Vol. IX Issue 3 Summer 2006 In this issue: LEADERSHIP Four Churches Recognized as 'Breakthrough Congregations' MONEY New Health Care Plan Available to Congregations TOOLBOX Podcasting--Another Way to Spread Our Message MEMBERSHIP UUCA Puts Emphasis On Welcoming and Integration NOURISHING THE SPIRIT Changes to Water Service Bring Deeper Meaning QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Managing during a minister's sabbatical, and renting out your church space for extra income BRIEFLY NOTED More Information on UUC Annapolis; New Handbook for Youth Groups; Election Rules to Help Keep Your Congregation Tax-Exempt; and more! EMAIL LIST Find out when the new InterConnections is online InterConnections Archives

Talking about, and Raising, Money
Money is talked about openly at the UU Church of Annapolis.

"We've had a significant culture shift in the past 15 years," says the Rev. Fredric Muir. "At first I never talked about money. We approached the canvass apologetically, saying, 'We're sorry we have to do this again.' There was no clarity around money or what obligations members had."

Now money is discussed in new member classes and is the topic of sermons. Pledging is an accepted part of membership. The median pledge is $1,500. Five percent is asked, but it's generally agreed that 5 percent households are a minority. "It's a goal," says Muir. "We have room for stewardship improvement."

Stewardship campaigns, once run by the finance committee, are now organized by the church office. That ensures they are run on time, says Muir. The congregation pays full fair share to the UUA as well as its district dues.

Personal Sharing Still Works at UUCA
Although many larger congregations have moved away from the practice, personal sharing of joys and concerns continues to be an important part of services at the UU Church of Annapolis. Also, during the offertory people can silently light a candle at a table at the side of the sanctuary. "There are a lot of people who will not come forward and speak," says the Rev. Fredric Muir, "but who would like to light a candle." Muir says these sharing times are important: "It's the time when the congregation owns the service--a time of community building, of connecting with each other."

Muir works hard to educate people about sharing appropriately, that it's not a time "for announcements or baseball scores." At Annapolis, joys and concerns are called Passages, Transitions, and Homecomings.

New Health Care Plan
For Congregation Staff
For the first time in eight years, a health care plan is being offered to staff members of Unitarian Universalist congregations. At least 500 must enroll by October 15 for the plan to take effect. The plan is for those who work at least 1,000 hours per year for congregations or who are self-employed community ministers. If the enrollment goal is met the plan will start January 1, 2007.

Detailed information is on page 5 and at uua.org/leaders/insurance.

Keep Attendance Figures
If you're not already keeping Sunday attendance figures, think about starting this summer or fall. The UUA finds the number useful in assessing the Association's growth. Congregations will be asked to report that number (voluntary) plus the number of certified members (required) by February 1 of each year.

For more information go to uua.org/congregation/attendance.html.

Survey Results Completed
For results of the 2005 Faith Communities Today survey of UU congregations visit: uua.org/cde/education/fact/index.html.

UUC Annapolis at a Glance
Size: 570 members, 170 children and youth. Five years ago: 390/160. Founded in 1956.

Staff: Eight full time, including Rev. Fredric Muir (23 years); Director of Religious Exploration Fran Ateto (17 years); an administrator, assistant minister, intern minister, member services coordinator, custodian, and secretary/receptionist. Part time: Minister of Music Betsy Jo Angebranndt (36 years); clerical worker, RE assistant, and Sunday morning coffee/snack server.

Sunday attendance: The average weekly Sunday adult attendance for the first quarter of 2006 was 282 people. The average weekly Sunday children/youth attendance for that same period was 84.

Financial: Budget: $614,190, of which $14,000 comes from fundraising, $19,000 from building rentals, $23,000 from the Arts Council (drama and music events, a coffeehouse, and the sale of art pieces) with most of the rest from pledge income. Median pledge: $1,500. Median household income for Anne Arundel County is $62,000.

Facilities: Seven acres with a sanctuary/RE/office building and a separate house with RE rooms and an apartment for the intern minister. Room to park 130 vehicles.

Governance: Form of policy governance.

What's Different about Us: Longevity of staff. Personal sharing on Sunday morning still works for this large congregation. Coffee preparers are paid (see page 4).

Reasons for Vitality: Consistently good worship and religious education, only UU congregation in town, staff longevity, lack of conflict, friendly and welcoming to visitors.

Next Steps: Build larger sanctuary and RE space and more parking. Increase level of pledging.

Workbook Helps CreateSocial Justice Programs
A workbook designed to help congregations create or reinvigorate social justice programs has been developed by the UUA's Washington Office for Advocacy and the Congregational Advocacy and Witness Staff Group.

The workbook, Inspired Faith, Effective Action, will help congregations approach social justice without creating divisiveness and to ground social justice work religiously, says Rob Keithan, director of the Washington Office. "Being religiously grounded is key to effectiveness because it helps you frame issues from an authentic, religious perspective," he says.

The handbook has sections on analyzing your congregation, developing leaders, choosing issues, developing a message, attracting the news media, and becoming a responsible partner with community groups. It also includes a list of social justice resources available from the UUA.

The 25-page workbook is available free on the UUA.org website at uua.org/uuawo/new. Click on Advocacy Resources.

New Handbook for Youth Groups Now Available
A new Youth Group Handbook, replacing one last published in the early 1980s, is available from the UUA Bookstore. The new 97-page handbook has updated material on youth group fundraising, social justice work, and antioppression work. It also has a section on worship and one on "deep fun," a collection of games focused on building community.

The book has resources for creating, reviving, and maintaining youth groups. Chapter 1 notes: "This is not meant to be a step-by-step instruction guide to creating the perfect youth program. It is a collection of ideas that have worked in many places, and processes that have been helpful in strengthening congregations through the creation of a healthy youth program."

The Handbook is $15 from the bookstore, uua.org/bookstore; 800-215-9076.

Endowed Congregations
Loren Mead, a consultant with The Alban Institute, has written an article "Endowed Congregations: Pros and Cons," available for $7 from alban.org.

-uua.org/clf/kidtalk/2005-10/index.html
-uua.org/clf/quest/2005/10/index.html#REsources
-uua.org/clf/re/CLiF_0509.pdf

RE Express is free to CLF members upon request. It is also available to non-CLF members at an introductory one-year subscription rate of $99. For more information about RE Express or CLF membership, contact Beth Murray at the CLF, clfuu.org; 617-948-6150.

Election Rule: Promote Issues, Not Candidates To Retain Tax-free Status
In this election year many congregations are getting involved in the political process. Here are the political activities that are permitted without risking loss of tax-free status:

Generally speaking, congregations can support issues, but not candidates or political parties. It's generally OK to work publicly on moral and political issues such as poverty, abortion, or the death penalty, and to educate and register voters in a nonpartisan manner.
The Internal Revenue Service says congregations and their representatives can do nothing that advocates for or against candidates for public office or political parties. This includes endorsing specific candidates, fundraising on behalf of candidates, or donating meeting space. Candidate forums are acceptable as long as all candidates are invited. Distribution of biased voter guides or partisan campaign literature violates the IRS Code.

The IRS prohibitions do not pertain to individuals. Pastors may put candidates' bumper stickers on their cars. They may work on behalf of a candidate during their free time. However, a minister who endorses a candidate at an official church function or publication has run afoul of the tax code. Religious leaders may not endorse candidates from the pulpit claiming "personal opinion," nor may selected candidates be invited to speak from the pulpit without inviting all to speak.

Rules about what congregations can and cannot do concerning lobbying, elections, and supporting candidates and issues are on the website of the UUA's Washington Office at uua.org/uuawo. Click on Advocacy Resources and look for The Real Rules: Congregations and IRS Guidelines on Advocacy, Lobbying, and Elections (in PDF format).

For more information see the Americans United for Separation of Church and State website, au.org or the IRS website at www.irs.gov/charities/churches/index.html.

Forum
I am a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville, N.C., and chair of our outreach committee. InterConnections readers might like to know what we have done for social justice in our initial attempts to be active in this area. We have responded with money to world and national crises and local causes but not taken active positions on social justice issues. However, when our minister talked about the need for a living wage on Justice Sunday, our committee followed it up with letters we provided for the congregation to sign, addressed to our state senator urging him to vote to increase the minimum wage.

We got a great response, almost 100 percent, and hand-delivered them to the senator. I know that many UU churches make a lot of efforts like this, and our success encourages us to do more. I hope it will encourage InterConnections readers who might not be taking active stands like this.

Karyn Joyner
UU Fellowship of Hendersonville, N.C.

Improved Beacon Press Website Now Online
Beacon Press, the nonprofit independent book publisher that is part of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, has revamped its website, beacon.org, allowing congregational leaders to easily get what they need from the UUA's trade publisher.

The site is now fully searchable by title, author, ISBN number, and category. The site also has a point of entry especially for UUs, with books on antiracism, on bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender issues, and on the environment, democracy, and worship.

Beacon.org also has teachers' guides, reading group guides, suggestions for reading programs, congregational discussion guides, first chapters, and a history of the press. The new website is built on Beacon's database, making it easier to keep it updated.

Less Browsing With RSS
UUA.org has added an RSS feed (really simple syndication) to the website. Use it to notify your computer when there is new information on the front page. It will include headlines and links to full articles.

Find out more at uua.org/rss.