Fiscal Year 2024 Generosity Campaign
A Message from your Generosity Team
Love is the Spirit of this ChurchWe love this church. This beloved community plays an important role in our lives. It gives us a welcoming circle of fellow travelers on a spiritual quest and gives us opportunities to help in service to the wider world. This church makes us better people.Our church has pulled through a tough past two years and is well on its way to moving beyond covid. There is much reason for optimism. The sanctuary is filled to capacity again on Sundays and we have a robust online attendance. Our congregation is starting to live into all the opportunities for service that Hobbs Hall allows us (and rental income is picking up). The growing energy is palpable, but financially, we are still in a place where we will need to tap our reserves. Your monetary support is more important than ever this year as we keep our focus firmly on future financial self sufficiency.Think about the ways that you love this church as you decide on this year’s pledge.Kay Eckman, Marion Yeagler and Claudia Miller
Kay Eckman, Claudia Miller, Marion Yeagler, Kitty Endres
A Message from your Minister
Dear Members and Friends of the UU Church of Kent,We often use the words of James Vila Blake for our chalice lighting:“Love is the spirit of this church…” Have you ever stopped to think about what that means? It means that one of our deepest values, a core part of our theology as Unitarian Universalists, is Love. Love is woven through our UU Seven Principles and is the heart of our Universalist heritage with its message of a Love that holds all of us in its embrace and accepts us just as we are; a Love that challenges us to continue to grow and to dare to continue our quest for meaning and wholeness.
Since the founding of this congregation in 1866, love has been the spirit of our church and it continues to be the spirit of this church, calling us to serve one another and the world, work for justice, provide a safe and inclusive welcome and space for all, especially LGBTQIA+ individuals and others on the margins, to engage in ministries that change and touch lives, and to do the work that helps move our world toward the Beloved Community. This is all possible because of your continued generosity, the sharing of your gifts of money, time, and your unique self with all your skills, talents and passions. Thank you.
It is once again time for the annual pledge drive, our yearly opportunity to ensure that this community continues to thrive and live out our mission to inspire love. As you consider your annual pledge, which is your promise to support the operating expenses of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent, I invite you to take some time to reflect about what this spiritual community means to you. How has the love that is the spirit of this church changed you for the better? How are you inspired and challenged by Love to serve others and the world?With gratitude for the opportunity to share with you the love that is the spirit of this church.
Rev. Steven
FY2024 Generosity Campaign
Giving from the Heart
We are asking you to support what you love and raise your pledge by the amount below. Together, if we can all stretch our giving just a little bit, we’ll get to our goal. We listed a minimum amount but any amount over and above will allow us to borrow that much less from our endowment.
The reality is, it takes money to allow our beloved community to function. Our campaign goal is $275,000 towards this year’s operating budget.
We are again projecting funds borrowed from our Endowment to get us over the current hump and set us on the path to future growth.
Click here to view or download the FY2024 Generosity Campaign brochure.
Click here to view the programs and ministries supported through your pledge.
Stewardship Video
Pledging FAQs
Click here to learn answers to frequently asked questions, such as:
- What is a pledge?
- Why do we have an annual pledge drive?
- Am I expected to make a pledge?
- I’m not a member of the church, can I make a pledge?
Understanding the Annual Budget
Congregational Leaders from Finance including the Treasurer, the Personnel Coordinator, the Board, and the Stewardship Team presented information about the budget and our Church’s commitment to the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Central East Region Annual Program Fund as well as fair compensation standards for our minister and staff. Although this audio was recorded prior to the FY2017 annual pledge campaign, much of the information is still relevant to our operational needs and budgeting process. We hope you’ll take a few moments and listen:
We invite you to complete the online pledge form below. If you have any questions, please contact the church office, [email protected].
If you have difficulty with the online form, you can print a pledge card.
Sending Donations or Pledge Payments:
Please send checks payable to:
Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent
228 Gougler Avenue, Kent, OH 44240
Other Ways to Donate:
- Via our online donation page (processed through PayPal).
- EasyTithe Text to Give: Using 330-835-5028 text the dollar amount you wish to donate.