I was 12 the first time I made a financial pledge to a church. Raised United Methodist, I went through confirmation at the age of 12 and was invited to join the church. As the daughter of the church secretary I already spent a lot of time at church, so I was ready to become a church member. However, before I could officially join, my parents sat me down and said if I was going to be a member, I would need to also make a financial contribution. My weekly allowance at the time was $2. They explained tithing to me and taught me how to make a budget. When I joined the church later that month, I also made a pledge to give $.25 a week. Every pledge unit got its own pre-printed pledge envelope and I was very proud that year when I received my very own pledge envelopes. Each Sunday I sealed a quarter into the envelope and dropped it into the plate.
I was reminded of this story when serving as the Director of Religious Education at the First UU Fellowship of Hunterdon County, NJ. The Canvass Dinner was an all ages event which included families. At the end of dinner I was cornered by a group of RE children who wanted to know why no one had asked them to make a pledge and could they make a donation to the congregation as well. The Fellowship was happy to invite them into the pledging process and they were excited to be recognized as new pledges that year.
I share these stories not so much to stress that contributions of all sizes matter, but as a reminder that giving is part of belonging. When I committed to a church at 12, that commitment meant supporting it. When the RE kids wanted to pledge it was because they knew the Fellowship was their spiritual community, that they belonged, and wanted to support its financial well being. As our pledge canvass continues, I invite you to consider how you've committed to First Unitarian and how you can support this spiritual community.