Annual Giving Campaign 2023–2024
Growing the Gardens of Peace…together
As members of The First Religious Society, we benefit from all the ways we can work in the Gardens of Peace. We are constantly supported in our journeys of social and spiritual growth. For this, we are grateful to have the chance to write to you as the Co-Chairs of the 2023–2024 Annual Giving Campaign.
Sitting down to write this letter, we have the tremendous benefit of guidance from many others who have led this campaign in past years. FRS has been an integral part of the Newburyport community longer than Newburyport has been Newburyport. You, its members and friends, have been the life force since its beginning. This year’s theme, Growing the Gardens of Peace… together, builds on that tradition of a strong congregation working to create a better world.
As we see it, the strength of the FRS community is the diversity of its people, ideas, and passions. We all seem to have in common the desire to expand these gardens, not solely for ourselves as individuals, but for our community and the wider world. As you will see in the enclosed brochure, there are abundant opportunities at FRS to engage in, support, and flourish personally and spiritually.
Our church, like a garden, lives, thrives, and grows based on the work of its members and friends. This work comes in many forms, one of which is a financial commitment. Our pledges are part of a spring renewal, when we look at ourselves and ask how we can ensure that these gardens, rooted throughout the FRS community, continue to grow. So, as you consider your annual commitment to FRS, please read the financial information on the back of this letter and then consider how you can help your church build a world that is more peaceful and more just. We hope in doing so you will decide, as we have, to make The First Religious Society a major part of your philanthropic plan.
With love and appreciation,
Mary McDonald and Jim Supple
2023-2024 Annual Campaign Co-Chairs
To read the 2023-2024 Annual Giving Campaign brochure, click here.
Click here to view Annual Giving Campaign testimonials!
To submit your 2023-2024 Annual Giving Campaign pledge form, click here!
What is a pledge?
A pledge is a commitment to support the church financially. Think of it not as a contractual obligation but as the setting of a challenging personal expectation of how much you will be able to give to the church’s next fiscal year, which is July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024. We know that financial and personal conditions often change during the year. Suppose you need to adjust your pledge upward or downward. In that case, you can call the church office and convey that to Diane Carroll, our Church Administrator.
Who should pledge?
In the ideal world, all our members and active friends would pledge. This idea is based on fundamental fairness. We are a community of people with a vision. We understand we need help to achieve our vision as a church community. Therefore, we rely on each other.
How much should I pledge?
Though everyone’s financial situation is different, we hope that all of us are willing to make a meaningful contribution. Such a contribution would require discernment and choice and would feel like a personal commitment. Last year our average pledge was approximately $1,900; however, pledges ranged from $25 to $29,000. We will need a combination of increased and new pledges to achieve the goal this year.
