Do you recall pressing play on a cassette recorder? Or does pressing play on a YouTube video sound more familiar? Each time you’ve ever pressed the “play” button, regardless of the method, you’ve actively moved things forward. That’s what our March financial campaign is all about: moving MVUU forward together! 

>>> Past to Present >>> 

Our congregation formed in 1989 around meetings in Clare Toth’s kitchen. Over the decades and through generosity of individuals like Clare we have grown our community, programs, and outreach. Today, “Clare’s Kitchen” is the name of our food prep space and a hub of activity at our new location. It is a reminder of the great generosity that so we can be the vibrant, faith community we are today. 

From the gifts of the past we currently enjoy: 

• A beautiful new spiritual home 
• Phenomenal expansion of our caring for one another 
• A location drawing people to our faith community 
• Spiritual, embodied, and engaging programs for all ages, seven days a week 
• Active Caring Hearts Groups that continue to deepen our belonging ● A record $185,000 in pledges raised last year 
• Our Sustainability Fund has $220,000 pledged, $120,000 above our goal ● Woven baskets 
• Community engaged partnerships bringing our values to life within our broader community

>>Present and Future>>>

We welcomed 27 new members in October and January. By the end of our church year we will be welcoming more. Since the pandemic began we expect to have reached 40% growth. On average each week we welcome 30 Zoom screens and 10 in-person guests. On November 13th, members, friends, and guests in-person and participating virtually set a new Sunday attendance record, 148 people. And then we broke it two months later with 153 people on February 12th. 

Rev. Matthew, our Board of Directors, our staff, and our congregational leaders are hard at work welcoming, integrating, and planning for our phenomenal growth. We are developing new understandings of our institutional dynamics so that we better engage the needs of long-time members and those who are just discovering who we are as Unitarian Universalists. We are exploring innovative technologies to integrate our meetings and Sunday services towards a greater feeling of belonging. We are researching long term sustainability, like solar panels, toward living out our values and net zero utility costs in the years to come. 

>>> Press Play on Your Commitment >>> 

When you “press play” at MVUU you receive all of this and more! And when you “press play” on your generous financial commitment you keep our mission, Engage – Love – Transform, moving forward. 

Through the month of March, we will be reaching out to you to hear all that you’ve received from MVUU, and help you to “press play” on your commitment.