LOOKING AHEAD

by Geoff Sanders on 1/15/2025

Our church’s finances appear to be on a sound footing for the current fiscal year thanks to the decisions made at our November Special Congregational Meeting, some generously increased pledges, and reductions in some budgeted expenditures. Thank you all for helping us achieve this desirable condition!

Now, though, it is time to look ahead to the coming fiscal year, which will start on July 1, 2025. When we hired Alisha to be our part-time minister, we told her that one of our goals is to grow our church - not for the sake of being bigger, but so that we could expand our ministry and be better equipped to serve our members and the broader community. Chief among our goals is to pay our minister a fair salary commensurate with UUA standards, and if possible, to pay her for more than 80 hours a month.

I trust everyone will agree that Alisha has been doing an admirable job, and she definitely deserves to be paid on a par with other ministers working for a church our size in a major metropolitan area. She is also working hard to attract and recruit new members.

Last year we signed a two-year contract with Alisha, which takes us through June 30, 2026. But the contract also includes an option to renew her contract for an additional three-year term. We were not able to commit to a five-year agreement outright, because we could not guarantee that future pledges would cover an appropriate increase in her salary.

Accordingly, we are asking all members to pledge 2 to 5% of their adjusted gross income to our church, provided that they are able to do so. Of course, everyone’s circumstances are different, and if 2 to 5% is not sustainable for you, we will happily accept whatever amount you are comfortable giving. We also recognize that our members sustain our church in many ways in addition to pledging.

Why 2 to 5%? Our goal is to limit our ask so that we can all also make contributions to other deserving charitable organizations and causes. In addition, these figures reflect the UUA’s Fair Share Guidelines:

AN ANSWER TO HOW MUCH TO PLEDGE:

“How much should I pledge? Your pledge is a personal decision. It is informed by your financial means, your connection to the mission and work of the church, and the needs of the congregation. UUA Fair Share Guidelines suggest that a new member pledge 2% of adjusted gross income, and increase it over time to 5%.” https://uucharlottesville.org/pledge-faqs/.

Our Program Council

by Geoff Sanders on 11/7/2024

I am very pleased with the current status of our church. Alisha joined us in April 2023, and her energy, dedication and positivity is making significant improvements to our programs and our standing in the larger community. But she cannot do it alone.

A church is a voluntary collection of likeminded individuals who band together for the collective good. Tapestry has a long and successful history of attracting, promoting and supporting people who share common values and who are dedicated to helping make our little church thrive. These people are the ones who ensure that our church works, that our programs deliver desired benefits, and that Tapestry continues to be an inviting, supportive and nurturing home for all concerned.

Hats off to all our leaders! They are not paid in coin, but they are indispensable. They are the volunteers who take upon themselves the responsibility for seeing that necessary tasks get done, that we collectively embody the Congregational Covenant that we read every Sunday, and that we all share in the benefits of community.

The heart and soul of our community is our Program Council, which is comprised of the leaders of every Tapestry team, be it one person or many. The PC meets monthly via Zoom to share information, challenges and the successes of everyone’s work. This is where new ideas 💡 are born, problems are solved, and, hopefully, where leaders become recharged and excited about the fulfillment of their goals.

If you are a past, current or prospective leader of any church group, you are encouraged to attend PC meetings. It is the perfect place to learn about the workings of our church and the many wonderful people who make things happen. And we really need your insights and life experiences as we brainstorm ideas impacting the operation of our church.

Life Energy

by Dana Ashrawi on 5/7/2024

What topics have we been taught are off limits or uncomfortable? Money is one of them for many of us. One UU workshop on money asked participants to think about money, and then think of what color the idea of money is for them. One person thought it was orange, and it was for negative associations. What color is money for you, and why? It might be good to journal about that.

I want to share about a great book on the topic of money that was published decades ago and still holds great value: Your Money or Your Life. The authors offered a fascinating concept: the money we spend represents a certain amount of our life energy! For example, if a person is earning $20/hour, and a pair of shoes costs $40, the shoes represent two hours of life energy expended by working. The authors also provided a tool for calculating how much of your life energy is spent on various things. You can find the calculator at https://yourmoneyoryourlife.com/life-energy-calculator/. You might try it and figure out if you seem to be spending more life energy than you want on some items. Of course, there are some items where the costs are beyond our control, and part of the justice-seeking that UUs are engaged in, like the unreal cost of having decent healthcare or dentistry. However, where there is a choice, you could think about ways to reduce those expenditures.

Keeping Alisha

by James Moore on 4/6/2024

I had already been to the congregation many years earlier while I was in Huntsville when it was in a different location with a different name, but even back then, I had felt very welcome and at home with the community there. As a new member, my biggest concern for the future is whether Tapestry will be able to keep our wonderful minister, Rev. Alisha, due to budget concerns. With pledges for next fiscal year below the necessary level to continue employing Rev. Alisha, I fear that our congregation may lose her without additional financial support. Because of that concern, I have decided to increase my pledge this year by over 30%.

While I realize that small increase may not make a big difference, if we all give a little more, then in the end we can continue to have Rev. Alisha at our pulpit twice a month, and hopefully we can expand her work with the church if all of our members can give enough support. Not everyone can give equally, but everyone can do their part to make sure we can continue to offer a spiritual safe space that recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

Warmest regards,
James Moore
Worship Committee Member

Stewardship UU

by Jasmine Pantuso on 3/16/2024

Have you ever felt at home? I mean, relaxed and free to be yourself? This could be in a job, church, town, neighborhood, etc.

Tapestry is the place I feel “AT HOME!” I really can’t believe it. I have been on a quest my whole life to find groups of folks that were warm and welcoming.

I’m living in the Houston area at this time because of a few relatives that I can’t bear to part with. Now, after being a part of Tapestry, I have another reason to BE here.

I knew that I had found “my people” when I joined up with the camping group for the weekend. I was amazed to discover that a cooking group was serving us and there were vegetarian and vegan options!

When I attend a service I come away feeling good about life, our country, and the future of our children. I realize that supporting Tapestry with my time, talents or treasure will bring us closer to love and light in our lives.