To the Folks at CUCC:
Since I spoke to the congregation on January 7, we’ve made some progress, but we are still well short of both our 2017 pledge total and our goal budget we proposed at the last congregational meeting.
How can that be?
In many ways, Community UCC is in a very strong financial position. We have basically no debt, significant reserves, and lot of energy and growth in our midst. We've made some important long-term investments in recent years, such as the solar panels and the low-income housing that are improving our ability to fulfill our ministry. We have a budget that is open for all to see and participate in crafting.
But there are other ways in which we are not in a position of strength. Time marches on and we're all getting older.
I write particularly to the families with children. The folks who aren't retired, and probably aren't near retirement. The folks with student loan debt. Those of us who are struggling to buy into the triangle's over-heated housing market. The millennials. The Gen-Xers.
It is harder for us to support the ongoing strength and mission of the church. We have challenges that our counterparts 20 or 30 years ahead of us didn't have. Nothing we say or do here can significantly influence that. The world and economy is different.
Unfortunately, we also have a different perspective on giving than previous generations. This is where we can—and must change.
There are some of us that don't like the idea of pledging our income to pay the Church's utility bills, the staff salaries, or contributions to the larger denomination. But we are happy to whip out the checkbook for a particular cause that we care about.
Many of us pledge an amount that seems like a lot of money, because of the challenges we face in our finances, or because of the many years we spent as a poor grad student. But compared to the commitments our elders have made, who we are losing, it isn't really a large commitment.
So that is how we can be 15% behind last year. When you lose a handful of people that have one perspective, one tradition, and a strong financial position…and replace them with a handful of people who have a different perspective, a different tradition, and a more challenging financial position, it is a recipe for being down 15%.
So, what do we do? I think that first of all we have to recognize that for many of us even though we have challenges, we are doing fine—or much better than fine. We also have to think about the value this community has in our lives, and how it lives out our individual values in the work that we do.
Increasing our 2018 pledges is helpful (every little dollar helps) but this challenge is one that will take years to address. I believe that we need to be thinking about the long term. Please think about 2019 and 2020 and the years after and how we can plan to support our community and step up to being tomorrow's elders. So please take this message to heart even if there isn't anything more you can do now.
Jason Myers
Stewardship Committee Chair-Elect
How can that be?
In many ways, Community UCC is in a very strong financial position. We have basically no debt, significant reserves, and lot of energy and growth in our midst. We've made some important long-term investments in recent years, such as the solar panels and the low-income housing that are improving our ability to fulfill our ministry. We have a budget that is open for all to see and participate in crafting.
But there are other ways in which we are not in a position of strength. Time marches on and we're all getting older.
I write particularly to the families with children. The folks who aren't retired, and probably aren't near retirement. The folks with student loan debt. Those of us who are struggling to buy into the triangle's over-heated housing market. The millennials. The Gen-Xers.
It is harder for us to support the ongoing strength and mission of the church. We have challenges that our counterparts 20 or 30 years ahead of us didn't have. Nothing we say or do here can significantly influence that. The world and economy is different.
Unfortunately, we also have a different perspective on giving than previous generations. This is where we can—and must change.
There are some of us that don't like the idea of pledging our income to pay the Church's utility bills, the staff salaries, or contributions to the larger denomination. But we are happy to whip out the checkbook for a particular cause that we care about.
Many of us pledge an amount that seems like a lot of money, because of the challenges we face in our finances, or because of the many years we spent as a poor grad student. But compared to the commitments our elders have made, who we are losing, it isn't really a large commitment.
So that is how we can be 15% behind last year. When you lose a handful of people that have one perspective, one tradition, and a strong financial position…and replace them with a handful of people who have a different perspective, a different tradition, and a more challenging financial position, it is a recipe for being down 15%.
So, what do we do? I think that first of all we have to recognize that for many of us even though we have challenges, we are doing fine—or much better than fine. We also have to think about the value this community has in our lives, and how it lives out our individual values in the work that we do.
Increasing our 2018 pledges is helpful (every little dollar helps) but this challenge is one that will take years to address. I believe that we need to be thinking about the long term. Please think about 2019 and 2020 and the years after and how we can plan to support our community and step up to being tomorrow's elders. So please take this message to heart even if there isn't anything more you can do now.
Jason Myers
Stewardship Committee Chair-Elect