Who Could Ask for Anything
More?
Rev. Christina
M. Neilson
April 9th, 2006
The
Starting Point of Stewardship
“Stewardship is more than mere
duty, this starting point moves us to giving as an act of love. Duty can be commanded,
but only love can be offered. A sense of
duty prompts us to meet minimal standards.
Love beckons us to reach maximal efforts.”[1]
Rev.
John Indermark
This
passage moved me because I thought it fit in well with the stories and
testimonials we have heard from some of our members. Sharon Eckert talked of her days in a Jewish
community. Dues were accessed to people
if they wanted to be able to buy their tickets to the high holy days. On one level, it feels like this is the fair
thing to do. The church needs a certain
base amount of money to run. Dues assure
that the lights can be turned on, salaries and rent paid, and committees
receive operating costs. If we were to
do that, each member would receive a bill to pay around $1200 dollars per year. That divides our operating expense by the
number of members and assesses a fair price to all. It appeals to our sense of duty; that all are
responsible for the church expenses and have cared for its needs. On the surface.
It
can also seem fair that if people want more services, then they can pay for
them as they choose- the women’s club, the Sunday school, the outings, the
gatherings for shared food. Not everyone
wants these things. Why should they have
to pay? Services used, fees
collected. Who could ask for anything
more?
But
on second glance, it doesn’t seem fair to anyone. It creates a commodity church, rather than a
mission church. It attracts people of at
least moderate means to a somewhat exclusive club. It completely shuts out those who couldn’t
possibly afford the fee, and fails to challenge those with more than average
means to give to a mission. Because the
church becomes about programs and services for church shoppers, rather than
mission and service to the community.
Where’s the faithfulness in that?
It
also fails to challenge the “friends” of the church. We hope our friends will contribute as well
as our members. Should people be exempt
from contributing because they haven’t signed on the line in the church
logs? I think not. I like that we leave room for all kinds of
participation, and that membership isn’t required before people are ready for
that commitment.
A vital
church needs people who are at all stages of involvement. We need visitors and new people checking us
out. We need our skeptics who refuse to
join anything on principle, but still come faithfully. We need our “angels” who give us money even
though they will never set foot in this church.
In fact, our first pledge has already been received from one of our
“angels.” We need people who commit with
heart and soul, serving the board, the committees, putting on services or
making their theatre debut during our canvass show.
So
we do ask for more, because a sense of duty is just our starting point. It turns on the lights so we can do our work
we really come for- our mission to our members, our community and to our larger
faith.
It
is this call of loving ourselves, our neighbors and our tradition that
encourages us to give beyond the call of duty.
That excites and enlivens our community allows us to thrive. We see the bigger picture of what is
possible. Love moves us to a higher
standard.
Sharon
Eckert also talked of her commitment to this community. How she would raise her pledge, even with
Steve retiring this year. The church has
been a source of support for them.
Dan Paxson
talked about his love for the church.
How it has changed him as a person, how it embraces him like family, how
it allows him a moment on the stage. How
committed he has been, almost since this church started. The church can meet a variety of needs.
Lee
Robinson wrote an article about his connection to the church. It is a safe place to share his joys and
sorrows. A place that tries to help him
correct the wrongs in this world. Where
else can you get that, he asks? The
church is so important to him he places his pledge first in his budget.
Shelley
shared his story this morning. The
church is a welcoming place to explore his faith. He and Suzanne hope to raise their children
in our church programs. They can
participate in community projects, all as part of our church family.
These
are stories of love. They are only a
small piece of the dynamic history of our church family. Each of you carries your own story. Did you come longing for community in a
standoffish world? Did you look for a
home for your children, who can be loved and welcomed by other caring
adults? Did you come looking for a
meaningful connection to the world, a place to bring your gift of service to
the world? Or perhaps a place of refuge
from the hostilities and prejudice? We
won’t solve all woes, but we aspire to community and meaningful connections in
our efforts.
And
I believe there is more love somewhere.
We’ve discovered this year that we like to bowl together. To eat. To do community service (Even with
it’s frustrations!)
With more money we could:
·
Rent UCC Church more often for gatherings.
·
DRE
·
Administrator
·
Increase our childcare for our young children/ 2
people
·
Building
·
Fund youth and young adult activities
·
Attend district conferences, leadership school,
general assembly
·
Lecture series
·
Hire musicians from outside. The All
Souls UU Church in Washington DC has a music budget of $95,000. They have very dynamic worship and that is a
big part of it.
·
Fill in your idea…
Money is
our currency for mission. I wish that
our blood and sweat were enough, but we need your contributions to make our
church thrive.
Since we
don’t have dues, many people who are new ask me what is an appropriate amount
to give. I can’t tell you what dollar
amount to give, but we ask for 3-5% of your income. We feel that this is fairer than dues because
it is pro-rated for all income levels.
It also leaves room for you to donate to community agencies as
well. We are stewards, not just to this
church, but to our community. Stewardship is a matter of the heart. Plan to leave some of your giving for focus
collections. This year we collected over
$10,000 for Katrina Relief, UUSC, THI, Interact, Berea Animal shelter and other
organizations. I think that’s up from
around $2,000 when I first came.
By now you
should have received paperwork from the finance committee. It has a letter from Lee, myself, graphs of
how we currently distribute the money in our budget, and visuals on how our
current pledges range. We know some of
you like to see all these details in writing.
Sharon and
I donate $2,400 to the church. It
represents 5% of our income, a level that allows us to feel we are caring for
the church and yet are still able to contribute to the community. You will also find a pledge card in your
packet. We will collect all of the
pledge cards next Sunday during our celebration Sunday. And yes, it’s Easter, but what better way to
welcome the spring than to witness the renewal of the church in front of our
eyes.
I love this
church community. Perhaps I don’t tell
you that enough. I love our Sunday
gatherings, our Tuesday classes, and even the committee meetings. I love getting to know each of you better
each day and discovering your love for Unitarian Universalism. I love having
children’s projects cover the office walls. I love our potlucks, our community
work. I loved being recognized by
Transitional Housing and the United Way as a spotlight volunteer. It’s a small sign of the great things that we
can accomplish together.
I love our
canvass show and can’t wait to see what this year brings. An inside source tells me it is gut-busting
funny and is always a good time. Having
food and desserts to follow won’t hurt!
Most of
all, I love the possibilities we hold.
We are small but accomplish so much!
Imagine what we could do if we all gave out of love rather than duty.
Do you
think we are thriving? This is what Mary
Halverson, UCC pastor says constitutes a thriving church:[2]
·
Are willing and able to change
·
Are led by those with a mission for the future
·
Have strong lay leadership and lay involvement
·
Make decisions in ways that involve all participants
and support leaders
·
Offer accessible worship that is open to change
·
Frequently share food and fellowship
·
Live within their means
·
Go through conflict and openly debate issues.
I think we
rank pretty high. We are not a mega
church, and we scale our activities to what our community can handle with the
resources that are available. If you
want to participate more, and have a hard time getting connected, come and talk
with me. I guarantee I will work my
hardest to find the right way for you to share your gift.
Who
could ask for anything more?
Who: you, me, I, we, us, everyone
Could: should, must
Ask: in order to receive
For: money to operate our church next year.
Anything: not just anything, something special
More: so we can do more.
Your pledge
on Celebration Sunday April 16th, 2006 will help determine how far
we can go in our next pledge year, July 1st, 2006 – June 30th,
2007.
Duty is a
great gift to offer. But we are asking
for more. To be more involved, more
invested, more committed. Let duty be
the starting point of your commitment here.
Let your gifts of ministry guide your involvement. Let love and connection guide your
pledge. If you give to what provides
meaning, if you give to where your heart leads, you and the church will thrive. Won’t you offer you gift of love this year?
Blessed be