frsuu.org/pledge

2020-21 ANNUAL CAMPAIGN

"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." – Coretta Scott King

Join the Journey Share in the courage to create our future

Dear members and friends,

Every year we are asked to make or renew our commitment to this beloved church. Being a part of a spiritual community is a bold act. It requires us to uphold tradition and create the future we desire. This is a journey that requires

all of our dreams, support, and engagement. As Unitarian Universal-ists, this is OUR congregation. We govern ourselves and are fueled by our shared values and passions of courage, love, and justice for all. We are resolute bearers of hope, walking humbly and bravely together day by day.

Stewardship of this church takes many forms, among them our time, our talent, our treasure, and any combination of the three. We create our com-munity and show our commitment by listening to each other, participating where we can, and conveying what we learn together into the rest of our lives. We give what we can; we receive in abundance.

You need not be a member to pledge. We rely on the financial support of our friends and supporters. No one is pressured to give more than is comfort-able. Every gift of every type matters and is deeply appreciated. We raise the money we need each year to run our church – to pay our staff, care for our buildings, offer programs for all ages, and engage in issues of social justice. More than 70% of our annual budget comes from annual campaign pledges. Your generosity allows the Parish Board to be confident in funding our shared dreams. This year our goal is to raise $493,000 through 100% participation from all who call FRS their spiritual home.

Please join me on this journey of commitment.

Your fellow steward in love, gratitude, and faith,

Reverend Rebecca

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A LETTER FROM REVEREND REBECCA

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The Courage to Create This year we’ve been called to create. With deep conviction and courage, we began our journey by creating for our church a new vision that enables us to reach for the future from the firm platform of tradition.

The first signs of this journey are reflected in new Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration programming, uplifting music, the energetic leadership of the youth, and our joyful Young Church. We see much new social and racial justice work and many new care ministries, interfaith worship services, and active policies from leadership.

Each of these efforts puts our beloved community at the forefront of stewardship within and beyond our walls.

Join us in this journey: in seeing where our collective courage dares to take us and in expanding our beloved community’s living, breathing spirit. Join us in achieving our Annual Campaign goal of raising $493,000 through 100% participation.

There’s a journey happening at FRS, a bold movement within our beloved community to expand, connect, and build on our congregation’s considerable spiritual depth. Today, nearly two years into our new ministry together, this living, breathing spirit is at the forefront of all that we do. It is here for each of us. We must nurture it with our participation and financial support.

Join the Journey

Share in the courage to create our future

HIGHLIGHTS

In our Mission & Vision work, 186 con-gregants and staff created 150 values, 183 stories, and 441 wishes for the future of our congregation.

FRS, as a Level 2 Sanctuary Church, organizes large cadre of volunteers.

Racial justice moves to the forefront with workshops led by Rev. Karlene Griffiths Sekou.

New Wednesday Night Fellowship and Aging Well in Community take root.

Young Church incorporates ministry themes through theater games, origi-nal skits, songs, and crafts.

Climate Action Project presents environmental justice policy.

Last fiscal year our church donated over $20,000 to area organizations.

Music programs expand as new adults and children join church choirs.

Live stream of worship services connects those in the sanctuary to those at home and on the road.

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Young Church Creates Joy Mara Flynn, our new Acting Director of Children’s Ministries, enlivens our Young Church with a culture of joyful connec-tion. Her programming builds authentic connection with all ages, our faith, and the world. Our children’s journey begins with a singular aim: co-creating innovative programming fostering respect and social justice.

Creating Future Leaders Empowering our youth to move through the world with a strong voice and an ethic of justice continues through weekly group gatherings and youth justice learning trips. The 19 youth who visited the Pine Ridge Reservation last June returned with a deeper understanding of systems of oppression and issues specific to indigenous peoples.

Adult Faith Formation Ministry In its first year, the Adult Faith Formation ministry continues to offer a balanced mix

of programs and events. We’ve offered at least 35 one-time or continuous programs in spiritual development, social justice, UU history and identity, life stage and identity caucusing, and personal growth. Our future includes addressing needs of people of particular demographics and identities.

Care Ministries Over 70 congregants actively provide care to our congregation. Parish Friends offer rides, visits, and meals to those in need. Pastoral Care Associates offer caring conversations, a listening ear, and a loving presence. The Addictions Ministry and Memorial Services Teams provide loving support at especially vulnerable times. The Newcomer Ministry Team welcomes those new to the church with teas, work-shops, and new member Sundays.

Music Ministries Music, a primary way many experience our living, breathing

All Ages Create Our Beloved Community

Join the Journey

Share in the courage to create our future

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spirit, also helps connect our commu-nity across all ages. The Adult Choir now includes members singing in choir for the first time, and Young Church and Teen Choirs include over 20 children and youth. This year, youth music expanded beyond FRS walls with a performance at Brooksby Village. The 95th Candlelight Chorale fea-turing 39 singers had over 600 in atten-dance. Jazz Vespers continues to provide evening poetry, meditation, and music.

Committed to Justice Our engagement in justice work covers many areas: climate change, gun vio-lence prevention, immigration, LGBTQ rights, poverty, and racial justice. Our courage to create shines through much of this work: our Parish Board approved a climate-justice policy, and we led vigils for Transgender Day of Remembrance and Gun Violence Prevention.

Worship Connects Sunday morning worship is the glow-ing center of our congregational life. We

come together each week to sing, contemplate, and

celebrate. Worship comforts, challenges, and inspires us, drawing us closer to our personal truth and strengthening our connection to one another. Sunday service attendance averages 233, a 28% growth since last year.

Expanding Accessibility We worked this year to create more ac-cessibility. This work included creating a wheelchair-accessible pew and an all-gender bathroom in Parish Hall. Further, a newly installed sound system includes a loop system for telecoil hearing-aid users and a live stream of services for those un-able to attend.

Staff in Partnership Staff members are partners and journey with us in all that we do. We are blessed with a staff team of one full-time minis-ter, ten part-time staff, and two affiliate ministers. They all welcome you, connect you to each other, and support you in your programs. They produce budgets, com-munications, and programming. They organize events, support worship services, and keep the facilities welcoming to all.

Our Future Needs You Join us in our journey. Bring your courage to create. Boldly participate in our Annual Campaign. Our goal is to raise $493,000 through 100% participation from all who call FRS their spiritual home.

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Our Resounding CommitmentWe continue to connect to each other through ministry, care, music, fellowship, stew-ardship, programming, and events—expanding our opportunities to create, collaborate, and share our living, breathing spirit within and beyond our walls.

Our work here matters. Our ministry together shines a beacon of hope for the larger world. Though grounded in our faith and traditions, we are free to envision a more peaceful, compassionate, and just world. We will create what we envision.

You’ve answered the call to create our mission and vision. Now we ask you now to an-swer the call to participate in the Annual Campaign with a meaningful gift. Let’s ensure our church has the financial resources to build the future of our dreams.

The Fiscal Details Our journey is possible only with the fiscal stewardship of our beloved community. Each year, many within our community work to produce a well-balanced budget sup-porting growth where it matters most. More details at: www.frsuu.org/stewardship

"Over the coming weeks and months, we will all have an opportunity to think about the many ways that FRS is special to us; how it has become a second home to so many of us, and we look forward to sharing those thoughts, experiences and reflections with all of you!"

- Steve and Eileen Costello, Annual Campaign Leaders

Photo by Newburyport resident, Danielle McMullen

OUR ANNUAL CAMPAIGN FOR 2020-21

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Whether you are a new member, friend, or supporter, please join the journey and share in the courage to create our future with a pledge, a gift that is meaningful to you.

Join us in reaching $493,000 through 100% participation from all who call FRS home. Every pledge matters. Pledging is for everyone, does not require membership, and reflects our commitment, our courage, our creative spirit.

Your pledge is a personal decision. Consider your commitment amount and whether you can increase it. Let your stewardship be bold and turn your pledge into a continuous gift, as described on your pledge card. Every pledge, in any amount, matters.

UUA guidelines challenge us to consider giving 2% to 10% of income.

In our congregation, levels of annual support range from $100 to $19,000 per year.

Our average support for the current year is $1,600 per household.

The FY 2020-2021 budget has a 10% increase – consider whether a pledge increase is possible for you.

We create our future through new pledges, increased pledges, and renewed pledges. Our courage to commit to our future will provide the $493,000 through 100% participation in pledged contributions needed for next year’s operations. (See the table below for general guidance.)

Campaign Goals for Supporting 2020-21 Vision & Programs

SUPPORTER HOUSEHOLDSAMOUNT OF ANNUAL SUPPORT current

MONTHLYEQUIVALENTgoal

$835 & higher

$585 to $830

$335 to $580

$210 to $330

$125 to $205

$85 to $120

$42 to $80

$5 to $40

TOTAL

$10,000+ 6 7

$7,000 to $9,900 4 5

$4,000 to $6,990 11 12

$2,500 to $3,990 22 25

$1,500 to $2,490 50 55

$1,000 to $1,490 46 50

$500 to $990 66 72

Less than $500 81 90

286 316

You're Invited to Show Your Support on Giving Sundays, March 8, 15, and 22. Bring your pledge card with you and make your commitment along with the

friends and members around you during these celebratory services.

If you wish to pledge another way, here are options:

Pledge online at www.frsuu.org/pledge

Mail a completed pledge card to FRS

Place your pledge card in the offering plate another Sunday

Request a personal visit with one of our volunteer stewards by

contacting Steve and Eileen Costello at emvcostello@comcast.net

or 978-821-9981 (Steve), 978-821-9982 (Eileen)

Call Kristen Fehlhaber, Director of Finance and Administration,

at 978-465-0602 x404.

Email your pledge amount to Kristen at campaign@frsuu.org

Please pledge on or before April 5th. Later that month, we create our

budget, staffing and programming for the next year, based on the total

of all pledges received by that time.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT Sincerely, The Parish Board and Annual Campaign Committee

HOW TO MAKE A PLEDGE

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"I am so grateful for re-discovering my childhood Unitarian Universalist church. FRS is a place that reflects all my values as a human being."

-Mackenzie Kelleher Rafeldt (age 26)

2020-21 ANNUAL CAMPAIGN