Over time, our congregation has been reflecting on how we express who we are: our identity, our values, and our welcome to the wider community. As part of that reflection, questions have emerged about whether our current name clearly communicates who we are today and who we hope to be in the future.

This conversation is about making sure the way we name ourselves reflects the life we are living together as a community of faith.

The recommendation comes from the Marketing Roundtable, a group tasked with helping us think about how we communicate our identity and mission. After a period of listening and discussion, they brought forward a recommendation to Church Council.

The Church Council has voted to share this recommendation with the congregation and to enter into a broader process of discernment together.

We are proposing Prairie Village United Church of Christ (abbreviated as Prairie Village UCC) as the future name of our community. Colonial Church will remain the legal name for business purposes.

Yes. After gathering feedback and considering a range of possibilities, only this one name is being brought forward for congregational discernment.

Yes. The proposed tagline is:

“An Open and Affirming Community.”

This tagline helps communicate not just where we are, but who we are and what we stand for.

No. The name reflects where we are located, not who is welcome.

Like many congregations in a metropolitan area, we draw people from a wide range of communities. A geographic name provides clarity, not limitation.

Including “UCC” clearly identifies us as part of the United Church of Christ and connects us to the denomination’s broader witness of justice, inclusion, and belonging.

It also helps people who are already familiar with the UCC recognize us and find us more easily.Item description

Other names such as Hope UCC, Open Doors UCC, or Kinship UCC, among others, were suggested and thoughtfully considered.

In the feedback process, many felt that while those names carry positive meaning, they do not provide the same clarity about location and identity. The proposed name, combined with the tagline, communicates both where we are and what we stand for.

The tagline makes our values visible. It clearly communicates that we are a community centered on belonging and that we actively welcome all people, especially those who have not always experienced full inclusion in the church.

For many people exploring faith communities, this kind of clarity matters deeply.

Not necessarily. The recommendation is to adopt the new name publicly using a “doing business as” (DBA) designation, while retaining the historic legal name, Colonial Church, in official records.

A DBA allows us to move forward publicly with a name that reflects our present identity while maintaining legal continuity with our existing structure.

We don’t expect to incur substantial costs related to the name change.

Legally, the only cost of changing the name would be a nominal fee with the state of Kansas to file papers noting that we are doing business under the new name. Our legal name would remain Colonial Church, so we wouldn’t need to change our foundational documents, bylaws, etc. Church leadership has vetted this approach with legal experts and found it sound. When creating new legal documents, we would use the language “Colonial Church in Prairie Village doing business as Prairie Village UCC.”

New internet domain names cost around $10 apiece. Social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram are free. Church staff manage our online presence, so costs to update our web page and social media accounts are part of our normal payroll.

The question of whether to design a new logo to go with the prospective new name hasn’t been decided. Hiring a graphic designer would incur costs, or leadership may choose to ask in-house staff to design a logo.

A new name would require reprinting envelopes, postcards, banners, signs, etc. The costs for those replacements will vary depending on quantity and type. A batch of 500 new envelopes costs around $150; a new banner costs around $200. The main sign in front of the church needs repair and will have to be replaced no matter what name we use.

Not at all. This conversation did not begin with one person, nor is it about change for its own sake.

The question of our name has emerged over time through congregational conversations about identity, welcome, and how we are known (and wish to be known) in the wider community. The recommendation to consider a new name comes from the Marketing Roundtable and has been affirmed by Church Council as something worth exploring together.

This is not about changing everything. It is about listening carefully to who we are, honoring where we have been, and discerning how we communicate that clearly and faithfully in this moment.

We are entering a summer season of intentional, communal discernment. This will include opportunities to gather, reflect, and talk together about the proposed name.

We will gather at least three times as a congregation before Gathering Sunday to share information, ask questions, and listen to one another.

A congregational vote is planned for Gathering Sunday, September 13.

You are invited to:

• Attend one (or more) of the congregational gatherings

• Share your questions and reflections

• Speak with church leaders

• Engage the process prayerfully and thoughtfully

Your voice matters in this discernment.