At different times over the past year-New Member gatherings, one of our summer services, stewardship gatherings-members and friends of First Unitarian Church have had the opportunity to answer two key questions:
What first brought you to First Unitarian Church?
Why do you stay?
And what we have heard, again and again, is that there are many "doorways" into our church. Some people come for the music. Some come for the liturgy. Some come because they've been Unitarian Universalists for a long time, and finding a UU church was the natural thing to do when they moved to central Massachusetts. Some come for our faith development programs for children and youth. Some come with a friend. Like our building with its many doors, all these metaphorical doorways are open for people to find our community.
Yet when people answer the second question-Why do you stay?-we have been much more likely to hear one answer again and again:
"I stay for the community."
It's not surprising, then, that a key commitment of our mission is that we strive to connect with each other. Or that one of our five-year goals is that our ministries will overcome loneliness. We have come to this church for many different reasons, but we have stayed for the community. We want to support the church so that it will continue to be a strong community for ourselves and for all those who have yet to join us.
Connection is also one of the key themes of this year's Stewardship campaign. We are asking members and friends to consider increasing their pledges to sustain the long-term health of our church.,. But we are also inviting members and friends to connect with each other as part of asking one another for their financial commitments. Connection is at the heart of stewardship.
You can be part of deepening these connections. You are invited to attend a Visiting Steward Orientation on Wed. Oct. 26 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Sign up here and make sure to let us know if you need childcare in order to attend. At this orientation, you'll join other members and friends over dinner to learn more about our stewardship goals for this year, both in terms of financial support and in terms of connection. At the end of the orientation, you'll have the chance to sign up to visit members and friends of your choice to talk to them about their connection to First Unitarian Church, and to invite them to pledge for the 2017 church year.
Stewardship is about so much more than money. It's about the connections that sustain our hearts and our church. By being a visiting steward, you can help create and strengthen those connections. You'll deepen relationships you already have, and maybe get to know someone new. Please join us for the Visiting Steward Orientation on Oct. 26, and enjoy the visit you have when you consider your own pledge to support First Unitarian Church.
In faith,
Ellen Foley Rev. Sarah Stewart
Stewardship Chairperson Minister