Time with UUs at UUCR

Our annual Canvass is a kind of election. We are voting with our money to decide whether to keep UUCR running. At other times during the year, we also vote with our time and with our feet. Many resources are needed to maintain our community.

We cannot function without our contributions of both money and time.

Young people are an essential part of our congregational community. Youth and children may contribute more time to UUCR than many adults do and deserve recognition. Consider activities like these:

• Our Whole Lives (OWL) classes

• UUCR playground fellowship (it's not just for parents!)

• retreats and overnights

• Boston heritage trip

• fundraisers

• Social Justice projects

Any kind of pledge is a commitment. By making commitments, we strengthen ourselves to stay focused on what we have decided is important. By recognizing the value of contributions of time, we acknowledge that:

• having fun together and enjoying our community is part of our mission

• many people donate time to serving UUCR

• we need children and others who cannot pledge money

• our congregation is not viable or vital without young people

• all active congregants enrich our community and widen our circle

• we need people just to be here and to share their presence

As with money, your pledge of time is a personal statement of your values and of how UUCR enriches you and your family. It is an investment in the current congregation and in those who will come after us. It is also the main way that you collect benefits from being in community.

The pie chart below shows the pledges from last year, which was the first year we pledged time. Here are a few reminders and ideas.

• 100 hours: attend UUCR on Sunday for 1 hour of worship or class and 1 hour of coffee or playground

• 30 hours: join a small group ministry

• 25 hours: join a monthly gaming group, hobby group, film group, book group

• 30 hours or more: join a committee

• 12 hours: give someone a ride to and from UUCR once a month

• 150 hours: join the Choir

• 50 hours: spend 1 hour per week talking with or visiting friends from UUCR

• 12 hours: spend 1 hour per month telling other people about UUCR

• 2 to 100 hours: attend, help with, or lead a special event or fundraiser

• 15 to 90 hours: help with or teach a religious education class once or twice a month

• 12 hours: spend 1 hour per month on the UUCR grounds with a friend, a pet, your lunch, a camera, or an easel

Your pledge is not a legal contract. If your situation changes, it is appropriate to adjust your pledge correspondingly (hopefully upwards!). So please pledge bravely!

Pledges made during this Canvass should be fulfilled before June 30, 2022. We don't have a way to keep track of your hours for you. But we have tally sheets to help you keep track of the time you contribute to UUCR.