A Ministry of Hope: Our Capital Campaign
- Nick Wallwork
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
At our service last Sunday, we showed how our Unitarian Universalist values with LOVE at the center have shaped this work.
You will see twelve of our children spread light through our congregation, guided by a story from our Unitarian roots in Transylvania about a village that built a church with their own hands to share their light, within families, within their faith community and build that light to shine out into the world. Even as Bob Scott has been gathering and sharing the Fellowship's history, which we will celebrate at our tea party on January 31, we are continuing to build our own legacy, with many ministries, illustrated by the hands of our young folks cupping sparkling lights as we sang together in our Meeting Room.
In the last few days since we sent our Giving Tuesday end of year appeal, and including your generous Sunday Plate gifts for our dedicated donation to the Mortgage Prevention Fund that the Board approved for last Sunday, we already have received $2799, reducing our need to around $203,000.
If you didn't get or haven't read our Giving Tuesday end of year appeal, here's what we said: "We need additional pledges and gifts of $206,000 to be paid by August 2026 to pay off the construction loan on time.
Mortgage Prevention is funded separately from the Operating Budget. They are connected, though:
A mortgage of $206,000 would add about $20,000 per year to our Operating Budget, for 15 years. Pledges would have to increase by 5% annually for 15 years.
This Giving Tuesday, please consider a gift to pay off the loan, with no lingering mortgage!
Especially if you haven’t given before.
Perhaps you are required to make a Required Minimum Distribution from a retirement account by the end of this year?
Perhaps you haven’t decided on your year-end giving for tax year 2025?
What a boon NO Mortgage would be for the future!
As Campaign Chair, it has been and is my mission for these remaining months, and last few thousand (!!) dollars of the campaign, to find ways to be joyful together. So we have had 2 musical fundraisers this Fall. These raised several thousand dollars – but equally important, they generated priceless joy as explored how our new spaces enhance our community's togetherness. We have sought to keep things happening – not just for the reward of the amounts raised, but to make sure the Campaign remains top of mind as we live through the promise of having a place that we all can gather together at once!
Mark your calendars for one more concluding celebration – our Art Show and Gala (fancy party with fab music and art and food) at the end of February!
Having sent our Giving Tuesday message, we will take a beat, and let you decide your year end giving. Then we’ll see where we are, but most likely after the New Year, I and Paul and Helene and Tim and Candice and others will be following up with requests for a visit or a chat to ask you to consider what gives you joy, and how you can make it manifest. We also will be respectful if you already have told us you are just done with this darn campaign, or if you simply can’t give even a first gift. Please feel empowered to tell us so and realize you don’t need to explain. We are already so overwhelmed with your generosity. Our hearts are lifted up whenever we see you flowing into the Loe Courtyard or see you meeting in the Ferm classroom or running down the hill outside Chu Hall, or chatting earnestly in the Uhrhane-Wilson Welcome Gallery.
Wherever we end up with this campaign, after the Gala on February 28 we will update our Donor Wall one more time, to make sure everyone is included! Thank you for the joy.
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