There’s a reading in our hymnal by the Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed which tells us “the central task of the religious community is to unveil the bonds that bind us each to all.” On this late winter Sunday morning, as we welcome new members into our congregation, and as we launch our Annual Appeal to raise the funds we need to support our staff, our ministries, and our beloved meeting house & grounds in the coming congregational/fiscal year, this is the message I want you take with you into your week. “The central task of the religious community is to unveil the bonds that bind each to all.” Though I want to adapt it slightly this morning. Mindful that there are many forces in the world that seek to fragment and weaken the bonds that bind each to all, the central task of the religious community is not only to unveil them, but also to nurture, grow and strengthen them. There’s work involved. And I believe it’s work we do well here at UUSE.
For those of you who are new to the congregation and may not be familiar with our Annual Appeal–and as a reminder for those of you who are familiar–this is our largest fundraiser of the year. While we generate some income from building rentals, endowment interest, one-time gifts and fundraisers like the holiday fair and the goods and services auction, the Annual Appeal is our primary source of revenue. Each year in March our Stewardship Committee runs this campaign. We like to connect face-to-face with as many of you as possible to ask directly for your financial pledge to UUSE for the coming year. You have the opportunity to sign up for a pledging potluck, where a small group meets with an Annual Appeal steward. Those who don’t sign up will have the opportunity to meet with a steward one-on-one (please respond promptly to your steward when they reach out to you!) In these meetings, the question is not “How much will you give?”—though we do care about that. The question is “What does this congregation mean to you?” We hope–I hope–UUSE means the world to you, that this is a place where the bonds that bind each to all are not only unveiled for you, but where you have the opportunity to tend to them—to nurture, grow and strengthen them. And in response, we hope–I hope–you will make the most generous financial pledge possible.
I’d like to give a shout-out to our Stewardship Committee members, Patricia Wildes (chair), Phil Sawyer, Stan McMillen, Larry Lunden and Louisa Graver. Thanks to each of you for the work you do on behalf of our congregation!
We’re asking for a 4% increase in financial pledging over last year. In short, if everyone who pledged last year increases their pledge by 4% we’ll be doing just fine. Of course, it’s never that easy. Not everyone can increase their pledge, and some may have to reduce their pledge, depending on financial circumstances. Some have died and so we’ve lost some pledges. We always face headwinds. What this means is that, in any year, whatever our target percentage is, our ability to reach it depends on some members and friends increasing their pledge by an even higher percentage. I know the Stewardship Committee is eager for you to understand this.
Mindful that almost none of you come to worship on Sunday morning to hear about the congregation’s budget, I nevertheless want to share a few things about it as you contemplate your financial pledge for the coming year. I want you to know how the Policy Board landed on a 4% overall pledge increase, and I want you to know what’s missing from the budget.
As a reminder, two years ago our Policy Board and Finance Committee promised that we would present balanced budgets to the congregation and stop the practice of passing deficit budgets and slowly spending down our reserves. We are still committed to that, and the budget we’re proposing for next year balances. But not without some pain.
As is always the case, the first draft of the budget was way out of balance because it included everything everyone asked for. The Policy Board had to make some very difficult decisions in order to make it balance. I am proud of the work they did. They are good stewards of the congregation’s precious resources. Though none of us like the decisions, they are necessary. Among them are a reduction to staff professional expenses, a delay in the process of bringing some of the staff salaries up to Unitarian Universalist Association guidelines, a reduction in the dues we pay to the Unitarian Universalist Association, a reduction in the amount we will spend on a cleaning service, and a few other smaller cuts. After these cuts, the budget balances if we can increase pledging by 4%.
Still, there’s one glaring omission in all of this, and I would be remiss if I did not talk about it. Two years ago, when we promised to start presenting balanced budgets, we also promised to start growing our building reserve fund. For fifteen years we’ve been inhabiting this rebuilt and expanded building—this beloved, green, accessible, beautiful meeting house. Some maintenance and repairs are already coming due, and over the next ten years we can anticipate considerable building-related expenses. We should have much more in our building reserves than we do. So we had hoped to produce a balanced budget that transfers some of our Annual Appeal funds into our building reserve fund. We’re not able to do that. The budget balances with a 4% increase, but the building fund doesn’t grow unless we do considerably better than 4%.
We don’t have to solve this problem in its entirety this year. This is a long-term challenge. The Policy Board is planning to launch a separate end-of-year campaign to invite members and friends to make a special contribution to the building fund. We are also expecting to receive a considerable bequest from the estate of Cliff Pelletier and the Policy Board will recommend that a portion of that money be allocated to the building reserve—though they won’t make that decision without congregational input. And, we know, in future budgets, we have to start paying for our building, as if we still had a mortgage. We cannot leave to those who are coming after us a large bill for deferred maintenance with no money to pay for it. I have complete confidence that we will meet this challenge.
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The theme for our Annual Appeal is “Strengthen Our Connections.” In contemplating this theme, it kept occurring to me that in a few weeks we will observe the five-year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. March 12th is the day many people identify as the day the lockdown officially began. I invite you for a moment to recall that time. What do you remember?
On March 12th, 2020—it was a Thursday—I remember our Policy Board and staff made a decision to move everything online. All congregational life, events, programs, ministries: online. Sunday, March 15th was our first online Sunday. I found my order of service from that day. At the top I had written in big red letters: “Reminder: Zoom is not perfect.” There was so much we didn’t know--not only about conducting online worship and online congregational life, not only about all the ways to use technology to enhance the online experience, but about the virus, about how sick people would get, about how many people would die, about how long we would be locked down. I remember two months later, in May of 2020, the Unitarian Universalist Association advised congregations to plan on being locked down for at least a year. We were shocked. We were devastated. There was so much we didn’t know and couldn’t anticipate about the toll the lockdown would take on frontline workers, on teachers and students, on the economy. There was so much we didn’t know and couldn’t anticipate about the politics of masking, social distancing and vaccines. But I remember many conversations with our then Director of Children and Youth Ministry, Gina Campellone, with the rest of our staff–Mary, Jane and Annie–and with our Policy Board and Program Council leaders. We knew there was a lot we didn’t know, but we were crystal clear that our primary mission was to keep people connected.
Don’t worry if you can’t run a program online the way you were planning to run it in person at the meeting house, just keep people connected.
Don’t worry if the technology isn’t perfect, or if the music doesn’t quite sound right, or if the video doesn’t load properly. Every week we’ll learn a little bit more, we’ll get there, slowly but surely; but for right now, keep people connected.
Don’t worry if you can’t implement the elementary school curriculum over Zoom, just keep the kids connected.
Unveil the bonds that bind each to all. In my entire career, it has never been more clear to me that that is indeed the central task of the religious community. Unveil the bonds that bind each to all. Nurture those bonds. Grow those bonds. Strengthen those bonds. Keep people connected.
Though today we aren’t in the midst of a pandemic lockdown, right now things feel eerily similar to five years ago. There is so much happening in the country and the world that is profoundly unnerving, unsettling, overwhelming, disorienting, frightening, enraging. There is so much confusion about what to take seriously, what is true and what is false, what is bluster and what is a genuine threat, where to focus attention, how to get involved, how to resist. There is so much we don’t know and can’t anticipate about what is coming, about what will be lost, about who will be harmed. There is so much need for ways to stay grounded and centered, rooted and safe. And there is so much need for real relationship, for real, solid, reliable, beloved community. That sense of mission that was so clear to me in the midst of the pandemic lockdown is just as clear to me today: Here at UUSE we need to keep people connected. That is why this congregation matters.
On Sunday mornings: stay connected. Those of you in the meeting house, hug each other, hold each other, look each other in the eyes, bear witness to each other’s struggles, anxieties and fears. Those of you online, chat to each other. Let each other know how much you care!
In the children and youth ministry: keep people connected. In the classes, in the time for all ages, in the special programs, in the youth group soup fundraiser, in all the ways children and youth are involved, keep them connected.
On our many committees and task forces that meet so many different congregational needs and carry out so many congregational ministries: keep people connected.
In our small groups and our affinity groups: keep people connected. Never forget what Cliff Pelletier said the day before he died. When asked why the UUSE book group was so important to him, he said ‘because they included me.’ Keep people connected.
Through our concerts, the coffee house, the music salon, the holiday choirs and the women’s sacred singing circle: keep people connected.
Through our pastoral care ministries, which have been so important in response to the frankly large number of deaths we’ve experienced over the past year: keep people connected.
Through our sustainable living and environmental justice ministries: keep people connected.
Through our social justice ministries and all our relationships with organizations in the wider community—GHIAA, Connecticut for All, HUSKY for Immigrants, Verplanck Elementary School, the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network, Moral Monday CT, Power Up CT: keep people connected.
Unveil the bonds that bind each to all. Nurture those bonds. Grow those bonds. Strengthen those bonds.
I am so heartened that, over the past six months, and even more so since the election, many new people have started worshipping with us on Sunday mornings, including some families with young children. I am so heartened that seven of you became official members of the congregation in December. Two more joined privately in February. Five more are joining this morning, and two more will join privately on Tuesday—not to mention ten more people who joined during the last congregational year. With each new member, with each friend of the congregation, with each visitor we slowly unveil the bonds that bind each to all.
As you contemplate your financial pledge to UUSE for the coming congregational year, know that we’re seeking a 4% increase overall over last year. Know that we’ve had to make some fairly steep cuts but we are proposing a balanced budget. Know that we’re still struggling to put money annually into our building reserve. But most importantly, know that your gift—your heartfelt, generous gift to UUSE—assures us that this congregation will be here in the most difficult times, unveiling the bonds that bind each to all. Know that this congregation will also be here in the good times, the joyful times—all the times of our lives—nurturing, growing and strengthening the bonds that bind each to all. Keeping people connected. That matters immensely. Please pledge generously.
Amen and Blessed be.
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