Unitarian Society of Northampton, Florence MA

Stewardship

... means responsible caring - for our congregation and for each other.  Our Stewardship team focuses on community-building and on making sure we have the financial resources we need.  We depend almost entirely on the generosity of our congregation for funding.  We ask all members and friends to make annual financial commitments.  Weekly plate collections also make a difference.  At least once a month, we allocate all or a portion of the offering to an organization or cause in the greater community.  And we sell supermarket gift cards, which you can use for the full value you pay for them at three local markets.  The Society receives a percentage of the value of each card.

Stewardship Committee

Co-chaired by Kate Collins and Rich West, the committee has five other members and meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month.  We welcome all who wish to join the committee.  We want Stewardship to be synonymous with Community, and you can help us do that.  Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you wish to join our team or for more information.

Annual Stewardship Giving Campaign
 

The annual giving campaign, which is the major source of support to fund next year's expenses, starts on Stewardship Sunday, February 26th.  Every contribution commitment is important.  Click here for more information about the Annual Giving Campaign.

Stewardship Articles
Several articles have been published in The Pioneer, and can serve as a primer for how the Stewardship Committee serves the USNF community.  The first portion of each article is shown below; to read the full article click on each link.

Stewardship 101 - Pledging

September brings the excitement of a new year, and it also begins a new fiscal year for the USNF. The funds we have available to expand and enhance our activities and to pay our staff come from all of us. Our annual Stewardship Campaign begins later this year, but you can increase your pledge any time during the year. In order to demystify the pledging process, here are some Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for those of you who haven't been with us long, and for those of you who have been wondering about it for a while:  Read full article

Stewardship 102 - A Celebration of Community

Stewardship is not just about asking you for money.  And it's not just a giving campaign.  We're starting our third year as a full-year committee, and we want to have fun together.  Read full article

Stewardship 103 - Adult Education

Just as we have expanded the definition of stewardship to reflect our year-round commitment to the Society, the committee itself is expanding its mission to better fulfill that commitment.

As you read last month, Stewardship hosts the First Friday dinners and other activities to emphasize the simple pleasure we get from one another's company. This year, stewardship is also taking adult education under its wing. It is entirely fitting that we do this. It is, essentially, the other side of the First Friday coin: an opportunity to bring Society members together in a meaningful activity, something that deepens their connection to this place and to one another.  Read full article