Whose GIFT is It Anyway? Presented by, Bill Clontz Stewardship Consultant, Leadership Mentor April 18, 2015 The UUA Southern Region Annual Assemblies Reflections on Membership, Covenanting, and Generosity What Does It Mean to be a Unitarian Universalist How Does Stewardship Connect All Those Dots?

Us Take Home what we learn and share here. Share it, adapt it, spread it. Otherwise, not much happens. We here are not enough alone. Everyone Back at Home 2 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

G.I.F.T.: G enerously I NVESTING F OR T omorrow 3 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

Whose Movement (Congregation) is This, Anyway? (Careful – It’s a trick question) 4 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

We Seem to Have Two Visions of Unitarian Universalism 5 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

A Thousand Points of Light? 6 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

UUA Yoked and Satellite Congregations Clusters and Learning Circles Congregations Beyond Congregations Networking and Video Conferences Webinars: Live and Archived Social Media 7 Regions Faithify Seminaries Retreat Centers Social Partnerships On Demand and Reference Sources The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

Me, too! 8 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

Three Things Tick Me Off as a Unitarian Universalist... And I think they should you, too 1.There are not enough of us... 2.We choose our leaders – and start distrusting them the same day... 3.We have a thing about money... 9 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

The First Question is a Fair One – But an Insufficient One “What do I/We get from those contributions to the UUA? ” “What do they do for us?” Fair enough, as far as it goes 10 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

The First Question is a Fair One – But an Insufficient One Professional Clergy/staff credentialing Interim Ministers Hymnals Religious Education Materials/OWL Stewardship, Giving, and Endowment Support Learning Libraries, Archives, and Resources Scholarships Education and Training for All of Us  Mediation Assistance  Crisis Ministry Team Etc., Etc., Etc. 11 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

The First Question is a Fair One – But an Insufficient One Insufficient, because its not just about us and our congregation It’s also about our presence in the world and in the halls of power It’s about helping new congregations get started It’s about helping devastated congregations get rebuilt It’s about helping others find us Standing on the Side of Love Representation in Washington and at the UN Forums like this one today to share and learn from each other Support to Our Seminaries Church of the Larger Fellowship Military Chaplains Support Chalice Lighters SUUSI and Similar Programs Etc., Etc., Etc. 12 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

Lessons Learned From Sister Simone Keep telling the stories Facts are important – but they are not enough Be less concerned with winning, more with converting 13 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

What’s Next? Join and start clusters/learning circles. Remind all we gain by being in Association. Spread the word - What we cannot do as one congregation we can do together. Review the “So What Do They Do for Us?” on the Southern Region web site. Treat our gifts to the UUA and the Region not as an externally generated debt but as an investment in our future and as a gift to future Unitarian Universalists. This is seed corn for the future; a mark of solidarity with each other. Encourage a mindset that “us” means ALL of us, not just our congregation. Do NOT be satisfied that only about 60% of us are Honor Congregations. Be at least as committed to the growth of Unitarian Universalism and its functioning at regional and national levels as you are to the health and vitality of your own congregation. Know that membership means something; that stewardship and shared generosity are the fuel for what we do. 14 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

Check In! The UUA – The Southern Region of the UUA – The Stewardship Team – Bill Clontz, Stewardship Consultant 15 The UUA Southern Region: Whose Gift Is It, Anyway?

Whose GIFT is It Anyway? Presented by, Bill Clontz Stewardship Consultant, Leadership Mentor April 18, 2015 The UUA Southern Region Annual Assemblies Reflections on Membership, Covenanting, and Generosity What Does It Mean to be a Unitarian Universalist How Does Stewardship Connect All Those Dots?