At First Unitarian we are INSPIRED by our worship, music, shared values, programs, social action, from each other, and from deep within each of us.  It comes from our dynamic denomination and our UU heritage.  But none of it happens without our support. As Community Sunday, February 22, approaches, all of us must consider how much to pledge. Our denomination has tried to answer this by developing the FAIR SHARE pledge guide.  It's based on the idea that households with lower incomes must spend a larger share of their money on essential living expenses and therefore cannot contribute as much.  Households with higher incomes have more disposable income, and therefore can pledge to a greater degree. The guide has three levels of generosity:

·      Supporter-The church is a significant part of my life and promotes my spiritual growth (2% to 7% of income as defined in the Guide)

·      Sustainer – The church is central to my identity, and I am committed to sustaining our programs (3% to 8% of income)

·      Visionary – I am committed to both the present and future growth of my church (5% to 9% of income)

A while ago we analyzed government family income data by zip codes for our congregation and calculated that we would meet our pledge goals if everyone made Fair Share pledges in the supporter range. We shall be successful in this transitional year if those who have not reached Fair Share levels increase by 5% and those already there increase by 2%. No matter what your choice, we appreciate your generous support.

Please find the full guide here.