Hello everyone, I have two topics for you this month.
One-year extension of our Interim Ministry
The Board of Trustees voted unanimously (with one member absent) at our last Board meeting to approve a 12-month extension, from two years to three, of Rev. Gretchen’s Interim Ministry. So, she will be with us (barring unforeseen events) through the end of our 2019/20 fiscal year (June 2020), helping us reassess what we want to be as a community and where we want to go.
Given this extension, we will begin our search process for our next Called Minister in March 2019 and likely make a selection in May 2020. If all goes as planned, our next Called Minister will begin her or his tenure at the UUFRC in July 2020.
In the meantime and as part of our current Interim Ministry process, please plan to participate in the Cottage Meetings and the Town Halls that will follow those meetings. These events are an integral part of our journey of reassessment and discovery. They are also the opportunity to provide your thoughts regarding our reassessment and participate in our democratic process.
Our Annual Pledge Drive
We are kicking off our annual pledge drive this month.
Why should you pledge? What do you get for your pledge? No tote bags. No earthquake preparedness kits. You will receive something non-material, yet more enriching. You get to help sustain our beloved community and support the activities you value at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Redwood City.
Whatever you value at the UUFRC — whether that be: membership in a beloved community, personal friendships, Sunday services, spiritual growth, intellectual exploration, the music programs, the religious education programs, social action activities, interfaith community events, the MOCA after-service social time, or any of our other UUFRC activities — the pledge drive provides the required foundation on which all that we value at the UUFRC needs to operate.
The pledge drive provides about 80% of our annual operating revenue. Essentially, it is what pays for our utilities and the upkeep of our beautiful building; the salary of our Music Director and expenses of our excellent choir and music program; and the salary of our Director of Religious Education and costs of our many religious education programs.
It is what provides the majority of funding for our office staff, other paid staff, and the general operations of our Fellowship. It pays for most of the salary and activities of our Rev. Gretchen.
The pledge drive may seem a bit non-sacred, but it is what allows us to keep our doors open and to continue providing all that we value so much at the UUFRC.
Please pledge generously.
With hope for the future and appreciation of efforts given, Robert Holden
President – UUFRC Board of Trustees