You ask: “Why should I make a pledge of financial support? I know that it takes money to pay staff and keep the lights on and have insurance and pay for all the things that keep our church going. So, I put money in the collection plate or donate online; sometimes I send a check. I also give of my time and talents by volunteering. Isn’t this enough?” That is a start, but the church needs an additional gift from you. Of course, we need and value all you give us by volunteering and showing up, but we also require the planning and certainty of the available money that the pledges provide.

Financial pledges of support from our Congregation enable us to plan, just as you make your financial decisions based on your salary and expenses. We need to make promises to our staff by giving them a year’s contract of employment, enabling us to pay them a fair salary. Pledges allow us to make promises to you to support our many ministries and activities that you value. For example, how much can we spend on materials and supplies, grounds/building maintenance, and Sunday coffee and refreshments? Pledges enable us to know how many section leaders we can hire for the Music Program and how many hours of childcare we can offer our parents. Pledges give us the fuel we need to support all those things that help us build our Beloved Community.

A pledge is your financial statement of how important this church, UUCT, is to you. It says how much you support the ministries and programs included in the 2024/25 Asking Budget that you recently approved. Your pledge is needed to pay for those things in that budget.

Annual pledges, along with the known and anticipated other sources of income and resources, enable us to know our future in the short term, and to build our desired future for the long term. This is why you should make a pledge.