About a year ago I started attending meetings of the Stewardship Committee,mostly because I like and admire its chair, Jacki Weber. It was formerly calledthe Pledge Committee, focusing on the yearly fundraising drive, but its intentwas broadened to include "taking care of." (A long time ago it was called "Waysand Means," similar to the committee that oversees tax laws in the U.S. Congress.)Whatever its name, the Stewardship Committee's main job is still to raise themoney that enables our church to operate - salaries for our minister and otherstaff, business expenses (sorry, but a church is a business), and building upkeep.As a previously "un-churched" person, I've been and still am trying to figureout how UUCCSM works. As the historian/archivist, I've gleaned a lot from historicaldocuments - mostly the truth that many of the same issues are rehashed everycouple of years and there's a lot of reinventing the wheel as new members getinvolved.

What does the pledge summary say? What does it cost to run our church and whopays for it? How does my pledge compare to others? Am I contributing a fairshare? Are others? Is our 2005 budget of $458,623 being well spent? What couldour church do and accomplish if I, and others, pledged more money (I refuseto use the euphemism "resources")? These are questions that have been writtenabout in previous newsletter articles. We all think about them incrementally,and quite frankly, they are never-ending. I have only my opinion at this time,based on a mere two years of association and membership. My opinion is, however,embedded in a well-established and growing love of who we are and what we do,and I consider my serendipitous introduction to UUCCSM as being one of the greatblessings of my life.

So, here's my take on the pledge breakdown: Combining the first two categories,$1 to $700 per year, I'm surprised, and quite frankly disappointed, that 181(53%) of all 2005 pledging units pledged less than $1.91 per day ($58.33 permonth) in support of a yearly budget of $458,623. That's less than a cup ofStarbucks coffee per day, or the cost of basic cable TV per month.

Now before you come at me with flaming torches and pickaxes, I know that'snot the whole story. I know (1) many people contribute money other than thatcredited to pledges (including unreimbursed expenses); (2) many people volunteerprodigious time and services that keep the church going; (3) households withannual income of $20,000 or less can hardly afford to pledge more than $100to $700 per year; (4) households at any income level can have extraordinarycircumstances such as job loss, serious illness, children in private schools,disabled elderly parents, etc., that limit or temporarily suspend charitablegifts; and finally, (5) everyone has a right to pledge whatever amount theywant without being chastised or criticized.

I'm not making a judgment; if you treat other people with respect and kindnessthen you're the kind of person I like and want to get to know, and nothing elsematters. I think no more or less of anyone based on their annual pledge to UUCCSM.But, I would hope, and am suggesting, that everyone in our congregation whois not officially low income/no assets and who most recently pledged $700 orless consider increasing the 2006 pledge by $20 per month (or $240 per year).If 150 pledges of $700 or less (out of 181) did that, it would generate an additional$36,000 per year toward operating expenses.

No one should pledge more than they're comfortable with, but everyone who believesin what UUism stands for and what UUCCSM is and does should strive to be a "fairshare" financial contributor (calculated according to suggested guidelines orself-defined). Now I'll take that bullet . . .

- Rob Briner

 

I've been reading a couple of books, "The Almost Church" and "Creating Congregationsof Generous People," both written by Michael Durall, a UU. While they're notfor sissies, I wish we could make these books required reading for the wholecongregation.

Durall writes that at a time when many of the values and messages of UUismare embraced by an increasing number of religious groups and society at large,most UU churches are on plateaus or in decline. When people are asked what theyyearn for, they say that they wish their church had a more significant, visiblecommunity impact; that they yearn for a more adventurous congregational life,a willingness of their church to live more boldly, to take risks, to accomplishgreat things or affect lives.

Durall writes that when asking church leaders what prevents them from accomplishingtheir hopes, dreams, and yearnings they say: "We believe members are impoverished,and can't ask them for more money." "We don't want to offend anyone." "Thereis a sense of giving leftovers to the church." "Membership is too easy here.""We are constantly worried about running out of money and this limits any dreamswe might possibly have."

Giving in mainline churches has declined for the last 30 years. Many congregationsoperate on the tradition of "just enough money to scrape by and no more." Familiarpatterns become institutionalized. Congregations are not challenged to dreambigger dreams and to reach out to society.

Many congregants believe that if the church's doors remain open, there is noreason to increase giving, rather than thinking about the rewards and benefitsof a growing and generous faith. Research cited in "Financing American Religion"showed that parishioners who give the least are motivated by maintaining thebuilding and the congregation. More generous members believe they are helpingother people and strengthening their relationship to the divine. What do ourmembers believe?

Durall says that in his opinion, for a church to be successful, there mustbe "an attitude among clergy and lay leaders that money is an instrument toaccomplish much good in the world, not a 'necessary evil.'" Rather than somethingto be dreaded like some sort of congregational root canal, giving, for Durall,is an affirmation of one's life and the embodiment of the hopes of a group ofpeople.

Should generosity be one of the core values of religious people? Is it possibleto lead miserly lives (or lives of great indulgence) and give little to thechurch yet consider oneself to be a person of faith? Giving in the Jewish traditionis expressed through the concept of tzedakah, which means "righteous giving,"in which sharing is not a matter of individual preference but rather a dutyand expectation. Jews believe that not giving would be like failing to providefor their children - an unthinkable dereliction.

Why isn't our congregation more generous? Durall writes: "We suspect that aconsumer mentality has become a part of church life; that people expect to receivebenefits from the church at a low 'cost' and don't believe they need to givemore. Why pay more for something that already costs little or nothing?"

What is our church like and for what does it want to raise money? Durall says,"Many churches sustain the belief that they can accomplish anything they setout to do. In literally every one of these congregations, regardless of programcosts or economic makeup of their church community, the money is usually there."

UUism is often referred to as "the best kept secret." Most people I meet havenever heard of it. How tragic. People in our community and our world need whatwe have to offer. How I wish that I hadn't been over 35 years old before I foundthe UU church. How I wish I had raised my son in this church.

Some words adapted from Michael Durall: Churches seldom die from taking risks;they expire from complacency. Plain and simple, we need more resources in orderto truly share our message of love and faith that can transform lives.

Durall continues: "Charitable giving should make some difference in how weas religious people experience life from day to day. If giving to your churchis similar to writing a check to pay the electric bill, and then forgettingabout it until the end of the next month, you are not giving enough.

"If you take spare change or a dollar or two from your pocket or purse forthe weekly collection and never notice the difference, your giving has too littlemeaning for you or for your church."

One stewardship consultant believes that it takes a five-year minimum to changethe giving culture in a congregation. Friends, it's time to get started.

- Charlene Langland

 

"Get Up, Bambi, You Must Get Up!"

Anyone viewing Walt Disney's classic animation of "Bambi" remembers the perilousforest fire when Bambi's father finds him trapped by smoke and flames. "Getup, Bambi, you must get up!" his father urges.

This empowering message to never give up is for all of us who "must get up"and help in contributing to our church's mission. The $o Much to Do, $o LittleTime campaign is on during October, November and December. In October and Novemberwe are asking members to solicit the donation of gift certificates from thelocal merchants they patronize or to donate a gift certificate from the businessthey own or where they work.

Please, don't be shy in asking merchants for their help with movie passes andgift certificates for sports equipment or events, spas, bakeries, restaurants,electronics, theater tickets, golf, tennis and music lessons, coffee houses,miniature golf course, dry cleaning, markets, and anyplace else you may regularlypatronize.

Donated gift certificates collected this month will be combined with next month'sdonation drive of fabulous gifts to create beautifully arranged gift basketsfor the church's silent auction to be held in the spring.

This is an ambitious drive. Please, won't you "get up" and help in reachingour fundraising goal of $5,000 by asking someone you know or do business withfor a gift certificate this month. You may drop it off at either service inthe colorfully decorated box in Forbes Hall next to the cookies on Sunday.

- Diane Ludowitz

 

Carol Ring's Art Featured at Tar Fest

Church member Carol Ring'sdigital art piece, "Urban Quilt VII," was exhibited in the Tar Fest Art Show2005, "Crafting the Los Angeles Experience," and was also featured on the postcard,left, promoting the event. The show was held at the Los Angeles Craft and FolkArt Museum, October 1 to 23. Carol is a graphics artist at Santa Monica Collegeand is also one of our newsletter designers. Her hobby is capturing beautifulabstractions from her daily travels with her digital camera. Items such as fadedand broken signs, rust stains, graffiti, paint smears, enigmatic stickers andposters, and other often shabby but vibrant and energetic oddities which adornour public spaces attract her eye. She collects and enhances these images onthe computer and groups them into art pieces she calls "Urban Quilts." Her workwas shown in Forbes Hall in 2003, and she is looking forward to a second showin 2006.