sunday average. Our current facilities are aging and are not energy-efficient; maintenance alone costs $130,000 annually, and that doesn’t include the future expenses of replacing aging systems. We lack infrastructure, such as air conditioning and adequate audio/visual equipment to sustain robust gatherings for church and community in the future.
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Both firms were selected by the Vestry after competitive bidding processes. The Discernment Committee carefully vetted all bids and determined that Trestle, and later DeSousa, were clearly the best fits — respecting our values and listening to our needs. The committee enthusiastically recommended Trestle, and later DeSousa, to the Vestry, which approved both choices.
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On the contrary: For the last several fiscal years — even during the worst of the pandemic — we have grown our budget and finished each year in the black. At the same time, we have watched other churches, Episcopal and other denominations, close their doors due to lack of financial support. We are aware of a long-term trend (even at St. Aidan’s) of declining “plate and pledge” — contributions from our members, which comprise the parish’s largest category of budget support. Plate and pledge now account for less than half of our annual revenue, and may well continue to decline.
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We are fortunate to have a large parking lot to accommodate CU’s parking needs, which currently provides nearly 45% of our budget’s income. But we can’t count on that source to shore up our budget over the long term (especially as CU is planning large parking structures nearby). Also, we do not consider “parking lot” to be one of the best ways for St. Aidan’s to live out its mission.
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All options remain possible at this early stage, but we’re keeping this in mind: We began discernment in the belief that if we do nothing, St. Aidan’s will be in a financial and property crisis within 20 years. We’ve seen too many parishes “stay the course” in hopes of a return to the robust, crowded churches of the 1960s and ‘70s, and that has not worked. We are honoring our history, appreciating our present, and envisioning our future, while we carefully discern how God is calling us to minister to our congregation, CU, Boulder and the world.
Do you have other questions? Ask Paul Voakes, and we'll add it here.