My message to you this month is deeply personal. It is pledge time again.  I hope I was able to convey to you last year the depth of my love/passion for and commitment to TUUC. I hope it is contagious. In the thirteen years Skip and I have been members here, we have immersed ourselves in service to TUUC. Our participation at TUUC has helped us to continue to grow. It has made us better, stronger individuals. Have you sought out ways to become involved?  Our mutual commitment is what makes us a vibrant church community.

Likewise, our family commitment has been financial. We have used the Fair Share Giving Guide as a tool to grow our giving from year to year. With careful thought, prioritization, and planning we have managed to quadruple our giving through the years. We achieved this by identifying TUUC as a priority in our lives and putting it at the top of our list for Giving.

Last year we all dug deep in our pockets and for the first time in a long time we can say that TUUC is on the road to financial stability. Instead of drawing on reserves, we were able to replenish the fund. It is now at a level reflecting prudent rainy-day planning. This year the Board has been faced with some painful decisions but committed to making every effort to keep increases in check. Still it has been necessary to increase our pledge goal by 9%. This is a bare-bones, MUST ACHIEVE goal. Your pledge packet will arrive by mail next week. A detailed explanation of these increases can be found in my letter in that packet. You can also learn more at the budget discussions following the Sunday services this week and next.

We need every single congregant at TUUC to look at the Fair Share Giving Guide. Please don’t just sit down and fill in the form with the same number you used last year. Carefully think through the importance of TUUC in your life and in our community and beyond. Can you stretch your giving by 9%? Please try.

Let’s all show our fire of commitment. Together, let’s make TUUC’s flaming chalice the fire that is a beacon of fellowship and outreach in Tacoma.

Barbara Tripp

President, Board of Trustees