If you use Amazon for purchases, please consider using Amazon Smile and designate First Unitarian Church of Wilmington DE as your charity of choice. Shop online and use the Amazon Smile web page at https://smile.amazon.com/ and Amazon will donate .05% of your purchase to First Unitarian Church. This is a...
As happens every year, our fiscal year comes to an end on June 30 and we are cleaning up loose ends in the office. Here are a few things to think about which will help us wrap up the current year, July 2021-June 2022. Is your pledge for the current...
If you use our automated giving service to make your regular pledge payments, please be sure to renew your authorization for the new fiscal year, July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. All authorizations for the current year expire on June 30, 2022. You can update your authorization by doing...
We are nearing the end of our stewardship campaign. In April, the Board of Trustees will review the ET’s budget for the next church year, based on what we have pledged. Will we reach our goals and be able to live our mission to the fullest? What is your intention...
“Money is a current, a carrier, a conduit for our intentions.” – Lynne Twist, “The Soul of Money” When we give with intention, we give with integrity and heart. Our commitment gives energy to make a difference in the lives of those who worship with us, in the lives of...
On Sunday, we heard Rev. Larry Peers give an impassioned sermon on “Faith Beyond Belief”, reflecting on the “repercussions of one man’s autocratic actions” in Ukraine and beyond, adding, “we have to dare to stand alongside of one another and look at it, look at what’s happening in our world…...
Its almost the season for graduation gifts and prom purchases. Or maybe, you got used to the convenience of online shopping during the pandemic. If you use Amazon for purchases, please consider using Amazon Smile and designate First Unitarian Church of Wilmington DE as your charity of choice. Shop online...
Our First U mission calls us to fight injustice and transform the world through loving action and we are meeting this intention head on. Our three official Social Justice Task Forces are the way we, as a congregation, are focusing on this mission. All are outward focused and involve members...
Nourishing our minds and spirit starts in our shared Sunday morning worship – one of several times for members and friends to come together in community for discovering and expanding upon their individual searches for truth and meaning. This year, along with listening to the music provided by our new...
First Unitarian Church of Wilmington is a beloved community that nourishes minds and spirits, fights injustice, and transforms the world through loving action. This is our mission – our intentions for First U. Our seventh Principle, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are part,” recognizes...
Our campaign is just starting, but we already have quite a few pledges. Our members and friends support First U for many reasons but here are just a few: “I support First U so we can all continue to ‘show up’ together to express our values through action among us...
What happened last Sunday? During the Stewardship Moment, we announced the start of this year’s Stewardship Pledging Campaign. We are having another pledging campaign? Yes, we have one every year, because First Unitarian Church of Wilmington, DE, needs resources every year, if it is to remain a healthy, thriving, engaged,...
Our vision is that our church is a launching pad for personal and spiritual renewal; where learning about and from our differences is what makes us whole and prepares us for the work we must do in the world; where we are intentionally inclusive because we do not know how...
Lynne Twist has written, “Money is a current, a carrier, a conduit for our intentions.” Our contributions reflect our intentions, our values. Our giving shows what is important to us. You know why First Unitarian Church is important to you. Your contributions express why you value Unitarian Universalism and what...
“Our children and youth affirm their identity as members of the Unitarian Universalist faith community, embrace their evolving spirituality, and practice Unitarian Universalist values in all facets of their lives.” This is our mission, our conscious intention, for our children and youth at First Unitarian Church, the future leaders of...
Each week in our worship service, we talk about stewardship – taking care of our church and our members, which we value and love. Not only are we caring for our church, but we are also helping it to grow. When we contribute our time, talent, and treasure, we take...
First U Food Pantry has been selected by our local Giant Food store leadership as the benefiting non-profit in the Community Bag Program! You can help support pastoral care for our members in need by purchasing reusable grocery bags at Giant. For the month of January 2022, First U Food...
Do you use Amazon for purchases? Shopping for the holidays? If you are making purchases on Amazon, please consider using Amazon Smile and designate First Unitarian Church of Wilmington DE as your charity of choice. Shop online and use the Amazon Smile web page at https://smile.amazon.com/ and Amazon will donate...
Late Arriving pledges and donations brought our final total to $42,873! Thank you for your support of First Unitarian Church, our staff, and our programs. Your generosity will allow us to continue to offer multi-platform worship, strong children’s programming and inspiring worship.
We have two checks that we received from Fidelity Brokerage Services with no donor name included on the check. One is dated September 28 for $700 & the other is dated October 11 for $250. If you think one of these could be your donation, please call the office and...
Did you know that First Unitarian relies on income from our Heritage Endowment Fund to help support our operations? Endowment income helped fund our budgets throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic – and also demonstrated how donations from earlier generations continue to support our mission. You too can help First Unitarian in...
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Our congregation “closed the gap” and exceeded our $37,000 goal for our supplemental pledge drive. We received new pledges, increased pledges and one time gifts totaling $40,988 as of November 1! Thank you for your support of First Unitarian Church, our staff, and our programs....
This Sunday, October 31, is our final Sunday for our supplemental pledge drive and we want to thank everyone who has either increased their pledge or sent in a one-time donation in support of our AV Team and CYRE program. As of October 25, we have received 43 supplemental pledges...
In these crazy times we are living in, one anchor that has helped many stay afloat is the connection to our church. Our AV team has provided a safe way to keep that connection strong with web-streaming. And now they have expanded that capability to bring us together both virtually...
“Expanding Our Circle & Closing the Gap” Thank you to everyone who has made a supplemental pledge so far! We have received 10 supplemental pledges in excess of $20,000. Thank you!! During COVID restrictions, it was such a blessing to be able to continue to have the connection to and...
A Supplemental Stewardship Drive to Strengthen our Connections Today, you may access all of our First Unitarian Church’s worship services, faith development and other programming either online or in our building (as pandemic conditions allow.) We have been expanding our capacity to provide quality experiences across all generations online during...
Ordering from Amazon? Please choose Amazon Smile! Do you use Amazon for purchases? If you are making purchases over Amazon, please consider using Amazon Smile and designate First Unitarian Church of Wilmington DE as your charity of choice. Shop online and use the Amazon Smile web page at https://smile.amazon.com/ and...
We currently offer options to give using your mobile phone in the GivePlus+ App for Android and IPhone. Effective September 30, our electronic giving processor will no longer support GivePlus+ and we will start using a new app called Vanco Mobile Faith Engagement instead. The new system has been set...
Throughout the month of August 2021, First U Food Pantry has been selected to receive a $1 donation for every $10.99 Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquet with the purple circle sticker sold at the Giant store located at 4301 Concord Pike, Wilmington DE.
Our fiscal year ends June 30, so here are some reminders: If you have not yet paid your pledge for the current fiscal year, please do so by June 30. Not sure what you owe? Just contact Chrissy at chrissy@firstuuwilm.org for more information. If you use our automated giving service...
June 30, 2021 is the end of our fiscal year. In April, we sent out giving statements to our donors. Please be sure to reach out to the church office if you have any questions. If you have not yet paid your pledge for the current fiscal year, please do!...
Don’t forget that if you use our automated giving process to pay your pledge from your bank account or credit card, please be sure to renew your automatic payment authorization for the next fiscal year, July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. You can access authorization forms here or call...
Thank you to everyone who has pledged so far! We have a total of $394,180 in pledges recorded for fiscal year 2021/2022. Your generous support is much appreciated. Over the next few weeks, we have a team of volunteers who will reach out to donors who have not yet pledged....
The Pledge Campaign is just about over; now’s the time to start thinking about the actual giving! Are you 70½ or older*, and have an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)? If so, you have the option to donate through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), sometimes referred to as an IRA Charitable...
Our pledge drive for the upcoming fiscal year, 2021-2022, is wrapping up. We have been pleased to hear from so many of you, and every pledge is greatly appreciated! During the worship service on March 28, Edris Harrell shared her testimonial about why this church means so much to her...
Our pledge drive for the upcoming fiscal year, 2021-2022, is well underway. We have been pleased to hear from so many of you, and every pledge is greatly appreciated! During the past year, our church has faced many challenges, and we have worked through many creative solutions to unexpected problems....
Our pledge drive is underway, thank you for your support! Many of our donors pay for their pledge using automated withdrawals from their bank accounts or credit cards. If you want to use this type of payment process for next year, be sure to submit your authorization using our online...
Our Pledge Drive, “Resilient and Committed,” has continued at a good pace. We are at 43% percent of this year’s goal, with over $210,000 in recorded pledges as of March 15. We’re almost halfway there. And we need your help to get across the finish line! There is just one...
Last week, Kate Franta shared her thoughts about First Unitarian Church as part of the Stewardship Moment during worship. “I believe it was my first year attending this church when Rev. Mary Katherine Morn came here to preach about stewardship and commitment. Then we sang that song, and I glanced...
Throughout this past year, our church community has shown resilience and commitment. We have been resilient in the face of unexpected challenges, and we have remained committed to our UU values. After a year of pandemic-induced closure, we can now look forward with hope to a future when we can...
Next Sunday, March 7, we celebrate the resilience of our community during our multi-generational Whole Church Worship service. That service also marks the start of our annual stewardship campaign, when we begin looking forward to the coming church year. Our theme for stewardship for 2021-2022 will center on our resilient...
Steve Cohen began serving as Treasurer just before the financial crisis of 2008. Over the next twelve-and-a-half years, he served with distinction, providing sound and reliable financial advice to the Board and initiating many innovations and improvements. In June 2020, he informed the Board that he did not want to...
Now more than ever, we rely on online shopping resources for ourselves and our families. If you are making purchases over Amazon for the holidays, please consider using Amazon Smile and designate First Unitarian Church of Wilmington DE as your charity of choice. Shop online using Amazon Smile (https://smile.amazon.com/) and...
If you use automated giving through our website, Give Plus+, or by paper authorization form to pay your pledge for last fiscal year, 2019-2020, please check to see if you updated your authorization for the new fiscal year, 2020-2021. We start fresh each year in order to provide an extra...
Did you know you can donate stocks to the church? You can! It’s easy to make a direct donation from your brokerage account to the church account. Just email Marina at marina@firstuuwilm.org or Chrissy at chrissy@firstuuwilm.org to get instructions. If you decide to make a donation using stock, please let...
Back to School season is upon us! Even virtual school requires school supplies. College students may still be moving into their dorms, even if their classes are online. It is a crazy time for back to school shopping but you can do it and help First U at the same...
If you use automated giving through our website, Give Plus+, or by paper authorization form, please remember to renew your automated giving authorization for fiscal year 2020-2021. All current year authorizations will be terminated on June 30. We start fresh each year in order to provide an extra layer of...
On April 26 at noon, Steve Cohen will lead an informational meeting to preview our 2020-2021 budget which will be voted upon at our Annual Meeting in May. Given COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines, we will host our meeting virtually using Zoom, as we will do for our annual meeting on...
Thank you to everyone who has pledged so far. We received 196 pledges, with a total pledge amount of $465,777, along with commitments for sharing skill and energy at First Unitarian. We are confident we will meet our financial goal if current members who have not yet submitted their pledge...
If you are used to dropping off your pledge payment in the offering basket, or leaving a check in the office, you may wonder if there is an easy way to keep up with your pledge payments when worship is cancelled due to unexpected circumstances. Well, there is! You can...
If you haven’t submitted your commitment form, please do so now. Commitment forms are available at the church office or online (print/mail the paper form or submit online using this link) Thank you for being part of First Unitarian Church and our work toward growing together!
Thanks to all who shared how they spent the Lunar New Year money they received on January 26! As promised, here is a link to how some of you spent your money.
PROGRESS: Thank you to everyone who has pledged so far. We received 177 pledges, with a total pledge amount of $438,974, along with commitments for sharing skill and energy at First Unitarian. We are confident we will meet our financial goal of $499,000 if current members who have not yet...
PROGRESS: Thank you to everyone who has pledged so far. We received 173 pledges, with a total pledge amount of $435,674, along with commitments for sharing skill and energy at First Unitarian. We are confident we will meet our financial goal of $499,000 if current members who have not yet...
PROGRESS: Thank you to everyone who has pledged so far. We received 173 pledges, with a total pledge amount of $435,674, along with commitments for sharing skill and energy at First Unitarian. We are confident we will meet our financial goal of $499,000 if current members who have not yet...
PROGRESS: Last Sunday was the last official day of our month-long 2020/21 Stewardship Campaign. We received 157 pledges, with a total pledge amount of $406,835, along with commitments for sharing skill and energy at First Unitarian. The good news is that we had a great response to this softer approach...
PROGRESS: We are in the FINAL week of our 2020/21 Stewardship Campaign and have received 102 pledges, with a total pledge amount of $300,195, along with commitments for sharing skill and energy at First Unitarian. We are more than halfway to our goal of $499,000 for this campaign, but we...
PROGRESS: We are two weeks into our Stewardship Campaign and have received 55 pledges, with a total pledge amount of $171,769, along with commitments for sharing skill and energy at First Unitarian. LEARN MORE: Our stewardship theme this year is “Growing Together.” If you would like to learn more about...
You are invited to tea with Rev. Pamela Wat. During the weeks of our Growing Together 2020/21 Stewardship Campaign, you will have opportunities to ask questions and learn more about how the congregation is doing financially, where we are going in the future, and the challenges and opportunities we face...
You are invited to tea with Rev. Pamela Wat. During the weeks of our Growing Together 2020/21 Stewardship Campaign, you will have opportunities to ask questions and learn more about how the congregation is doing financially, where we are going in the future, and the challenges and opportunities we face...
On January 26, Rev. Pamela Wat shared her family’s tradition for celebrating the Chinese New Year. Everyone at church received a small red envelope with money in it. But there was a catch! People were asked to do something good with the money, to make the world a better place...
KICK OFF! Last Sunday, January 26 we kicked off the stewardship campaign with a special Lunar New Year surprise. If you were present and received a lucky red envelope, please be sure to share with us how you spent your money! On our first Sunday of the campaign we received...
During the church stewardship campaign, we focus on how we take care of things that are important to us. One great example is the support First U gives ILYA (Independent Living for Young Adults). It starts with the volunteers who give their time and talents to make sure the program...
On January 26, Rev. Pamela Wat shared her family’s tradition for celebrating the Chinese New Year. Everyone at church received a small red envelope with money in it. But there was a catch! People were asked to do something good with the money, to make the world a better place...
This Sunday, January 26, we are kicking off our stewardship campaign with a special Lunar New Year surprise that children, youth, and adults will not want to miss. I hope you will be part of the fun this Sunday at our 10:30 a.m. worship service! Our stewardship theme this year...
You are invited to tea with Rev. Pamela Wat. During the weeks of our Growing Together 2020/21 Stewardship Campaign, you will have opportunities to ask questions and learn more about how the congregation is doing financially, where we are going in the future, and the challenges and opportunities we face...
As you consider your end of year charitable giving choices for December, please consider a donation to our Heritage Fund. Please think about how you can contribute to future generations through a gift to our endowment. How do you do it? Some options: Add a codicil to your will –...
IMAC is a local coalition of clergy who collaborate against the systemic racial and economic injustices that manifest poverty, addiction, and violence in our communities. Rev. Richard Speck and Rev. Pamela Wat are members of IMAC and invite First Unitarian Church to join them in supporting IMAC’s 2020 Delaware Faith...
First Unitarian is special to all of us and we are grateful to those before us that built the church that we now enjoy. Your opportunity to “pay it forward” for those who follow us is always available. Please think about how you can contribute to future generations through a...
First Unitarian is special to all of us and we are grateful to those before us who built the church that we now enjoy. Your opportunity to “pay it forward” for those who follow us is always available. Please think about how you can contribute to future generations through a...
The end of the fiscal year is here! Please be sure to pay your pledge for the current fiscal year (July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019) before the end of June so we can properly credit your account. Not a person who pledges? Want to know what it means...
Our Contractors are busy working on the construction that we hope to have completed by early September. Thank you to our generous pledgers to the Mini-Capital Campaign. We have received pledge payments from many of you already, thank you! Our vendors will want to get paid by the end of...
We send a big Thank You! to all of our members and friends who have contributed to our Stewardship Campaign – we’re almost there! As of 4/4/2019, we have pledges of $497,791 towards our Operating Fund goal of $510,000 and $202,885 towards our mini-capital campaign goal of $250,000. If you...
We send a big Thank You! to all of our members and friends who have contributed to our Stewardship Campaign – we’re not there yet! As of 3/19/2019, we have pledges of $485,701 towards our Operating Fund goal of $510,000 and $202,785 towards our mini-capital campaign goal of $250,000. If...
As of 3/12/2019, we have pledges of $480,401 towards our Operating Fund goal of $510,000 and $202,785 towards our mini-capital campaign goal of $250,000. Thank you to all who have pledged. Having pledge information on file helps us plan our budget for next church year. If you have not yet...
During our fundraising campaign, the office crew noticed that was occasional confusion between “pledging” and “payment of pledges.” To help you help us process your donations and pledges, here are a few key points to remember: A pledge tells us what you expect to donate to support operations (or the...
Help us Meet our Stewardship Goals! We send a big Thank You! to all of you members and friends who have contributed to our Stewardship Campaign – we’re not there yet! As of 3/4/2019, we have pledges of $479,451 towards our Operating Fund goal of $510,000 and $202,485 towards our...
We send a big Thank You! to all of you members and friends who have contributed to our Stewardship Campaign – we’re not there yet! We need to hear from everyone to meet our operating budget goal and send a significant, positive message to ministerial candidates considering First U that...
It was North Shore, L.I., N.Y. in the seventies-the hippy time We drove into a wooded area on gravel No parking lot– With a one, two and six year old dressed for church We walked to a building that looked like a castle with atop the turret a bent cross...
It’s an exciting time at First U. We are in the process of calling a new minister. We are making our Church more accessible, safe, flexible and inviting to all. We are creating new possibilities! And that is happening because you, our members, are stepping up! As of February 14,...
Shop at Amazon Smile and Amazon donates to First Unitarian Church. Support the work of this church while shopping in your PJ’s.
It’s an exciting time at First U. We are in the process of calling a new minister. We are making our Church more accessible, safe, flexible and inviting to all. We are creating new possibilities! And that is happening because you, our members, are stepping up! As of February 5,...
First Unitarian is special to all of us and we are grateful to those before us that built the church that we now enjoy. Your opportunity to “pay it forward” for those who follow us is always available. Please think about how you can contribute to future generations through a...
It’s an exciting time at First U. We are in the process of calling a new minister. We are making our Church more accessible, safe, flexible and inviting to all. We are creating new possibilities! And that is happening because you, our members, are stepping up! A Big Thank You...
It is an exciting time at First U. We are preparing for a new minister. We are creating new programs. We have decided that we want to be more accessible. We have determined that we want to make our space more welcoming and inviting. We’ve had teams who have worked...
“My name is George Huhn. My wife Julie and I have been members of this church for over 20 years. Our sons Max and Leon began coming here when they were babies. Max is now 18 and off to college, and for those of you who don’t know, Leon died...
It is an exciting time at First U. We are preparing for a new minister. We are creating new programs. We have decided that we want to be more accessible. We have determined that we want to make our space more welcoming and inviting. We’ve had teams who have worked...
The world does work in mysterious ways. The January 6 service was entitled Coffin and Cradle. I didn’t know the service title when I agreed to do the Stewardship moment several months ago. I received an email from Nancy Pinson inviting me to write the stewardship moment. I was in...
Did you know you can donate stocks to the church? You can! Just email Marina at marina@firstuuwilm.org or Chrissy at chrissy@firstuuwilm.org to get instructions on how to make a donation using stock. Most importantly, let us know what stocks you are donating and when, so we can check our account...
Part ll – The Capital Budget Pledging Campaign * Creating Possibilities for our Mini Capital Campaign means that, together, our collective pledges will allow us to make all the renovations to our facility that are needed to make it fully accessible, attractive, functional, and sustainable, including up-to-date electronic communications. *...
This year our Campaign has two parts, and our theme is: FIRST U CREATING POSSIBILITIES Part I – The Operating Budget Pledging Campaign * Creating Possibilities for our Operating Budget means that our collective pledges will enable us to keep all of our program areas going and growing. These program...
Tonia Bell-Delgado Hello I am Tonia Bell- Delgado. I am Kerri and Everett’s mom and Carmen’s wife. I know that some people confuse Carmen and I so we decide to do this separately so that you could match our stories with our faces. Why do I give my money and...
My name is Mitchell Weiss; and my wife Sandy and I, along with our four children, Sam, Hannah, Max, and Julia have been members of this church for a little over four years. I’m not going to tell you that the church has a heating bill and an electric bill...
First U offers rooms for use by the local community as well as by church members and friends. Parish Hall is a popular venue for birthday parties and special events. People use Brunner Chapel for yoga, or rent a classroom on the second floor for meetings. Next time you are...
Is there a group that holds a special place in your heart? Send your nomination to marina@firstuuwilm.org with your name, charity contact info, and a brief summary of the work they do by May 31, 2018. The Executive Team will evaluate the nominees and will contact you to let you...
Your support of Murray Grove during the special collection on May 13 will be greatly appreciated by all who seek to renew their spirits, transform the world and preserve our Universalist history. Murray Grove Retreat and Renewal Center in Lanoka Harbor, NJ is a purposefully simple retreat facility for spiritual...
Did you know that the word “appreciate” which comes from the 1650s, originally meant “to set a price to,” and is related to “appraise”? But using the modern slant, your Stewardship Team appreciates the commitment that you’ve shown to our community by making your generous pledges. Thank you, thank you,...