the OUUC spark

At its best, a faith community can help us make sense of challenges, find the strength to weather them, and confirm our deepest values for how to live a moral life. It’s in uncertain times that we need to know that a community will be here for us, no matter what. It’s in tough times that we need a place for our spirits to be renewed so we can return to the world with strength and compassion. It’s in times of joy that we want a place to celebrate with others who share our values. That is the kind of community I dream of for OUUC, and that is our shared ministry together.

Stewardship means tending to and taking care of something of value; careful and responsible management of something we love. And, in the process of noticing what we care for and love, we nurture gratitude and act with generosity. We tend to our community so we can be transformed and transform the world.

Tending to our community means that we grow personally and organizationally, and we support the growth of others. Taking care of our community means sharing our gifts, financial and otherwise. That is also our shared ministry.

Today we kick off the annual Stewardship Drive at OUUC. Each year we pool our financial resources to support the work of this congregation. During the stewardship drive, we ask for pledges of financial support that will help sustain and grow this community over the next year.

While we come to this community as individuals, what we are together defines us as a community. One of the covenants we make is that each of us will share our time, talents, and treasure as we are able. All are welcome and all gifts are welcome.

This year, as we have for the past five years, my husband, John, and I will make a financial commitment to OUUC. We have been a part of Unitarian Universalist congregations for over 30 years, and we believe that part of belonging is stewardship of the community.

I am committed to our faith tradition because I believe Unitarian Universalism has something important to offer this hurting world. It is a faith grounded in love, a love that can be life giving and life sustaining, a love that everyone is worthy of.

I support Unitarian Universalism and OUUC not because we are perfect, but because we are courageous and vulnerable enough to admit that we are imperfect, and we begin again in love.

I support Unitarian Universalism and OUUC, not because we have it all figured out and wrapped up neatly in a bundle, but because we are in the messy, magnificent work of creating community.

We want to share our life-saving message with all who share our values, wherever they may be.

I share Melissa Denton’s goal of a thriving OUUC, as expressed in the video below. Will you take a leap of faith and join us in making this so?

Blessings on your week.

Rev. Mary

Minister@ouuc.org

Hello, I am Melissa Denton. I want our Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation to thrive. Our many opportunities to engage with each other and our larger community enrich us all. That is part of why I want our stewardship fundraising process to go well this year and for us to give and receive generous pledges that help us make meaningful improvements in our local and greater world.

Besides feeling like I came to a faith home for the first time in my life, one of the things that drew me to the Unitarian Universalist faith is how we act on our values. Unlike many other faith traditions, the Unitarian Universalist Association publishes staff salary recommendations. We care deeply about this at OUUC. We pay those who love and work so hard for us better than some other faith and nonprofit entities do, but we have not yet reached our goal to pay them as well as the UUA recommends. No amount of money in the world could pay for every bit of the love, care, and devotion the people who work with us pour into their work. But we know we need to do better. OUUC needs more money from our pledge drive and I want that success for us.

We have so many direct blessings from the hard work of our staff and from our fantastic volunteers, but I also feel that our greater community benefits immensely from OUUC. Contributing a generous pledge to OUUC is investing in quality of life, for us and our greater community.

The way OUUC is organized makes the minister both the spiritual leader of the faith community and the administrative executive of the non-profit. As the executive, it's the minister’s job to suggest the resources needed to fulfill the mission of the congregation. The Board of Trustees approves the budget for presentation to the congregation. The congregation approves the final budget. The OUUC fiscal and program year is July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

In December 2023, the OUUC Board of trustees set these goals for the 2024-25 Stewardship Drive:

1. Prioritize people, congregants, and staff (maintain staff, pay staff fairly)

2. Increase congregant engagement

In January 2024, the staff and Rev. Mary put together a proposed budget that meets those goals. It includes adding a second Sunday service in January 2025, robust funding for the programs that bring so many people to OUUC, and maintaining current staff with a 3% cost of living increase.

At the February 2024 meeting, the Board accepted this budget recommendation, and set the financial goal of the Stewardship Drive of $571,446. The Stewardship Team also set the goal of increasing the number of pledges at OUUC to 300.

The Stewardship Drive will take place in March 2024, with social events and many invitations to make a financial commitment to OUUC.

Plan to attend the Stewardship Launch Party on Leap Day, February 29 at 5:30!

Come to OUUC for Pi Day on March 14, when we’ll celebrate with PIE!

In April 2024 when the Stewardship Drive is done and OUUC has received as many pledges as possible, Rev. Mary and the staff will draft a budget for the 2024-25 year based on those pledges.

That budget includes funding for staff positions, for all programs, like classes and religious education for children and youth, for our justice efforts, and our worship.

The draft budget goes to the Board for consideration in April and May.

In May 2024, the Board adopts a draft budget to present to the congregation.

At the annual meeting on June 9, 2024, the congregation will vote on a budget with the hope that a budget is accepted for the next program year beginning July 1.

Everyone is invited to: Take a Leap of Faith on Thursday, February 29

The usual Thursday Community Dinner will be hosted by the OUUC Board of Trustees at 5:30. Soup, salad and homemade breads will be served.

Following the dinner, at 6:30 PM, there will be a special presentation of music and storytelling about faith, risk and OUUC. The children's class is the only other after-dinner activity this Thursday.

While the dinner will be onsite, everyone can join the presentation, onsite or online.

Topic: Stewardship Launch Party

Time: Feb 29, 2024 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84788247987?pwd=THJoNGJ4bTc5UzBWUzB4N1JQUDU4Zz09

Meeting ID: 847 8824 7987

Passcode: 652986

This Leap Day celebration is the official launch of the 2024-25 Stewardship Pledge Drive. Come Support All that We Love at OUUC!

In this week's Tiny Little News Show, thank you's to our retiring Administrator, the Volunteer of the Month, and more, and upcoming events and classes:

Website: https://www.ouuc.org

Email: office@ouuc.org

Location: 2306 East End St NW, Olympia, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 634-2005

Office Hours

Tuesday - Thursday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sunday, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Staff Contacts

Rev. Mary Gear, Minister

Rev. Sara Lewis, Director of Community and Faith Development

Troy Fisher, Music Director

Isaac Jennings, Business Manager

Rosie Koppelman, Office Assistant

Teresa Madsen, Communications & Tech Coordinator

Marie Arensmeyer, Facilities Manager

Anissa Bentlemsani, Religious Education Assistant

Carbon Marshall, Tech Specialist