Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana |
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Dear Members and Friends:
Earlier in the year, I was asked by the Reverend Mary Ann to head up this year’s annual pledge drive. This is when, on an annual basis, UUCB members and friends are asked to pledge a specific amount of money to support the church in the upcoming year. I think that the annual Pledge Drive, if approached in the right spirit, can be one of the most inspiring seasons in the entire church year. No kidding. It can be truly inspiring, energizing, transforming, and joy-filled!
For me, the Pledge Drive is when members and friends step back and take time to appreciate the congregation they share in and the positive difference it makes. It’s a time to tell our stories of what we have accomplished together. It’s a time to share the ways in which our congregation has helped us connect with friends, create unforgettable memories, and get through some tough times.
If we can see the annual Pledge Drive as essentially a time of appreciation, then it can become one of the most inspiring and enlivening times of the church year. We take time to look back, and we also look forward.
When we make our pledge, we can feel a renewed commitment to UUCB and our Unitarian Universalist faith. We may also experience a feeling of joy. As author and poet Maya Angelou once said, “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”
The Pledge Drive can provide you with a way to live out your values, express your commitment to UUCB and Unitarian Universalism, and experience the flow of positive energy and joy that comes from personal generosity. I am inviting all of you to give and to give generously.
Sincerely,
Rev. Dave Clements
Interim Minister Consultant
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Celebrating A Year of Unexpected Joys
Dear Members and Friends:
The UUCB Pledge team is excited to invite you to be a part of this year’s 2021-22 Sunshine Pledge Drive! Your pledge this year helps us spread our congregation's sunshine.
- Our sunshine that spreads our liberal message like bright rays into communities far away, via live streaming and social media.
- Our sunshine that allows us to grow and expand as we learn from the last year and carry forward our successes.
- Our sunshine that reminds us we are part of a larger constellation of UU communities here in the US and around the world.
If you have pledged in the past, thank you for helping us make it through this challenging year full of unexpected joys and technological outreach. If you have never pledged before, we hope this the year you are able to do so.
Our goal for this year’s pledge drive, is $675,000, which will allow us to pay our bills, pay our staff, and continue to work as we have been. But we would like to challenge you to help us make our stretch goal of $725,000, which will allow this congregation to grow and thrive. So, what does the stretch goal amount allow us to do? If we meet our goal we will be able to:
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Hire a social media coordinator who will allow us to expand our digital presence beyond our physical church walls. In the past year alone, we have had many new participants who have never set foot in the building! We have people who are joining us each Sunday who are not even on our continent. Clearly having a strong digital presence allows us to spread share our UU principals more broadly.
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Increase security for our building, particularly important in this time when our staff are not in the building all of the time.
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Install an air filtration system for each of our nine air conditioning systems.
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Increase the wages for our staff who are putting in more hours now than ever.
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Be able to offer a competitive salary to any new incoming minister.
Click here for a suggested donation chart to help you figure out what pledge amount feels right for you. Many folks in the congregation are once again looking at the necessity to take RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) which was not required last year and is this year. Using your RMD is a good way to pay your pledge and reduce your taxable income. Click here for details on RMDs.
Now it is up to you, the members and friends of this congregation, to decide what we are able to do going forward. There are lots of ways you can make your pledge to the church.
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You can pledge online at http://bit.ly/Sunshine2122
- You can mail your pledge card (See below for pledge card you can print, clip, and mail in) to the church.
- You can call the church mobile 812-287-9615, or text 812-287-9615, or send an email with your pledge amount, to Church Administrator Carol Marks, admin (at) uubloomington.org.
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On Sunday, April 18 from 3PM to 6PM, you can come to the church for our outdoor Sunshine Spectacular! Turn in your paper pledge card, partake of delicious sunshine cookies, be a part of an Earth Day plant giveaway, listen to the phenomenal UU Car Choir, and pick up the fabulous Ray of Sunshine CD, along with other excellent surprises (Please check the box on the pledge card if you want the CD, and include the $20.00 in your total pledge amount).
Thank you!
Your Pledge Committee
Rev. Dave Clements, Mary Boutain, Joan Caulton, Abby Gitlitz, Jackie Hall, Julia Lawson, Jason Michalek
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2019 pledge drive--Reverend Macklin gets some air! Photo by John Woodcock |
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<-- Here's a cool video graphic that shows progress toward our goal of $675,000!
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-- print out and complete --
If you prefer not to use our online pledge form, you are welcome to print out and complete this pledge card and mail it to the church's mailing address, UU Church, P.O. Box 1158, Nashville, Indiana 47448-1158. Thank you!
Sunshine! Pledge Card
Pledge Drive 2021-22
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
Fiscal year 2021-22 (July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022)
I (we) pledge the following amount to support our congregation during the upcoming fiscal year, 2021-22:
$__________________ annually.
___ I am giving an extra $20 in order to pick up a “Ray of Sunshine” CD (available via drive thru at the church on April 18)
Name (please print)
_________________________________________________________
Email address _________________________
Phone ________________________________
Today’s Date _____________________________
thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!
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2021 Car Choir, photos by Drake Ritter. |
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Photos (2019 and earlier) by John Woodcock and John Summerlot.
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Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
Mailing address during covid:
UU Church, PO Box 1158,
Nashville, Indiana 47448-1158
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