New Expectations for the Adult Faith Engagement Program

Robin Pugh, Director of Lifespan Faith Engagement

One thing I’ve noticed during this time when our physical building is closed is that new people are accessing our church community in different ways than before the pandemic. For this reason, Rev. Kim and I have reconsidered the fees we charge for non-members who are in our Faith Engagement classes. Before the pandemic, newcomers came to services on Sunday morning and spent months (or even years) getting acclimated before they became more involved. Their experience with UUCWC was largely Sunday morning worship. Today, we have people who rarely attend worship but are involved in chalice circles, Wellspring or other small groups.

We want people to enter our community in ways that feel most comfortable to them. People who walk into a church for the first time are searching to meet a named or unnamed spiritual need. For some people, small groups meet that need more than worship. They create an intimate home within a larger church community. Unitarian Universalism is about healing disconnection – disconnection with our deepest selves, one another, needs greater than our own and the unknowable. Small groups are one way to heal that disconnection. Worship is another.

In acknowledgment of the increase in people accessing church through the small groups, UUCWC will be raising the fee for non-member participation in Faith Engagement classes beginning in January. The letter here assures that newer participants in our community understand the expectations as well as the benefits of being a part of UUCWC.  

Board Goals: Transforming the Congregational Culture

Heather Edwards, Trustee, UUCWC Board of Trustees

In the middle of another holiday season, I would like to pause to express gratitude for our UUCWC community and for the opportunity to be part of the Board of Trustees during this particular moment in our church’s history. During the board’s fall retreat, held virtually this past September, we developed board goals for the year. Every board member had a chance to give input into the goals, which were centered around the Seven Practices of Board Leadership presented by Paula Cole Jones and Reverend David Pyle in their “Practices of Board Leadership” workshop at the 2019 UU General Assembly.

These board practices were developed with the Eighth Principle in mind, to help boards think about how our practices can advance our own and the congregation’s work to dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. As a new board member this year, this process was exciting and energizing as we looked towards the future of UUCWC and started to imagine what the upcoming year might look like. Look here to read about all of the finalized board goals for this year.  

Read more…

Racial Justice Ministry Antiracism Learning/Allyship Opportunities for 2022

Regina Podhorin Zilinski, Chair, Racial Justice Ministry

The Racial Justice Ministry (RJM) has developed a plan for 2022 to engage congregants in the communal and individual work of antiracism. We know many of you long for opportunities to both work together as well as have resources for individually staying abreast of new insights into antiracism work. As a result, we are announcing a series of activities that encourage you to do both.

In January, we will be announcing the details of a congregation wide 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge. This is not going to be a competition – it is an invitation for each of you to consider spending five to twenty minutes a day for twenty-one days learning something new, considering an alternative viewpoint, demonstrating allyship, or just thinking about your own spiritual journey related to antiracism. You decide how much time you have each day from a long list of resources and suggestions. The goal is to build intentionality into this work and take it from being a “challenge” to becoming a lifelong habit in furthering the work of justice. Take a look this month at the kinds of thing that are available.

• 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge
• Facebook page – join here to follow

In early January, we will offer an online discussion of two resources RJM members found helpful to kick off the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge. Feel free to read ahead – the exact date and Zoom link will be posted on Facebook and in church emails in mid-December.  Read more …

Finance Committee Initiatives for the Fiscal Year

Steve Saddlemire, Finance Committee

Over the summer months, the Finance Committee remained busy examining important issues that impact the financial health of our Church. The Team (Stewardship, Treasurer, Bookkeeper, Endowment, Fundraising, Auction, Capital Campaign and Building) examined both new ideas and ongoing projects and developed a list of initiatives we would like to address this fiscal year. Our priorities include:

• 2021 Financial Audit: There were a number of very important issues generated from this report, including the need to update and expand the financial record-keeping and accountability procedures; better define the roles of the Treasurer, Financial Chairman and bookkeeper/comptroller; review, update, and possibly change our software systems; and improve data storage and security of paper and electronic files.
• Reviewing the church’s operating and facility maintenance reserve funds to ensure they are meeting the needs they were intended to address.
• Analyzing next year’s proposed budget to assure it is properly balanced.
• Working with Congregational Engagement to develop a program that will allow congregants an easy transition onto the Finance Committee.
• Working with church committees to ensure they are following good financial practices, including documentation of contributions and expenditures and expenditure approvals.

As UUCWC grows in both size and scope of services to the community, it is imperative that good financial stewardship is maintained and expanded. This year’s initiatives are a big step toward successfully accomplishing that task.

UUCWC Responds to HomeFront’s Thanksgiving SOS

Marcia Wittmann, Food Ministry Team

On November 16, the Food Ministry team received this urgent request from Meghan Cubano, Director of Community Engagement at HomeFront: “Just throwing this out there in case UUCWC can come to the rescue. Our plans for distributing Thanksgiving meals to the two hundred families staying in motels have fallen through (at the 11th hour) so we’re reaching out to see if there’s any way you can help.”

With only a week until the donation deadline, what could we possibly do? As it turns out, a lot.

Home Front needed vegetable sides, juice, pies and cookies, and snacks such as fruit cups, applesauce, granola bars and chips, and breakfast items, to round out the turkey dinner, as well as provide food for the Thanksgiving weekend. We were not able to organize a large-scale food drive at the church on such short notice, but we spread the word out via Facebook, the weekly announcements, and email.  Read more …

Special Sunday Service Announcement 

UUCWC will open for in-person worship on December 19th, with prior registration. To attend in-person services, vaccination, for those who are eligible, is expected.  Details on how to register and other important information and updates will be sent via all church email in the next few days.

Holiday Gift~~UUCWC’s Year End Appeal

Capital Campaign Update

Jayme Trott, Cochair, Capital Campaign

Status: Architectural drawings are being reviewed by engineers (structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing) at this time. Key updates to the plans include kitchen upgrades, an enclosed lift-type elevator, and an increase in the height of the second floor roof to accommodate HVAC upgrades.

We received confirmation that the Mercer County Soil Conservation District has extended the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Plan to April 2025.

The Steering Committee is working with Mary Lou Dahms and Susan Irgang to update the website page this month. Latest plans and schematics will be posted there. Read more …

Here, HomeFront volunteers recieve a very small portion of the UUCWC donations to the HomeFront Thanksgiving SOS appeal.  Read the companion article, by Marcia Wittmann.

Read about the UUA’s Justice Work under the banner “Side With Love,” here.

Read UU World, the magazine of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Connect with UU Faith Action, New Jersey’s issues and social justice advocacy voice.