Annual Stewardship Campaign
When do rainbows typically appear? Often, as a thunderstorm abates and the sun begins to peek through. The dull grey gloom of the storm gives way to the sun’s rays and… if you’re lucky enough to be in a spot where it’s visible, and you look up… pure colors appear in the sky. A rainbow! A gift!
AUUF has experienced stormy weather recently. Unexpected storms. Big storms. Rev. Chris’ abrupt departure. Angela’s departure. These events were immensely stressful. At the same time, other major problems of a confidential nature were playing out in the background. Board meetings were long and difficult. Some of them were extra “emergency” Board meetings because we couldn’t wait a month between regular meetings.
But I think and feel that the sun is peeking through now. To wit: we – the congregation – adopted a mission statement last May. We have a minister! Rev. Marti agreed to minister to us this year on a quarter-time basis. Meadows stepped in as Acting Director of Religious Exploration, and RE is abuzz. Lay-led services delight and inspire us. New people have been showing up at Sunday services not just once, but repeatedly. A “New UU Workshop” is slated for April 28; at this point it looks like a large class.
All of this – especially our Mission statement – is sunshine after the rain.
Look up! Can you see the rainbow?
Why is the Mission especially important? Our Mission statement says what AUUF is (a welcoming and caring community) and what we want to do (challenge the mind, nurture the spirit, and transform the world).
Transform the world!! To me, that leads us from being mostly inwardly focused (albeit nurturing bonds of friendship and mutual spiritual support is certainly important and enjoyable), and toward focusing also on the world outside our walls. The Mission changes our thinking. Now we must figure out how the Mission’s lyrical phrase “transforming the world” will take shape in “real life.” The real life of our Fellowship.
We are taking on new work. We must become a new Fellowship.
We aim to transform the world. (Speaking for only myself, I’d settle for just transforming Lee County. Or Auburn-Opelika. Whatever!) The AUUF that thought about “social action” will fade from existence and be replaced by the AUUF that thinks about social action and feels compelled to do it. Now!
Is this too ambitious?
Are we aiming too high?
No, we just want to soar over the rainbow. “Birds fly over the rainbow/ Why, then, oh why can’t I?” asks Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.
I ask, Why, then, oh why can’t we be the Fellowship that soars?
As you contemplate increasing your financial support, you might ask “What’s new and exciting in the proposed budget for next year?? (The AUUF fiscal year begins on July 1, 2024, and ends June 30, 2025).
Rev. Marti has expressed interest in continuing and expanding her ministry at AUUF next year. In practical terms, probably that means an increase from quarter-time to half-time. But that depends on our securing a sufficient increase in pledge income.
The UUA tells us that having a full-time minister here is not something we can realistically hope for until we grow a whole lot. So, the model we envision for the coming year – half-time minister and half-time DRE – will probably become our “new normal” for years to come. Can “ordinary” members of the congregation (noting of course that all AUUFers are extraordinary!) help provide ministry in addition to that provided by the Minister? Yes! It’s called lay ministry. Training is required, of course. Rev. Marti has extensive experience initiating lay ministry programs in congregations she has served, as well as serving on UUA committees on lay ministry. She is willing to spearhead an effort set up a lay ministry program here at AUUF. The budget proposed for next year includes funding for that effort; an investment in the new normal, funded by your generous pledge.
AUUF tries to be a good employer. All salaries in the proposed budget reflect a cost-of-living increase of 3.2%. All are within the salary ranges recommended by the UUA. Fairly compensating those who work for AUUF is the biggest chunk of our expenses; about 67%. Give your pledge, at minimum, a cost-of-living cost-of-giving increase.
Today is the first day of the rest of the Fellowship’s life. The part where we learn how to soar.
Buoyed by the possibilities,
Prez for now
We have some Questions for you!
Unfortunately, many of us think of the Canvass as purely a money thing. But the dictionary says to canvass is “to question (someone) in order to ascertain their opinion.” No mention of money. This time around we will be doing both: asking for your pledge and asking for your opinions. To give you time to mull things over, here are questions that your canvasser will be asking you:
“AUUF is a welcoming and caring community dedicated to challenging the mind, nurturing the spirit, and transforming the world through the pursuit of truth, love, and justice.” (Our Mission Statement)
Q: What draws you to our community?
Q: How well is the Fellowship living out its Mission?
Q: In what areas of the Mission are we doing well and in what areas do we need more work. How can we improve?
Q: Do you feel people in the Fellowship treat each other with warmth and consideration? Are we truly caring about each other?
Q: What else is on your mind about the Fellowship?
“A field is empty, but if you put in the effort to grow something then you will have a garden. And that’s life. Give something, something will come back. Give nothing, nothing will come back. To grow a flower is a miracle: it means you can grow more. Remember that a flower is not just a flower, it is the start of a whole garden.”
–Eddie Jaku
“A spoonful of rice from ten persons makes a bowl of rice.” – Korean proverb
Proposed budget 2024-25 (Total expenses $161,845)
We usually think of generosity as giving something away. Giving to AUUF is a sort of selfish generosity; your money doesn’t go away. You see it every Sunday.
We have some Answers for you!
- How do I make my pledge? Sometime soon, a canvasser will contact you and arrange to meet with you. At the end of the meeting, you’ll fill out a canvass card and the canvasser will take it from you in an envelope, so they won’t see the amount of your pledge. Online pledging may become available later in the canvass, which ends April 28.
- How do I pay my pledge? Most people write a check once a month. They write “Pledge” on the memo line and put it in the basket during the Offertory. Some direct their bank to make an automatic recurring payment and send it to AUUF. Venmo and PayPal are OK, but AUUF doesn’t receive the full amount of your payment; more like 97%.
- When do I start paying my pledge? Your pledge refers to the 2024-25 fiscal year, which begins on July 1, 2024. Therefore, you’ll start contributing in July, 2024 at the level you will have pledged in this Canvass.
- I am not ready to become a member of this Fellowship, so why am I getting information about pledging? We have many non-members of the Fellowship who pledge financial support. We call them “Friends” of AUUF. We invite everyone who is regularly participating in AUUF activities to make a pledge.
- What happens if I can’t fulfill my pledge? We understand that some people’s circumstances change during the year, which prevents them from fulfilling their pledges. If this occurs, please let us know so that we can take note in our records, and plan accordingly.
“Practicing the sacred art of giving helps replace the narrow perspective of ‘me’ with an expansive view of ‘we.’”
– Lauren Tyler Wright
How much should I give??
That’s a hard one!
The UUA puts out a “Suggested Fair Share Giving Guide” It is thoughtful and compassionate (as you’d expect), but a tad bit complicated. If you want to look at it, search the web for “suggested fair share giving guide” and you’ll find it easily.
The big problem with the “How much should I give” question is defining the “I” in the question. We’re all different. Our relationship with money is ours and ours alone. (“Money has something to do with that intimate little place in your heart where you need security and don’t want to give that away.” – Henri Nouwen) Is Nouwen describing you? Maybe. Maybe not. But money is a sticky subject, yes?
The liberating idea is that giving to the Fellowship is funding your own spiritual life, your own community of support. That’s to say… you’re not giving your money away. It’s right here, benefiting you, other AUUFers, and the world beyond our walls.
If you crave a simple formula for giving, “Five to thrive” might work for you. Write down your annual income. Pledge 5% of that to AUUF’s present and future. Five to Thrive.
Another formula is “I’ll give what I gave last year.” But inflation eats away at your pledge. If you gave $2000 four years ago and kept giving that ever since, your $2000 pledge today is worth about $1500. Everyone has different circumstances, and if “I’ll give what I gave last year” is really all you can swing, then we welcome your pledge and are grateful for your generosity. We need you. We need everyone!