Pledge Status: 98 Pledgers have pledged a total of $316,683, and 11 kind people have also donated $3,850 to the Hardship fund. We are over halfway to our goal!

Incentive Challenge! 8 anonymous donors have offered a total of up to $8,000 (in addition to their generous pledges) to get pledges in on time.
• Get your pledge in by midnight on April 2 to unlock $75 for FUUSN!
• April 3 – 18 pledges unlock $50 (while funds last)
• HOW TO PLEDGE TO UNLOCK THE MOST VALUE OF THE INCENTIVE FOR FUUSN:
Pledge online at www.fuusn.org/pledge (preferred)
Email the amount you wish to pledge to pledgedrive@fuusn.org
Bring your pledge forms to a Pledge Party or to the Pledge Drive table at coffee hour
Mail your pledge to the FUUSN office only as a last resort
NOTE: If you have already pledged and wish to increase it by at least $100, your increase will also unlock funds!

Community Engagement Survey – Quote of the week: “I want to add new and deepen existing personal connections. I think FUUSN provides good opportunities in this area so I think this is, as much as anything, “on me””.
If you haven’t completed your survey yet, please do! Community Engagement Survey (google.com)

Upcoming Budget Drive Events
Friday, March 31
5:30 pm: Pledge Party – Pizza and Wings with Brooke Foucault Welles and Devon Welles (FULL)
Saturday, April 1
5:00 pm: Pledge Party – Foolish cryo-cocktails and apps with Joyce Pollack and Kevin Osborne (FULL)
Sunday, April 2 WEAR YOUR FUUSN GEAR TO CHURCH! Pledge drive and coffee house T shirts, aprons, hats!
9:00 am: Pledge Party / Community Breakfast at FUUSN – sit down at a pledge party table!
Coffee Hour: Pledge Drive Steward Launch
5:00 pm: Pledge Party – Dinner with Barbara Niles and Jay Flynn (FULL)
6:00 pm: Pledge Party – Dinner with Lisa Carbone and Robert Lakomski (FULL)
Monday, April 3 Stewards start contacting those who have not pledged

Link to fill sign up for Pledge Parties, Pledge, and fill out the Community Engagement survey: www.fuusn.org/2023-annual-pledge-drive
Contact pledgedrive@fuusn.org if you have any questions.

Learn about FUUSN! Today’s spotlight: RE (Religious Education)!
An RE (Religious Education, also sometimes called Religious Exploration) program is the lifeblood for our families in FUUSN. From Nursery through High School, we have 60 kids registered for or affiliated with our religious exploration programs and youth groups. This includes kids who participate in OWL from the larger Newton community and other congregations in the area.

Devin Shmueli is our Director of Family and Community Ministries and he makes it a point to get to know each family. This ensures that our programming responds to and addresses the current and changing needs of all children, youth, and families at FUUSN in an inclusive, holistic way. Each year, the RE Committee works together with Devin to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the new one so that FUUSN can cater new, meaningful experiences that are relevant to the all people at FUUSN, from the youngest to the oldest. As part of his role, Devin works with our Member Services Committee to reach out to all newcomers with or without kids to bring them into the fold. FUUSN strives to be a place where intergenerational relationships are nurtured.

Devin with Coming of Age Candidates and Mentors making lasagna for our unhoused neighbors in Waltham in partnership with Chaplains on the Way and the Waltham Community Leadership Group

Just recently there was a Family Trivia Night that brought together 16 adults and 7 children (including two toddlers!) for a great meal and loads of fun!  A hint for future trivia players:  The group that spanned the most generations ended up getting the most points!  

Fabulous Family Trivia Night (FFTN) – the winning team was Penny and the Vets

FFTN – Runner’s up were the Glitter Juice Boxes!

The children explored what it means to support and engage in a community through time, talent and treasure during the month of March, culminating in their own pledge party which one of our team joined.  

Our children explored Worship, Leadership, Learning, Building Community, Involvement, and Social Action

Our Coming of Age program is going strong with 13 members.  Coming of Age enables 8th and 9th graders to explore their beliefs (including writing a credo) and do community service with a mentor from the congregation. 

Running parallel to our Coming of Age program, our OWL (Our Whole Lives) program is a safe space where 7th-9th graders learn about relationships and sexuality in OWL has 12 kids.  There are an additional 3 kids from the First Parish in Needham as well as two others from the larger Newton community in our OWL program.

COA candidates washing uip after making lasagna

Our baby room now has a paid nursery care provider, Karen Hurley, as attendance in that room is growing rapidly. We might have up to 5 nursery age kids at any time!

Join us at the following services dedicated to our RE program:

• May 7 – Coming of Age Service – It is wonderful and often moving to hear the Coming Of Age candidates deliver their credos at a time when many of them have become more conscious of the world and their place in it.
• June 11 – RE Sunday – Celebrate our RE volunteers and participate in the Bridging Ceremony for high school seniors bridging to adulthood

RE Sunday music performers

Bridging Ceremony

None of FUUSN’s wonderful RE Program happens without your time, talent and treasure!   Fill out the Community Engagement Survey, Pledge and sign up for Pledge Parties here:   www.fusn.org/2023-annual-pledge-drive/

Reach out to us at pledgedrive@fuusn.org if you experience any difficulty.