I would like to challenge each of us to look closely at what stewardship means to you and your relationship to BBUUC and the broader community and how you can realize the types of growth we seek. The core values of stewardship are: (1) Identity, (2) Trust, (3) Gratitude and (4) Love. I would like to focus this month on the first core value – Identity. We are uniquely tied to our UU Principles.

Although stewardship has fundraising as an integral part of its overall effort, our UU Principles help us distinguish between fundraising and spiritual stewardship. Fundraising efforts are designed to raise money for an annual operating budget, while stewardship is the growing, nurturing, promoting, and building of the gifts, call and spiritual vocation that are available to us. Stewardship is the spirit that influences things we do. Good stewardship must consider the process of raising money under a large umbrella of our vision. The ultimate goal is to facilitate growth – not just numerical growth, but building the capacity for mature, organic and spiritual growth.

If you have any ideas about how we can better implement the process here at BBUUC, let me or any member of the Board know, and we’ll incorporate them into the strategic plan. Let’s celebrate A Year of Stewardship – A Way of Life.

Peace and Love.

Chuck