Gathering together is the heart of our Christian community. Our people, place, and programs depend on the generosity of everyone who chooses to belong in this community. God has given us great riches of faith and hope to share with each other and the world, and a splendid heritage to pass on to our children. We respond by being good stewards of these gifts, giving of ourselves in diverse ways.
Annual Pledging
Each November, we ask our members and friends to pledge to contribute financially to our common mission and ministry and to pledge their time and involvement in our various ministries. Ten percent of our annual income is tithed to Missions & Social Justice through local and global projects and through our denomination, the United Church of Christ.
Capital Fund
In 2015, we embarked on a three-year Capital Campaign, For Such a Time as This, to raise funds for a renovation of our common spaces, strengthening and expanding our ministries of hospitality and community outreach. We added a commercial-grade kitchen, added four accessible, gender-neutral bathrooms, and transformed our common gathering spaces. Consistent with our commitment to tithing our income, 10% of the Capital Campaign funds raised were disbursed as grants to community organizations.
In 2016, the congregation voted to take out a 15-year loan to ensure we could complete the full renovation plan, with the understanding that we would hold another campaign to retire this debt at a late date. That time has now arrived!
Planned giving & our fifth century
In 2033, we will celebrate the 400th anniversary of our original gathering. Since 1633, we have been blessed with many gifts from those whose financial giving and bequests have provided the abundant resources that have allowed us to do more together than we ever could do alone. And now, as we approach the fifth century of our ministry together, we each have the opportunity to do the same for those who follow us. A planned gift is arranged during the donor’s lifetime but not received by the Church until the donor’s death. It is an expression of our covenant of mutual love and respect for each other, and our commitment to help future generations carry on our mission of racial equity and social justice, while caring for the environment and for each other. More information is available on the planned giving page.
Memorial Gifts Fund
The Memorial Gifts Fund was established for the purpose of accepting undesignated memorial gifts to the church. These gifts may be received by bequest or from the family or friends of someone who has died. The Stewardship Committee receives and acts on requests for expenditures, usually for capital, equipment, furnishings, or other such identifiable purposes.