A letter from The Rev. Liz Lerner
August 24, 2006
Dear Members and Friends of the UU Church of Silver Spring,
As I write this letter, it is another sultry summer day in a season that is passing faster than the lazy weather suggests. Already the start of a new church year is before us, and it is a year that continues a recent tradition: each year promising new levels of achievement, opportunity and challenge. I am writing to you regarding the upcoming 2007 Pledge Drive. Our ability to meet the promises will inevitably depend in large measure on the generosity of our congregation.
Our progress and growth over the recent past has been astonishing. Our congregation is larger, more diverse, and more active than ever before and the engaged spirit of our faith community is something even first-time visitors frequently remark on. We have instituted visionary programs: Deaf Access and pod-casting sermons and providing space and training for English for Speakers of Other Languages, as well as maintaining longstanding service commitments to service like the Shepherd's Table, So Others Might Eat, and Beacon House, the UU youth center in Washington DC. We have incorporated right relations into the foundation of our existence together as a congregation and established a covenant to guide our interactions, as well as mission and vision statements to guide our journey as a church.
As political agendas have moved into deeper conflict with the values of our liberal faith we have marched, rallied, stood in silent witness, lobbied in Washington and Annapolis, written letters, emails and petitions, and created worship and service opportunities to stand up for what we believe and hold sacred. We have retained this congregation's remarkable ability to care for each other, from rides to errands to grocery shopping; offering emergency living space; cooking; serving at memorial services; even moving whole households when we have been in need. Generosity of spirit, depth of caring and courage of commitment has always been the heart of this congregation and remain so.
As your minister, the excitement of serving such a growing, vital congregation is great, because as our size and programs grow, so do our congregational standards and abilities. Throughout each year, we experience the incremental changes that add up to perceptible deepening at our church. Music is richer and more diverse, with a larger choir and more musicians involved in our music program. Religious Education boasts terrific enrollment increases and great degrees of participation and enjoyment among the children, youth and teachers of our Sunday school. Worship attendance continues to rise well beyond any previous level in our congregation's history.
With all the goodness and grace that our growth offers, it is also a continuing challenge, and that is the reason for this letter. With all the remarkable ways our congregation has risen to the challenge of being a vital church, we are not done. In fact, our greatest challenges lie immediately before us.
We are poised on the brink of a new level of church life: a new level of services, of capacities, of fulfillment and impact. Our feet are already on that path. You may have read in the newsletter or heard in church conversations about the Appreciative Inquiry process we are using this year to set tangible goals and timeframes for our path forward. We are also working with the Rev. Ed White, a congregational consultant from the renowned Alban Institute, to help us with our process of managing our growth and needs.
It's not surprising that part of managing a thriving congregation comes down to money. We've been evaluating our pledge drive methods, and the way we've done it in the past served us very well. We have obvious reason to be grateful to many members who made it a success and a firm basis for our operation for many years. Now, however, the proportion of newer members and our current size require that we rework the pledge campaign as part of improving how we operate. We're reconfiguring it this year to make it simpler, more transparent and most important, to tie it more closely to our faith and what it calls us to as a church.
There are a few things to be aware of as we move into this new and crucial pledge drive:
· We absolutely need 100% participation from our members and friends. Sharing in the financial responsibilities of the church is an obligation to everyone of us; simply participating at whatever level we are able is an accomplishment and a part of what binds us as a community.
· This year we are not pledging to a budget, we are pledging to a vision: one that allows us to be adequately staffed for our current size, with adequate funding for building maintenance and repairs. Congregational staffing and building maintenance are generally big ticket items. Don't be shocked when you see that we are asking for an increase this year, even over past years.
· Pledge opportunities will look different this year from what they have in the past; please pay attention to upcoming information in church and the newsletter to know what to expect and how to respond.
Myself, I find the dreams our people have, and the abilities and knowledge our congregation comprises, dazzling. The future is very, very bright for us at UUCSS and we are at an extraordinary time in the life and history of this church. I am excited to be living into those dreams with you and look forward to what this year before us will bring.
See you in church,
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Lerner
|
What should I give?
Consider your values, income, and needs, then give as generously
as you can! The table suggests three levels of support. The higher
into orbit we can launch the budget, the more fully we can support
our Minister, staff, facilities and programs.
Many are capable of giving at the higher end of table while others
need to give less. No matter the size of your pledge, the entire
church community greatly appreciates your contribution—for
our pooled resources make our community possible.
UUA Fair Share Giving Guidelines
| Gross
Income |
Supporter |
Sustainer |
Visionary |
| $10,000 |
$200
2% |
$200
2% |
$500
5% |
| $25,000 |
$500
2% |
$750
3% |
$1,250
5% |
| $50,000 |
$1,500
3% |
$2,000
4% |
$2,500
5% |
| $75,000 |
$2,250
3% |
$3,375
4.5% |
$4,500
6% |
| $100,000 |
$3,500
3.5% |
$5,000
5% |
$6,500
6.5% |
| $150,000 |
$5,250
3.5% |
$7,500
5% |
$9,750
6.5% |
| $200,000 |
$8,000
4% |
$11,000
5.5% |
$14,000
7% |
| $300,000 |
$15,000
5% |
$18,000
6% |
$24,000
8% |
Additional Information
Audio of Choosing Champions Service
Follow-Up Letter from The Rev. Liz Lerner
Letter from the VP for Finance, Geoff Gavett
Information from Pledge Drive Committee
Submit my Pledge >>
|
