HUU Community Cafe » Announcements

Questions and Answers about Pledging

Judith Hollowood — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:36:15 +0000

What is a pledge?

A pledge is an offer and a plan to contribute an amount of money you choose to your church over the course of the July-June financial year.

How is this different from putting money in the plate?

Your pledge is the money HUU counts on. The Sunday cash offering provides a small amount of additional income.

How many people pledge?

In 2008-09 HUU received 29 pledges of support; in 2009-10, 34 pledges. This year we hope for 40 pledges.

How much should I pledge?

We hope you will give at a level that reflects your ability to contribute and your enthusiasm for HUU. Every household’s ability to give is different. The range of individual pledged amounts is very wide.

Every pledge raises our level of participation, and that encourages others to believe that HUU is worth their financial support. All pledges are valuable because they help the governing body of the church plan the budget that members vote on in May.

In other words, no pledge is too small. In recent years, the average pledge has been in the $1,350 – $1,450 range. This year we are hoping that pledges will average $1,500.

How do I make a pledge?

You can pick up a pledge card at the table by the door at HUU. Put your completed pledge card (in its envelope) in the collection basket.

Or send the Treasurer an email with your pledge amount. Include your name and address so that he can set up a record for you. Send your pledge to Treasurer@huuweb.org .

Do I have to be a member to pledge?

No. Some people prefer not to be members of any church or have not yet decided to join HUU.

When should I pledge?

We carry out our pledge drive in March and wrap it up in April. The Finance Committee and the Board have to have a budget ready in May for the annual meeting of the congregation. The new fiscal year begins in July.

You can pledge at any point in the year by sending an email to Treasurer@huuweb.org .

Who knows how much I pledge?

The Treasurer, currently Ralph Grove. He doesn’t share this information with anyone.

How do I pay my pledge?

We’re UUs, so as you might suppose, everyone decides this for him- and herself. You can write one big check; you can put a check in the collection basket on a regular basis; you can mail a check to the church if you don’t come to services often.

If you pledge, any check you put in the Sunday offering will be credited toward your pledge unless you specify that it is for some other purpose. If you want to make pledge payments in cash, put the money in an envelope with your name on it.

What if I can’t pay my pledge?

An email message to Treasurer@huuweb.org enables him to change the record he keeps of each pledge. Circumstances change; and any changes you find you must make are confidential.

What if I forget how much I pledged or how much I’ve paid on my pledge?

Send an email to Treasurer@huuweb.org . Ralph Grove will answer you promptly. He also sends statements twice a year.

What’s the bottom line?

You are free to pledge or not pledge. Gifts of your time, energy, and just your presence are valuable to HUU, too. We act in faith that those who can, will pledge, enabling us to provide HUU with those resources that only money can buy.

Nourishing HUU Financially

Judith Hollowood — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:59:44 +0000

Nourishing HUU Financially For Fiscal Year 2011

We have great goals for HUU and a big challenge to pay for them. Can we feed our appetite for a richer experience at HUU? The Finance Committee offers us this background information.

HUU Member/Friend Giving Statistics

62 members and 18 friends

FY09

29 pledges totaling $42,125

average pledge = $1,453

FY10, the year that is now in progress

34 pledges totaling $45,800

average pledge = $1,347

Prospects for FY11, the New Year

The preliminary income budget for FY11 (next year) uses an estimate of 38 pledges totaling $51,300 and an average pledge of $1,350

The preliminary expense budget – ordinary ongoing expenses and committee proposals for stronger programming and pay equity – is $8,400 more than the estimated income.

To fund the preliminary expense budget from current income, HUU would need 40 pledges for a total of $60,000 – an average pledge of $1,500.

HUU’s Average Expenditure Per Member

$757 (2008-09)

$894 (projected 2009-10)

$1,079 (goal for 2010-11): a 20% increase over the prior year yet 10% less than the UUA average of three years ago

Average Expenditure Per Member in All UU Congregations

$1,203 (2007-08)

163,789 UU members in 1,042 UU churches

About Joys & Concerns

Judith Hollowood — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:43:30 +0000

Back in November, the Sunday Services Committee asked for congregational feedback on services and heard from about a dozen people. We paid particular attention to comments about Joys & Concerns. Several members had spoken publicly about their dislike for this feature of our services. We wanted to know if this feeling was widespread. We did not find that this was the case.

HUUs don’t have a regular minister to turn to for immediate personal communication in a time of crisis. People are unsure how to connect to the caring resources of HUU, and Joys & Concerns is an obvious avenue for doing that. Listening to Joys & Concerns helps listeners learn important things about our fellows that might emerge in more private settings if HUU provided them.

UUs share many values but have a full range of human temperaments. Recent discussions showed that we don’t define appropriate public disclosure in the same ways. What some are eager to share, others would not; and what some are glad to learn, others find irrelevant and uncomfortable to know.

Moreover, some of us recall Sunday services in other houses of worship that create an atmosphere of calm, quiet, and order. Some treasure a certain formality and consistency of tone even as they distance themselves from the creeds and politics of their churches of origin. This worshipful dimension is not easy to recreate in the informal atmosphere of HUU, and Joys & Concerns create many of our most informal of moments.

What to do? The responses we received didn’t show any groundswell of desire to remove Joys & Concerns from Sunday mornings. People valued it even though it sometimes made them uncomfortable and irritated. Still, most respondents hoped that people would

avoid strong and hostile political statements;
be brief, focused and audible.

There was also a sense that some announcements of events belong in Joys & Concerns, while others do not, but there was no consensus on how we would define the difference.

The Sunday Services committee will continue to remind you of how your fellows hope you will use this precious Sunday morning time. If you will introduce yourself, it will help those who do not know you yet to make a connection with you and make Joys & Concerns a moment that includes both long-timers and newcomers.

We will encourage members who want to address the congregation at greater length to speak to the worship leader earlier in the week, so that his or her remarks can be part of the fabric of the morning. Memorial statements are an example of a kind of sharing that deserves its own moment. Standing at the podium and using the microphone system is another way to be sure that all your listeners are included.

Occasionally, we will use the time customarily devoted to Joys & Concerns to experiment with rituals that other UU churches use to acknowledge our commitment to mutual support. Spoken joys and concerns are powerful, but so are other rituals that may also open doors for people who do not resonate to joys and concerns.

Finally, we hope that emerging programs of small group ministry and adult religious education will meet more of the need to know about each other’s deepest concerns and support each other on our journeys.

Written by Judith Hollowood and Submitted to the congregation by the Sunday Services Committee: Bernie Mathes, Pat Geary, Judith Hollowood, Beryl Lawson, Barkley Rosser.

General Assembly, A Meeting of Congregations

admin — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:18:22 +0000

General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. General Assemblies shall make overall policy for carrying out the purposes of the Association and shall direct and control its affairs. Voting at each regular and special General Assembly shall be by accredited delegates from certified member congregations, certified associate member organizations, and trustees.

Registration and Housing Reservations are now open.

The full Program Schedule is now available.

Thomas Jefferson District Annual Meeting & Family Retreat

admin — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:50:39 +0000

Want to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and our Association?

The Thomas Jefferson District Annual Meeting & Family Retreat will be in Haw River State Park, Brown Summit, NC (near Greensboro) on May 8 – 10. The business meeting will intentionally be very brief; the weekend is planned as an intergenerational retreat where you can relax, renew old friendships and get to know new UU friends from other congregations. The focus of the weekend will be on how to create authentic intergenerational community in our congregations. There will be lots of music, informative workshops, excellent worship, and plenty of community time. The two candidates for the Presidency of the UUA, Rev. Laurel Hallman and Rev. Peter Morales, will be there on Friday night and Saturday morning.

Accommodations at The Summit are cabins of 8 or 9 and motel-like rooms that sleep 2 or 3. The District has arranged discounted rates at motels close by, and there are campgrounds too. Full registration is $95 for adults and $65 for children. This includes conference fees, all meals and 2 nights lodging. More information is available at http://tjd.uua.org

Feeding the Community

admin — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:28:12 +0000

The first Sunday of each month, HUU has a Potluck lunch after our service. On the first Sunday, The HUU Social Justice Committee will sponsor our “Feeding the Community” food drive. We encourage you to bring what you can on that and future “potluck Sundays” to help Patchwork Pantry in assisting those in need who live in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Items most needed now are beans/pork & beans, peanut butter, jelly or jam, cereal, fruit, beef stew, mac & cheese, spaghetti, and spaghetti sauce, and soup,though any nonperishable items are welcomed. Patchwork Pantry can also use nonfood items, including paper towels and bar soap, as well as money donations. To find out more about the pantry, see http://www.cmcva.org/patchwork-pantry.html and/or pick up one of the Pantry newsletters on Sunday. Thank you for helping feed the community!

Java Hut Jam V

admin — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:42:27 +0000

Java Hut Jam V

HUU’s Coffee House and Talent Show

March 8, 7pm

Come to show off– read poetry, sing, dance, play an instrument, tell jokes — or just be entertained. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, desserts, snacks and a cozy fun atmosphere will be available.

View images from 2006 Java Hut Jam

Moms’ Nights Out

admin — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:41:06 +0000

The first unofficial meeting of the Unofficial HUU Moms was a grand success! If you’re an HUU Mom or Mom-to-be, please join us for a monthly Mom’s Night Out. Leave the kids with Dad or Grandma or a sitter, or ditch your teens, and come on down to the Artful Dodger on the fourth Friday of the month at 7:30 pm (or anytime thereafter) for a beverage, a snack, or just kid-free conversation with other adults! We’re hoping to make it a monthly thing, so put that fourth Friday on your calendar).

The venue may change, depending on feedback, so check your weekly e-news, or call or e-mail Jennifer Spiller: jennspiller@gmail.com.

Feel free to bring a friend if you think she’ll feel comfortable with the HUU crowd. (Note: The Artful Dodger serves specialty coffee, adult beverages, even dinner. The indoor section is smoke-free. If you’re looking for sitters, Jennifer Spiller has an extensive list of JMU students interested in babysitting. If you’d like to come but have some conflict, please speak to Jennifer and let her know. We want to hear from you.

Welcome to the Community Cafe

admin — Sun, 06 May 2007 19:46:05 +0000

Welcome to the HUU Community Cafe. This a place for Committees, the Board, and Members and Friends of HUU to share announcements, or just items of general interest to our Fellowship. If there are categories you would like to see added, please let the webmaster know.

If you are a HUU Member or Friend and would like to write posts rather than just comment, let me know and I will change your role to author. You can either register yourself and let me know or I can create a user name and password for you.