“They say that in heaven, love comes first. We’ll make heaven a place on Earth.” – Belinda Carlisle

This song from the ’80s is one of my mantras and something that I aspire to. One of the best ways that love comes to First Church is by making your annual financial pledge. We Earthlings pledging together can do many wonderful things and achieve heavenly results.  I know this song is about romantic, relational love but reflect on how you can make a heavenly difference to the church we love.

Stewardship via your pledge provides a steady financial stream that keeps First Church running smoothly. I love how our church is a place where I can work together with friends to address challenging issues such as: Immigration, Anti-Racism, LGBTQ+ Rights, Homelessness and Gun Violence.

I make my pledge every year because I love my church. I know that faithful giving rooted in love, shows my commitment to the life, mission and work of the church. With all the uncertainty, grief and injustice in the world, it’s important to have a Church home to comfort, challenge and guide me.

For Fiscal Year 2022, the best way to pledge is through our confidential 2022 Pledge Form. You can also send your pledge information directly to Lucille Dickinson, our Treasurer, at Lucilledickinson@aol.com.

While you’re making your pledge, you can thank me for planting that song in your head. And I thank you for your financial support.

XX  Jamey Moore

P.S. One more important thought, this one from Dr. Seuss – The Lorax: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

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First Church for me has always been a place of fellowship and community, which I believe is something we need now more than ever.  Before Hilary and I became members, I was struck by First Church’s commitment to those principles.

From initiatives like the drop-in center, to its dedication to being an anti-racist and open and  affirming church, First Church has been committed to its surrounding community and to the nation as a whole since its founding.  Such good work would be almost impossible without consistent and generous pledges from our membership.

First Church is a small but dedicated community.  You can see it in the infectious joy that members take from welcoming new members and how their eyes light up as they watch children go tearing through the lobby during coffee hour.  You can also see it in the Church’s commitment to its procedures and oversight.  Members who have pledged remain engaged to ensure that their generosity is under good stewardship.  Important decisions are put to votes in the council and the budget is open to consideration and questions by the membership, all in keeping with our flinty New England Congregationalist roots!

Hilary, Callum, Owen and I are fortunate to be part of the First Church Community and to enjoy the fellowship and sense of belonging it provides.  We pledge each year, not only to support the Church and it’s good work, but to support our fellow members’ work and planning on behalf of the Church by doing our part to provide for stable and predictable finances.

We hope you will join us in fiscal year 2022 by following the link to a confidential pledge form on the First Church website here.

All the Best

Chris Barr

P.S. Stewardship Co-Chairs: Hilary Oat-Judge and Chris Barr have been devoted, active First Church members since 2012. Callum and Owen are devoted, very active members of the Youth Group. Jean and Nick

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Rooted In Love – A Stewardship Reflection

Last summer I met Doctor Huey. Specifically, I met Doctor Huey sucker shoots as I watched our beautiful rose tree die.

At the time I didn’t know what was going on, but after searching the web I learned about the rose grafting process.  See what happens is a lot of the pretty roses are not hardy enough for our climate, and they are grafted to a rootstock of a hardier rose.

Well, the thing is that rootstock is a rose itself.

That rootstock if given an opportunity will divert the resources that would go to the grafted rose to itself.  Over time the grafted rose will die of starvation and neglect.

Church to me is like a rose tree; it requires resources, and it’s dependent upon its rootstock, us.

Like that rootstock I could pour resources exclusively into myself and my other interests and exclude the church. I could expect others to provide. I could procrastinate.  All the while that rose tree withers away.

Instead, I choose to give resources to the rose tree.  I choose to love it.  I understand that its beauteous appearance, and pleasing aroma is a function of the resources it receives through the rootstock.

And, when I channel resources to support the rose tree in some small way l am a part of its purpose.

In some small way I too am beautiful.

Robert Mann-Thompson

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Why we pledge . . .

Every so often, a scene revisits my memory. It is of a long line of adults, both women and men, queued up at the church, waiting for a hot meal. It always puzzled me that in a nation which could put a space craft down in a highly specific spot on a distant moon, we could not find a way to provide for the simplest needs of our fellow citizens here on earth.  This, despite the abundance of food which we produced and then sometimes destroyed to protect the price.

The feeding program has evolved and moved on to other locations. As a nation, trips to the edge of space are the latest symbols of the acquisition of great wealth. Why then do I continue to feel that in some obscure corner, absent the television cameras, some of our fellow citizens are still standing in line to receive their only meal for the day.

This is why we pledge.

Lance and Liz Warren

P.S. from the Stewardship Campaign Co-chairs, Jean Alexander, Nick McConnell: Per the FCUCC Church Directory, Lance and Liz joined FCUCC in 1971. That makes this year their 50th “First Church” Anniversary! What a treasure they have been and continue to be. We hope you join them in pledging your support for First Church during this important stewardship season.

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IS MY PLEDGE IMPORTANT

1.Yes!

2. Here’s why-