RUC 2007 ANNUAL STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN

What are some of the ways in which pledges support God's work at RUC and in our community?

Administration
Provides for all personnel issues; conducts staff evaluations; oversees purchases for the church.

Building and Grounds
Maintains the physical building, the church grounds, and works on projected needs of the building for future repairs. Organizes several workdays for the members of the congregation to participate in the upkeep of the church.

Christian Education
Provides direct support to the Director of Christian Education and works with Adult Ed and Sunday school. Recruits and trains teachers, oversees Woman's Retreat, plans Camp Pecometh and Confirmation. Many hours in and out of the classroom.

Church in Society
$4000 is given in Direct Local Mission Support to 30 organizations, such as Chase Shelter, Food and Friends. Lord's Table, Bread for the World, Latino Outreach and Habitat for Humanity. Additional Emergency Relief funds are collected and distributed beyond Rockville. Alerts RUC to national issues.

Congregational Care
Each of sixteen members is responsible for visiting and checking onmembers in need. They help-with Memorial services, hospital visits, meal arrangements, rides to appointments; and provide a health care manager when needed.

Fellowship
Takes care of social events for the congregation and maintains the kitchen and its supplies. Hours of preparation and clean-up require many hands.

Finance Committee
Records all money received; creates the records used for income tax statements, writes checks, files tax returns and conducts audits. There is a need for more people to count the Sunday offering.

Membership
Advertises for the church; reviews attendance; and conducts new .member:classes._0rganizes and schedules photo sessions for the directory and makes sure there are greeters every Sunday.

Stewardship
Develops theme and implements stewardship campaign; encourages the congregation to participate by pledging and signing up for the various committee's; sponsors the annual Stewardship dinner.

Worship and Music
Plans for the regular worship and special services which includes the chancel decor, guest musicians and preachers. Works with the Music Director; adult and newly formed youth choir.

Pastoral Nominating Committee
This committee has been meeting for over a year and has had 40 meetings in their search for a new pastor for RUC.

In addition to all our caring committees, which require numerous hours of time and talent we have a few examples of where are treasures are used:

Community Ministries of Rockville
Founded by Rockville United Church to serve the greater Rockville community, it assists those in need with emergency funds, elder and medical care and guidance. CMR also funds several shelters and outreach programs. RUC gives extra funds to support these many programs and trie Community ministries staff.

Habitat for Humanity
2&.000 hours over the past 15 years have been given with over 200 volunteers from RUC and Bethesda United Church of Christ participating in work camps, yard sales, Christmas Wreath sales and the Habitat dinner.

Foster Care
The board meets monthly for a full day to review cases of children in foster care in Montgomery County to make sure they receive safe and adequate care, One quarter of the board members are RUC members. Some families in RUC have been foster families and have adopted foster children.

Sophia House
Sofia House provides overnight housing to 30 homeless women in crisis. Every year RUC makes approximately 360 breakfasts and dinners. RUC's giving tree provides paper goods, plastic-eating utensils, personal care items, nightwear and other requested items for the shelter.

English as a Second Language
One RUC Member teaches vital languages kite to more than a dozen area immigrants. Students have been from Brazil, China, Korea, El Salvador, Colombia, Turkey and Taiwan. One person can make a world of difference.

Why do we do all this? There are as many reasons as there have been participants, and then some: doing God's work, helping those in need, persona! growth, learning new skills, making new friends^strengthening feiendihjps^^^yirK back to the community, making use of our individual and collective talents, time and treasure, and even atonement for personal shortcomings., Regardless of the reasons, it is mission in action.

What about you? Will you share your time, talent and resources to help continue the ministry and mission of Rockville United Church?