Pledging for a New Beginning: The UU Lansing Pledge Drive in 2016
by Ed Busch, UU Lansing Church Archivist
Our annual pledge drive has begun once again at UU Lansing. Running from September 13 through October 4, this year’s campaign centers on the theme of New Beginnings—a fitting focus as we kick off a new church year and welcome our new interim minister, Rev. Roger Bertschausen. While we launched with a congregational luncheon on September 13 today, ten years ago, in October 2016, our pledge drive began at another defining moment of new beginnings for our congregation.
The October 2016 newsletter announced that the 2017 Pledge Drive would start on October 2. Members picked up personalized pledge packets right after worship, with the rest mailed after October 9. Leadership asked for prompt returns so budget planning could begin. It sounded like standard administrative routine, but 2016 was anything but ordinary.
A Pledge Drive in a New Home
Just months earlier, our congregation completed a monumental shift, leaving our longtime home in East Lansing to settle into a newly purchased and remodeled building on South Pennsylvania Avenue.
Senior Minister Rev. Kathryn A. Bert tied that physical move directly to October’s theological theme of death. Writing in her column, she noted that "all endings mark beginnings," honoring the uncountable hours spent packing, moving, cleaning, and unpacking that made the transition possible. She acknowledged the real grief of leaving East Lansing alongside the anticipation of a new life in Lansing. She even brought a touch of humor to the topic, quoting John Cleese’s famous Monty Python "Dead Parrot" sketch to show that we can tackle hard transitions with honesty and joy.
The building dedication took place on October 2, the exact day the pledge drive launched. It was a full celebration featuring UUA Moderator Jim Key as guest speaker and the world premiere of Love Is the Spirit of This Church. Commissioned from UU composer Elizabeth Alexander and conducted by Music Director Steven A. Thomas, the piece adapted words written by Rev. Tony Larson for his late-1970s UU Revival Meetings. Moving from a dreamy piano improvisation into a Salvation Army–style hymn before bursting into full Gospel, it brought together our Chalice Choir, Women’s Chorus, Jazz Combo, and Folk groups.
Dedication Sunday 2016
This wasn't routine operations fundraising; the congregation was asking members to sustain an entirely new chapter. The 2017 operating budget was projected to require roughly 20% more income than in 2016, driven largely by the costs of running the new facility. As Rev. Bert noted directly:
"We knew as we entered this lofty endeavor of moving that it would require a greater commitment from all of us."
Echoes in 2026: New Beginnings in Action
Looking back a decade later, the parallels are clear. While our circumstances have shifted, we are once again stepping into a season of new beginnings—balancing a $550,000 campaign goal with investments that reflect our core values.
In 2016, our new beginning was defined by building ownership and transition. Today, alongside basic facility upkeep and welcoming Rev. Roger as we begin a new church year together, our new beginnings take shape through major community commitments. These include our community solar panel installation and the professional cleanup of the former unhoused encampment site on church grounds. The solar project puts our commitment to environmental stewardship into concrete action, while the encampment cleanup reflects the complex, hands-on responsibilities of managing property and being an active neighbor in the city.
Solar Panel installation, August 2026.
Both then and now, embracing a new beginning means putting our financial resources directly behind our mission.
People, Programs, and Place
The 2016 pledge drive framed its work around three plain words: People, Programs, and Place—covering staff pay and benefits, religious education, music, social action, maintenance, and the mortgage. With over 85% of the church budget funded by member pledges, leadership explicitly highlighted economic equity:
"One way to create a fair and beloved community is for those who have more to give more so that those who have less may participate just as fully."
Today, as we explore our generosity through the frame of "What's in Your Cup?", leadership in 2016 also knew how to sweeten the pitch. The October 3 email update—headlined "Sweet Treats and Good Company"—invited members to stop by the Atrium table for free chocolates to sweeten budget planning while catching up with stewardship committee members. Subsequent updates gently reminded everyone that "all gifts are appreciated, no matter what size".
A Buzzing Congregation
Looking back at our church records, UU Lansing was firing on all cylinders that autumn:
Youth & RE: Around 50 elementary children and high school youth gathered in the new Kiva space, while 19 middle-schoolers launched their Coming of Age journey with 5 facilitators and 19 adult mentors. Younger children explored the theme of death through workshops on Day of the Dead traditions, crafting "Death Masks," and sampling "Funeral Foods."
Accessibility: A new hearing loop system was installed in the Augusta Jane Chapin Room to mirror the Sanctuary setup, connecting directly with hearing aids and headsets.
Music & Fellowship: Beyond formal rehearsals, Randy Scott started informal monthly folk and jazz jam sessions in members' homes. After Sunday services, members lingered for $1 MSU Dairy Store ice cream cones served by Carol Ingall, Martha Benedict, Linda Apps, and Joanne Cameron to benefit the church.
Community Action: The October 9 offering supported Ele's Place for grieving children, while volunteers actively registered voters ahead of the November election.
Remembering, Celebrating, and Looking Ahead
October’s theological theme culminated in our annual Day of the Dead service, where members brought photos and keepsakes of loved ones to place on the ofrenda. The congregation was remembering what it had left behind in East Lansing while stepping into its future on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Rev. Bert closed her campaign appeal with a note that remains just as relevant today: whether members could increase their pledge or were facing financial circumstances that made pledging difficult, "we appreciate hearing from all of our supporters each year."
The Spirit Remains
While technology now allows us to complete our pledges online via Breeze or by emailing Congregational Administrator Katherine Patton, picking up physical pledge packets at the Sunday table still carries a very practical perk: saving the church 82 cents in postage for every packet hand-delivered.
And as our current pledge page reminds us when circumstances change—"Life happens"—our commitment to one another remains grounded in care, trust, and confidentiality.
The building on South Pennsylvania is no longer brand new, and many faces have changed over the last decade. Yet every pledge drive invites a fresh start. As the Music Notes column highlighted during that 2016 dedication, despite all the effort that went into renovating our facility, "the church itself is the people."
The lyrics commissioned for that dedication captured it best:
"Not the walls or steeple but a gathered people is what makes up the spirit of this church."
As we enter this church year of New Beginnings with Rev. Roger and one another, the building remains where we gather—and the people remain what make it a church.
Seeking Your Input
Do you have memories of the move to South Pennsylvania Avenue, the Building Dedication on October 2, 2016, or that year’s pledge drive? Were you part of the Chalice Choir, Women’s Chorus, Jazz Combo, or Folk Band for the premiere of “Love Is the Spirit of this Church”? Did you serve on a Pledge Drive Committee, help register voters that fall, or remember lingering over a $1 ice cream cone from the MSU Dairy Store? We’d love to hear your memories and reflections—please share them to our email at uucgl.archives@gmail.com.
Acknowledgment
This post was researched and written by Ed Busch. AI writing assistants were used to help organize and refine the presentation of archival content. The research, archival work, and interpretive judgments are the author’s own.
About the Author
Ed Busch is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing and serves as the volunteer archivist for the congregation. He is retired from Michigan State University, where he worked in digital preservation and archives. Through the UU Lansing Archives project, he enjoys uncovering stories from church newsletters, board records, photographs, and local history sources to help connect the congregation’s past with its present. Ed also serves on the UU Lansing Stewardship Team and helps with Building and Grounds projects.
Sources
– UU Church of Greater Lansing, October 2016 Newsletter
– UU Church of Greater Lansing, “This Week at UU Lansing: Sweet Treats and Good Company” (weekly email), October 3, 2016
– UU Church of Greater Lansing, “2027 Pledge Drive: New Beginnings,” Pledge Webpage, September 2026