The Possibilities of our Dream

This week we kicked off our stewardship campaign for the support of our church operations. It’s a tough sell. Times are hard for many of our members – layoffs, salary cuts, and other hardships of a financial nature.  I’ve been rereading a very inspirational book by Lynne Twist called “The Soul of Money” as I prepared for speaking to the congregation today about our vision. She talks of our traditional perspectives of our resources, like money and time, which block us from using them for fulfilling causes.  She names them “the toxic myths of scarcity” – “There’s not enough”, “More is better”, and “That’s just the way it is”.  These perspectives cause us to take actions out of fear, competition, and hopelessness.  If we can let go of these and shift our perspective to one of “sufficiency” – knowing there is enough and that we are enough – we make different choices - about how we spend our time, how we spend our money. In her book she describes many situations where people who have far less than we do in the United States live happy, fulfilling lives.

When Paul and I decided to put our church and other causes that are consistent with our values at the top of our priority list for disposable income, we found we could support these important aspects of our life in a significant way. I’m sure we gave up other material things – maybe we didn’t eat out as much, we didn’t buy a bigger house, we still have the TV we had 10 years ago – and many other things.  Nothing important was missed AND we feel really good that a significant part of our income is going to causes which make a difference not only in our lives but in the lives of others in our community.

So I repeat here what I wrote to you, the congregation, for the service today, in the event you were unable to make it to church. I have removed names I used of individuals since I haven’t received permission to use them in my blog.
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This is an intentionally inclusive faith community that welcomes all. When you close your eyes and dream about the possibilities, what do you see?

• I see a teenager who shared with us last week that his church youth group and UU cons were the two places in the world he felt accepted. He has connected with other youth and it has made a difference in his life.
• I see a group of young teens who are launching their own personal spiritual quest – each on their own unique path. They are connecting with their inner selves and with the search they will continue into adulthood. They are connecting with others who believe differently from them. This has made a difference in their lives and how they relate to their friends of different faiths.
• I see a small group discussing a deep question about god or death or freedom. In this group, some members, some not - there are significant differences in backgrounds and beliefs – intentionally. As each person speaks from the depths of their being, the others are not thinking about what they will say next about their own beliefs, but rather are listening intently to gain new perspective, growing in their understanding about another human being. And when it is their turn, the others listen, too. They have connected on a deep, spiritual and human level and it has made a difference in their lives and how they see and relate to others in their community.
• I see adults working side-by-side with teens and adults like our members who have a dream of saving the world, and with others outside our church so that all people in our community will be afforded their inherent worth and dignity and our planet will be sustained for future generations. They have connected in service to others and it has made a difference in their lives and the life of our community.
• I see an all-church potluck – or talent show, like last night, with families of all sorts playing and laughing: single people and committed couples – old and young - straight and gay - with and without children, all colors, all backgrounds. They have connected in fellowship and it has made a difference in their lives and how they relate to people who are different from them.
• I see people who are visiting those who cannot be at church. They are reading, talking, and being quiet together. They are connecting in care and love and it has made a difference in their lives.
• I see us joining our voices, hands and hearts with other UU’s – some who now have their own church we helped to grow – working for systemic change in our world. Our collective voice is needed and is making a difference.

Our vision is that our church is not just a safe haven – although it is that too – but a launching pad for personal and spiritual renewal. A place where learning about and from our differences is what makes us whole and prepares us for the work we must do in the world; where we are intentionally inclusive because we do not know how to be otherwise.

This vision is not so different than 20 years ago – or 40 years ago – or a hundred years ago, because it is rooted in our Unitarian Universalist values. It was about 20 years ago when Paul and I were reflecting on our relationship with our church – sitting right here, preparing to make our pledge for the next year. Having just returned from four years living in places where we didn’t have a UU church like this in our town, we were keenly aware of what we had missed. Like we heard last night “You don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.”

We were raising 3 children, both working, paying for day care, stretching to pay for our new house, saving for college. Time and money seemed tight. After everything else, we were contributing to church as best we thought we could; AND we recognized that our support of this important faith didn’t come close to matching the difference it made in our lives and the lives of our children. In that moment – – our relationship with money and our faith was forever transformed.

That year we doubled our pledge – and year after year we increased it significantly. We still watched our money and planned for the future – only now our church – and other causes that reflected our values in action – were at the top of the priority list in our plan. What we found was there was always enough. Enough money, enough time. We believe in what this church is and can be.

For many of you, like us, money flows through your life like a river. And for others, especially now, it’s a trickle. All are included here. We all have the opportunity – the freedom – to direct the flow of what we do have – our time, energy, creativity, compassion – and money – to make a difference.

This is an intentionally inclusive faith community that welcomes all. It has transformed the lives of generations – and is our hope it will continue to do so for generations to come.

Sand Dollars and Membership Growth

The Board is initiating a conversation about membership growth in First U.  Our vision is to make a difference in the world.   If growing our numbers is important to us, in what ways will it help to make a difference?  Is growing in our diversity important?  Why? 

It sure feels like we’re growing.  We are feeling excitement in church, attendance is good – and coffee hour after church is full and lasts a long time.  Open Circles is in full swing, people are showing up to cook for Emmanuel Dining Room, and a new effort has begun to address racial justice.  The fact is, in the past year, we have barely held steady in our overall membership numbers?  We say we want to grow –– and it’s a big challenge.

I’ve been visiting my parents in Florida over the past week – spending time on the Gulf Coast in the panhandle.  Despite the colder than usual weather, I spent several hours of every day walking along the deserted beach.  I was usually in search of that rare find – a sand dollar that hasn’t been broken up in its travels through the breaking waves.  I found many, many beautiful shells – there must be millions to choose from.  But it’s hard to find sand dollars.  I was also in search of new subjects for my photography.  I have hundreds of photos of this beach – the shells, the sunset, the waves, the gulls.  I was hoping to get a great shot of a pelican.  Harder than it seems.  Alone on the beach, I rediscovered the importance of patience, something easy to leave behind in the digital world.   It takes patience to get that specific picture I have in my imagination.

While walking, I thought a lot about our vision for our membership.  I tried to stay away from easy answers and instead focused on questions we might contemplate.  I realized that understanding growth and its impact is like finding that elusive sand dollar – it takes patience.  It takes asking questions to understand what we will achieve through growth.  It takes creating experiences that are rewarding and make a difference in our lives and the lives of others.  I continue to believe that when others experience the difference we make at our church, we will grow.  And it takes patience.

I hope you will join the Board of Trustees on Sunday, March 7^th, at our “Springboard to Growth” conversation with the congregation, and help us to discern what growth means to our congregation.

And by the way, I finally found that sand dollar!

In Faith,

Nancy