The North Unitarian Universalist Congregation Newsletter

November 2010

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From your Board and Committees!

Let’s Grow Our Welcoming Community

A Note from your Membership Committee

Everyone who walks through the front door of our church for the first time is looking for something or they would not have come. It is our job to help them find whatever they are seeking. Many of us have experienced the feeling of having found a home here. We, on the Membership Committee, have the responsibility to involve the rest of the congregation in making sure our visitors and new members feel welcome.

The use of name tags is a great tool to help us make newcomers feel welcome. One of the difficulties, not just for greeters but for all of us, is remembering names and faces. That is why name tags are so important. Over the years, the Membership Committee has reminded the congregation of the importance of wearing a name tag. In addition to repeating this reminder, visitors who request a name tag will be issued a visitor’s name tag. If and when they decide to join our congregation they will be issued a blue name tag to use until the next class joins. This will help all of us identify our visitors and our newest members. Additionally, to help people learn more about us, Board members and Committee Chairs will have that designation on their name tags.

As greeters, we have found it is difficult to engage in extended conversation as people are coming in. After the service we make a concerted effort to check on the newcomers to see if they enjoyed the service, ask if they have any questions, make sure they sign the visitors’ register, and tell them that we hope they come back. We also try to make sure that recent visitors and new members are engaged in conversation with a member of the congregation. You can help us with this when you “say hello to your neighbor” at the close of the service by searching out our new members and visitors and making a connection with them. One of the biggest assets of our congregation is that feeling of community or family that so many of us experience at NUUC. Please do your part to nurture that feeling and REMEMBER TO WEAR YOUR NAME TAG!

The MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: Allison Fagan, Lyn Herron, Jeff Hill, Annmarie McAllister and John Rodeheffer, Chair

Thanks for your Faithful Giving…

The holidays are approaching! During this busy time, your faithful and consistent giving is so appreciated and necessary to staying on budget.

Remember: you can always mail in an offering or pledge check, even if your schedule keeps you away from services. Just mail it to: NUUC, Attn: JGD, P. O. Box 541, Lewis Center, OH 43035.

Pledging statements for the period through December 31 will be mailed out the middle of January. If you have any questions about the status of your 2010 giving or other pledging matters, feel free to call the church office at 740-657-8081 and talk to Rev. Ritchie (RevRitchie@aol.com) or Jeri Dill (nuucjdill@aol.com).

October 16 Meeting of the Board of Trustees

You may view a summary of the October 16, 2010 Board of Trustees meeting by clicking here or by requesting the file from the office (740-657-8081, ext. 1).

Treasurer’s Report for September 2010 Outlined below is a summary of the financial report presented to members of your Finance Committee and Board of Trustees for the month of September, 2010:
	Actual $ Rec’d. and Paid	Budget (Planned Receipts and Payments)
September, 2010
2010 Pledge Offerings	10,371	11,542
Non-Pledge Offerings	844	0
Rental Revenue	130	150
Ways and Means-Fundraising	204	353
Total Income	11,549	12,045
Total Expenses	14,840	12,043
Year-to-Date
2009 Pledge Offerings	2,250	0
2010 Pledge Offerings	96,746	103,875
Non-Pledge Offerings	10,099	0
Rental Revenue	1,732	1,350
Ways and Means-Fundraising	613	3,176
Total Income	111,440	108,401
Total Expenses	109,639	108,382

Respectfully submitted,

Koralleen Stavish

Treasurer

Annual Stewardship Drive Concludes Soon

The time for our annual pledge drive is drawing to a conclusion. During the month of October you heard from fellow NUUC members on what this congregation means to them.

As you may know, our church is funded solely by the membership of its congregation—by you. However, unlike some religious communities, you will not be pressured to give at a specific level. To help answer the question of how to arrive at your individual pledge amount, you may find it helpful to reference the 2011 “Fair Share Guide to Giving.” The guide is a helpful tool which allows you to use your desired level of support and income to determine a recommended giving amount.

You may view the Fair Share Guide to Giving and other Stewardship materials by clicking here. The Paper copies of these documents will also be available from the Stewardship Team.

We are pleased to offer for the first time this year a new online pledge form. This is an easy to use, fillable form is an alternative to our more traditional face-to-face meetings either at a stewardship party or with a Visiting Steward (available by clicking here). Of course, we have still offered the traditional visits and the paper pledge form, which you can fill out then or at your convenience and turn in later to your Visiting Steward or by mail.

For all of you who have already responded to the call, a huge thank you for your generous commitments. If you are still considering your financial pledge for next year, please think about what this congregation means to you and your family. Many of us are facing economic challenges, and the Finance Committee is working hard to ensure NUUC is a good steward of your pledges. We hope you are able to support NUUC with a generous pledge so that we may continue our journey to remain a place where we as members can live our collective Unitarian Universalist values.

For questions about this year’s Stewardship process, contact Stewardship Chair Laura Howe at 614-436-0078 or howe_l@yahoo.com .

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