This Week, May 5, 2013  

This Sunday - Worship 10:30 a.m.

This Sunday - Adult Forum  

9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. in Room 25

This Sunday - Faithful Dialogues     

9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. in Brunner Chapel

Children & Youth Religious Exploration 

To find out what interesting and inspiring things our children and youth are up to, please click here for CYRE News and Notes!     

Next Week, May 12, 2013    

Next Sunday's Service - 10:30 a.m.       

Stewardship Update

Down the Stretch: During the last nine  weeks 232 members and friends made their financial commitments and the campaign total is over $465,000, that is 83% of the way to the $560,000 goal.

Visiting Stewards have made visits, volunteers and Stewardship Team members have tried to call everyone, and letters have been mailed; but we still have about 40 members and friends to hear from.

What's Next? The annual meeting is a few short weeks away and hard decisions will be made unless we reach our goals. Now it is time for you to do your part! Please respond promptly to our contacts so that we can fund all the Loving Action!

Bill Hardham, Stewardship Team

Budget Reconciliation Meeting

Draft Budget Available for Review 

The Budget Reconciliation meeting will be Sunday, May 5th at 12:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. This meeting is not an official congregational meeting. However, it is an opportunity to review the budget that will be voted on at the Annual Meeting on May 19th and suggest changes to the Executive Team.

The Board and the Executive Team have been working together to develop a budget for next fiscal year. As you know from the meeting held April 14, as well as articles from our Stewardship Team on the progress of our annual pledge drive, our projected pledge income is less than we had hoped for. Our pledge goal was $560,000 and our projection for pledges for next year is $502,500. (As of April 29, 2013) This is about $60,000 short of our pledge goal, and $40,000 less than the pledge commitments we have on file for the current fiscal year.

Such a significant shortfall requires difficult decisions and expense reductions. The Executive Team has crafted a budget which impacts staff and program budgets, but which allows us to maintain effective church operations during FY 13/14, as we develop our long range strategic plan and craft a staffing plan designed to support the goals of that plan.

Some major changes include:

1. Our Honorary Minister of Music position has been changed from a full time position to three-quarter time.
2. The church's contribution to employees' retirement plans has been reduced. All staff participants in the pension plan will receive contributions of 5% of their earnings beginning July 1, 2013. Currently ministers receive 10%, and lay staff receives 8%.
3. All employees who participate in our health insurance plan will receive premium coverage only for the UUA Health Plan High Deductible Plan (80% for the employee, and 50% for dependents). If employees wish to remain on the UUA Health Plan Standard PPO, they will need to pay for the additional premium cost above the rate for the High Deductible plan. Currently, employees may choose which plan to use, and receive the percentage of premium coverage (80% employee, 50% dependents) for either. 
4. Professional expenses have been significantly reduced, overall cut by $8,500 over our approved budget in May 2012.
5. Program budgets have also been reduced. Our largest program budgets, Music and Children's Religious Exploration, have been reduced to 70% of their budgets from the approved budget in May 2012
6. For FY 2013-2014, we will only be able to pay 75% of our JPD dues instead of the 100% we paid this fiscal year.
7. Additional cuts have been made across many areas of the budget.

Please plan to attend our Budget Reconciliation meeting on May 5 at 12:30, in the Sanctuary. If you cannot attend, please email your comments to any member of the Executive Team. 

To access a copy of the budget to be discussed at the Reconciliation Meeting on May 5 at 12:30 p.m., please click here. For login access to the Members Area of the website, please call the church office at 302-478-2384 or reply to this email.

For a detailed version of the budget, please email marina@firstuuwilm.org or call the church office prior to Friday, May 3 at 3 p.m. Printed copies of both the published budget and detail budget draft will be available at the meeting on Sunday. 

House Pins for Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is May 12 this year. For your convenience, we will be selling House Pins after church on May 5 so that you can choose the perfect gift for your Mom, Aunt, Sister, or the special woman in your life. Tastes vary, so we offer a broad selection of pins, ranging from traditional House and Woman Pins to Heart, Inspirational Window, Fun Fish, Butterfly, and Art Deco pins. You can also purchase a converter ($2 each) so that the recipient can wear the pin as a pendant.

We continue to donate 100% of the profit from the $15 sale price of each pin to the YWCA Home Life Management Center. This program provides transitional housing for homeless families, helping them find stable employment and permanent housing.

Purchase pins on May 5 to get a wonderful Mother's Day gift AND support the work of YWCA Delaware!

Your House Pin Team,  

"Changing the World, One Pin at a Time!"

Bev Bach, Noreen Bayly, Colleen Blaho, and Ann Tolman

Independent Living for Young Adults

High School Graduation Celebration

Think of when you graduated from high school or college. If you had friends and family to celebrate with you, it was a very special day,  right? You probably received gifts that were meaningful  and useful.

Now think how it must feel for young people who don't have anyone to cheer them on when they have worked against incredible odds to graduate. No congratulations, no celebration, no gifts. Pretty sad, right? That's what it's like for many kids who are aging-out of foster care as they graduate from high school.

How good would it make you feel if you knew these graduates realized someone really cared about their accomplishments? If they knew someone was cheering for them to continue on the road to success? 

As an individual, as a family, as a group help fill a backpack for one of these deserving kids! If you'd like the personal feeling of shopping for a grad, pick out a towel set, a small umbrella, and a flashlight. If you can, add a $25 gift card to Target. (You can do a double good deed by getting that from the Booster Card Table at church). Or, purchase several of the needed items for several backpacks.

Or, donate $5, $10, $50 or more and someone will do the shopping for you. Donations also help with the pizza party celebration given for the grads. All Sundays in May there will be an ILYA table set up at coffee hour so you can sign up to help. If you can't make it to the table, contact Barbara Perry at perryba@hotmail; 302-475-7929.

The good news is that there are a record number scheduled to graduate this year - nearly 30! So, ILYA hopes for a record number of donors to give these young people a joyful graduation! They have so little support and so many hurdles. You can make a big difference - one that impacts them now but, ultimately, all of us in our interdependent world.  

Day of Mindfulness Retreat

On Saturday, May 11, 2013 the First U's Open Heart Zen Sangha will celebrate spring with a wonderful day of meditation practices. A delicious vegetarian potluck lunch will be served. All are welcome regardless of experience. The retreat will be held in the Brunner Chapel from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. and costs $25 (Cash or check made payable to First Unitarian Church of Wilmington). If you plan to attend, please contact Ben Fleury-Steiner by cell phone 302-379-6918 or email openheartzen@gmail.com.

May 12 Special Collection

A Center for Relational Living 

On Sunday May 12 our collection plate offering will benefit the work of A Center for Relational Living (ACRL) and their Second Chances Program which helps formerly incarcerated people to reenter society and avoid recidivism. Last year ACRL helped 20 former prisoners to find jobs, and provided pre-release training and resources for 35 inmates to help them successfully transition back into society.  

Our own community minister, Rev. Paula Maiorano, is the full-time volunteer Executive Director. Members of our congregation also volunteer and support their work. Our gifts will help to reduce the pattern of recidivism that plagues Delaware and will help save taxpayers many thousands of dollars.  

For more information about ACRL, Second Chances, and the Coalition to Dismantle the New Jim Crow, please contact:Rev. Paula Maiorano, ACRL,100 W. 10th St., Wilmington, DE 19801, 302-428-3850

Get to Know...

Steve Cohen has been Treasurer of our Church since May 2008.  He oversees our finances and provides the Board and Executive Team with a monthly summary of our financial status and outlook. Steve joined our church in March 1996 and met his wife, Cindy, volunteering at "The Warehouse Project" in 2000.  Cindy & Steve married in the Brunner Chapel in January 2001. Steve has also served as Stewardship Campaign Chair, Finance Team Chair, usher, and greeter. He has two grown sons and a 5-month-old grandson. Steve works as an Information Technology manager and volunteers as President of the Arden Club.  

Besides being a big success, last fall's addition of the "BoUUtique" generated loads of fun for shoppers! Let us give new life to your vintage clothing and special party wear.

We will also be looking for small furniture, household items, antiques, collectibles, home decor, and clothing.

Of special need are large vehicles or trucks, and strong arms for lifting. We have access to some furniture and boxes of treasures, and need a way to get them to the church before the sale.

Please contact Donna Van Name at 792-9141 if you're able to volunteer your services.

and Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee is very honored to announce the four nominees to serve on the Board of Trustees. (We have a total of nine members on the Board of Trustees.) Members will vote for the candidates at the Annual Meeting on May 19, 2013  at 12:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. 

• Suzanne Perry is returning to the board for a two-year term (term ends May 2015)
• Doyle Dobbins is joining the board for a three-year term (term ends May 2016)
• Leslie Dickerson is joining the board for a three-year term (term ends May 2016)
• Ostin Warren is joining the board for a three-year term ends May 2016)

Current Board Members:

• Dave Harrell (term ends May 2014)
• Jeff Lott (term ends May 2014)
• Maggie Duffy (term ends May 2014)
• Pat McGee (term ends May 2015)
• Drew Hansen (term ends May 2015)
• Margaret Sheridan's and Richard Flanagan's terms end in May 2013.

The candidates for the Nominating Committee will also be voted on at the Annual Meeting. (We have a total of six members on the Nominating Committee.)

• June Peterson will remain for a one-year term (term ends May 2014)
• Richard Flanagan joins for a two-year term (term ends May 2015)
• Chuck Miller joins for a two-year term ends May 2015)

Current Nominating Committee Members:

• Steve Marek (term ends May 2014)
• Cindy Cohen (term ends May 2014)
• Barbara Lenahan (term ends May 2014)
• Lynn Ingersoll's and Marilyn Hyte's terms end May 2013.

For the Annual Meeting Notice and biographies of the candidates, please click here. For a Voting List for the Annual Meeting, click here. 

 In Our Community

Spring's Awakening & Picnic

Saturday, May 4th from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Killen's Pond, Pavilion #1

The event is open to the public, and is free, with donations gladly accepted to cover the cost of the event. Bring a picnic lunch. Grills and drinks provided.