Life is full of hard edges and complicated choices. Braver/Wiser gives you weekly message of courage and compassion for life as it is. Every Wednesday we deliver an original written reflection by a contemporary religious leader, and brief prayer, grounded in Unitarian Universalism.
Elaine believes in the transformative power of deep listening. She is passionate about creating spaces that invite us to turn toward each other to cultivate compassion, offer care, and discern the movements of the spirit.
Elaine served as First Universalist Church of Minneapolis from 2013-2019 as Minister of Membership and Adult Ministries, focusing on spiritual deepening and radical hospitality. She has served as a hospice chaplain for Allina Health in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a hospital chaplain in Charleston, South Carolina. Prior to entering the ministry, she served in the Peace Corps in Cape Verde, West Africa, and led the social justice and legislative advocacy program of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. Elaine is a graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School and Grinnell College.
Elaine grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City in an interreligious household. Her mother was raised Methodist on a farm in Kansas. Her Jewish father was born in Israel and moved to the United States when he was thirteen. As a teenager, she discovered that the wide embrace of Unitarian Universalism was a natural fit.
Spending time with her husband, Jason, and their two children brings Elaine great joy. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, the magic of trying a new recipe, any excuse to dance, and the board game Settlers of Catan.
Responsible for: Pastoral Care
Kelsey is passionate about strengthening communities through intentional communication. Kelsey holds a B.A. in Psychology from Bucknell University and completed postgraduate work at Columbia Law School and George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. Before joining the team at Foothills Unitarian, Kelsey managed marketing and communications for local businesses and worked in wellness, social services, journalism, and research. Kelsey enjoys teaching yoga and meditation. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband and three dogs.
Katie believes the best things in life are the result of collaboration and diverse perspectives coming together to produce something greater than any individual could. She is passionate about systems, efficiency and collaboration for better community outcomes. She loves dreaming up the big picture and drafting the roadmap to make it happen. She has a background in operations, fundraising, communications and program development, as well as over a decade of nonprofit management experience in Northern Colorado.
Her greatest joy in life comes from her family. Her husband, Steven, a principal at Wellington Middle School, and daughters Emmaline and Esmae are the lights of her life. Together they love mountains, music and all kinds of food. She is passionate about women supporting other women in all stages of life and especially through the critical moments that make or break us. She believes that one of the most important things in life is to be kind.
Being outdoors makes her soul come alive. It always roots her in gratitude and is one of the reasons she loves living in Fort Collins.
Tanner is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist and self-described evangelist. He is an experienced marketer, human-connector, and creative communicator who wants to use his skills to help people connect with their faith and live more deeply into their Unitarian Universalist values. Tanner splits his time working with the Church of the Larger Fellowship as their Outreach Coordinator. He is excited to join the Foothills team!
As a native New Yorker, Amy enjoys thinking big. She has a passion for community building and has previously worked for three local nonprofits as a database manager to help build systems that can assist with connecting people to their interests and to each other. You will often find her paddle-boarding at Horsetooth with her two kids, enjoying live music, or out walking her high-energy dog, Aspen.
Kara moved to Colorado in 2006 to study at Northern Colorado and Colorado State earning her Masters in Music Therapy. She works as a music therapist and music educator in the Fort Collins area. She joined Foothills in the Fall of 2017. While still new to Unitarian Universalism, the message of spreading courageous love is what resonated most with her. She enjoys furthering that message with families at Foothills through moving, playing instruments and singing. When not making music, she tries to spend time hiking, skiing, running or reading as many books as she can.
Nature, music and beloved community inform Christopher’s budding ministry. A lifelong UU from Knoxville, Tennessee, he brings his experience in UU camps and conferences, hospital and university chaplaincy, and worship-crafting to serve Foothills. Christopher earned a Master’s of Divinity from the Iliff School of Theology in 2017, and a BA in French from Middle Tennessee State University. He enjoys spending time outdoors and playing in his band Crispy Watkins and the Crack Willows.
Dyane Rogelstad is a Southern California native, but has adopted Colorado as her home. She grew up on an avocado ranch, loves the outdoors, and has three grown children and two grandchildren. Dyane’s first love is music! She teaches music at her home studio and regularly performs as an accompanist-collaborator in the Northern Colorado area. She also serves as a Project Manager and Accountant at a locally-owned advertising firm in Fort Collins. Dyane is excited and grateful to be part of the Foothills community!
Lauren grew up in Maryland, DC, and Virginia, and moved to Colorado in 2014 with her husband Chris and their two children, Sylvia and Jack. She has worked as a consultant and educator in leadership and organizational development, communication, and diversity and inclusion. She loves bringing those skills together with her experience as a parent and partner to serve Unitarian Universalism and all the youth and families at Foothills. She believes in the power of our church to cast a wide circle of loving support around us as we navigate the tangled gorgeous chaos of our lives. Lauren likes to talk a lot, play word games, and dig in to great novels. She loves the Muppets. She is an ardent friend and focused parent; a gardener, yogurt maker, nature explorer, and dog lover; as passionately devoted to nurturing all those lives around her as she is to sometimes being blessedly alone. Lauren found her true home in Colorado but still feels the pull of the Atlantic Ocean, the Potomac River, and the Chesapeake Bay.