Guest Blog by Zoe Ann Lamp
Growing up, every December my parents received a box of little envelopes for the weekly Sunday offering. Fifty two envelopes, plus a few extra for special holidays. My brother and I had our own boxes too. Each Sunday I loved finding the right envelope, placing my small donation inside, and carrying it to Sunday School.
It was a simple ritual, but it taught me something that has stayed with me my whole life. If something matters to me, I need to help sustain it. This early lesson guides me now in supporting QUUF.
Like many of us here, I left the faith I grew up in and spent years searching for a spiritual home. After moving here in 1994, I kept looking for a community where I truly belonged. Before I joined QUUF in 2015, I noticed that many of the people I admired and respected were part of this congregation. After a few one on one conversations and a couple of Sunday services, I realized I did not just appreciate this community. I wanted to become a part of it.
When I learned more about Unitarian Universalism, it felt like coming home. The Seven Principles were already values I held. Our new Shared Values statement speaks even more strongly to me about the world we are trying to build. A world where justice and equity matter. Where we are open to growth and change. Where generosity and many perspectives are welcomed. Where we recognize how connected we are. And where love is always at the center of what we do. That is a world I want to live in. And that is what this community is actively creating.
For me, pledging is part of my spiritual practice. It is one concrete way I live what I believe. I do not give out of habit or obligation. I give because I am saying yes to this community and to our shared values. When I share my resources and time, I feel more connected and more invested in what we are building together.
When the UUA’s Suggested Fair Share Contribution Guide was introduced a few years ago, Bruce and I decided to step up to that challenge. We have pledged at our Fair Share level ever since. That is how our values move from inspiring words into real action.
QUUF exists because we show up for one another. Our pledges support our staff and care for this building. They also make possible everything we cherish here. Religious Education and OWL. Covenant Groups and Pastoral Care. Sunday services and social hour. Meditation, youth group, social justice work, ALSO classes, and so much more. Every pledge sustains the heart of this fellowship. We’re not just funding a budget, we are funding our values and a place we dearly love.
This year’s stewardship theme is Creating Our Future. That future is not far away. We are shaping it right now. I give because I believe in who we are and who we are becoming. I want this to remain a place where people find belonging, ask big questions, and are encouraged to live with intention.
If you have found connection, comfort, or courage here, like I have, I invite you to help nurture the place that nurtures all of us.