As our children grow, First Unitarian has ceremonies to help them on their way. When they are very small, they are dedicated to a life in the church. As they approach high school, they stand before the congregation in the Coming of Age service, giving a homily they have crafted themselves. And when they graduate high school, they mark their entrance into adulthood with the Bridging service, which they create together. Bridging marks their journey into the future.
Our church also has moments of change, whether marked in ceremony or not. In 2020, in-person church had to be shut down and First Unitarian moved to the virtual realm. Ever since, we’ve gradually been coming back together in physical space. Until the present, when we have two services, one offering virtual worship or in-person worship with each person masked, and one offering in-person worship with masks optional. We can’t help but look back at the path we have traveled in recent years. But we are also at a moment where we look forward and see the need for a bridge to our future.
Gratitude in Action
Building a Bridge to the Future
As we pledge our money to the church, we are practicing gratitude. Gratitude for all the church and its community gives to us and the surrounding area. Gratitude for how membership and active involvement enhances our lives. Our gratitude joins together with the gratitude of our fellow congregants, and it builds a bridge to all our futures. The amount pledged in gratitude varies with every person and family, each making a pledge right for them and their circumstances. All these pledges are individually valuable, and together they are powerful. Won’t you practice gratitude with us and build a bridge to the future we envision together?
Every Pledge Counts
Your generosity, at any level, helps this community to function and grow. Please give what your means allow. Together we can make such a difference. Every contribution is important.
2024 Fund Our Values
Together, let’s fund our many values:
- Sunday Services
- Connection to this community
- Religious Education for Children, Youth, and Adults
- Social Justice
- Interfaith Relationships
- Building a diverse beloved community that works to dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions
- Food Bank for the Community
- After School Tutoring
- ESL Classes for those seeking citizenship
- Hospitality for Families Experiencing Homelessness
- Our Ministry of Music
- Ministerial Outreach and Public Witness
- Spiritual Groups: Covenant Groups, Meditation, Yoga, Pagan, Humanist, Christian, Jewish, and all the diversity that makes First Unitarian shine
- Extended Families
- And a community of abundant love, including the Care Committee and a large pastoral care program
Please give what you are able and help us to build our bridge to the future. Click here to pledge now.
Join a Giving Circle
If you are able, please consider becoming a member of a Giving Circle. The categories are outlined below. Pledge levels are commitments that are fulfilled within a calendar year. If you cannot contribute at a Giving Circle level at this time, know that your gift is no less important. Every gift – whether it be time, talents or financial – contributes to the health of this community.
Transformers: $10,000 or more annually
Visionaries: $7,500-9,999 annually
Beacons: $5,000-7,499 annually
Sustainers: $3,000-4,999 annually
We welcome your membership and look forward to your participation. If you would like more information about becoming a member of the Giving Circles, please contact Angela Herrera, Senior Minister, at aherrera@uuabq.org or Jan Harper, Chair of the Radical Generosity Committee, at janharper431@gmail.com.
Keepers of the Flame
If you have included First Unitarian in your estate plans, please let us know. You are a Keeper of the Flame. Your intention is an act of radical generosity and we want to thank you during your lifetime. Estate gifts will strengthen the endowment, ensuring First Unitarian will be here for generations to come. If you would like more information about becoming a Keeper of the Flame, click here.
Consider Signing up to Give Monthly
If you are able, it helps the church greatly if you sign up to give automatically each month. It is easy to sign up on our website or on Realm to give via withdrawal from a bank account or a charge on a credit card. Your automatic gift each month helps the church to plan more effectively. Thank you for your generosity.
Radical Gratitude for Radical Generosity
Your gifts of time and expertise are greatly appreciated as well. Thank you to everyone who gives their time, efforts, and talents to help this church, our members, and the surrounding community. Don’t miss the “Caught in the Act of Generosity” articles in the Messenger and the church blog where we feature members who give generously of their time!
