Chalice Lighters Grants and Calls

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Contact us. Send questions or comments to: chalicelighters@gmail.com

On This Page:

• What is a Chalice Lighter?
• How often are calls made to those participating as Chalice Lighters?
• Who sponsors this program?
• Chalice Lighters Benefit?
• History Chalice Lighter Program
• Call History Congregations who have benefited

What is a Chalice Lighter?

A Chalice Lighter is a person, a couple, or even a group of people who pledges to respond with a contribution when the call comes that it's time to light a chalice within the Thomas Jefferson District. Calls support specific growth initiatives in individual TJ District congregations.

How often are calls made to those participating as Chalice Lighters?

No more than three times a year (July-June), you will receive a letter explaining who has applied for a call and what the funds will be used for.

Who sponsors this program?

Chalice Lighters is overseen by the District's Growth and Development Council. The TJ District is committed to growth in all its aspects: personal growth, spiritual growth, growth in the health of our member congregations, growth in the number of congregations, growth in the number of individual Unitarian Universalists, and lastly, growth in our presence in society. The Growth and Development Council has primary responsibility for facilitating this growth, and one way in which it does this is by raising funds through Chalice Lighters to support congregational activities.

Grant Catagories

Congregations in the TJ District may apply for assistance in growing and strengthening Unitarian Universalism in their areas. In an effort to encourage congregations to intentionally plan for growth and to experiment with new, modern ways of doing that, the criteria for receiving Chalice Lighter grants have been made extremely flexible. Rather than specific criteria, which congregations must adhere to, the Committee encourages congregations to be creative in their plans for growth.

Examples of projects for which grants may be awarded are listed, but they should not be considered proscriptive. Rather, congregations are encouraged to present well planned and creative projects. Congregations must ask for a set amount of money for the proposed projects and demonstrate how such projects are expected to grow and strengthen Unitarian Universalism.

Grants may be made for traditional projects such as: Calling a minister, hiring RE professional, volunteer coordinator, music director, other staff; buying building or land; leasing building or land; constructing new building or renovating existing one; or establishing a campus ministry.

Innovative growth plan examples include: New signage or other ways to increase visibility; innovative adult or youth programming; video broadcasting of program(s); innovative advertising or community relations, including new web sites; satellite or branch church startup; outreach program to enhance diversity in congregation; two or more congregations working together.

The above two lists are meant to serve as examples. The responsibility lies with the congregation to show how its project will enhance Unitarian Universalism.

A Short, But Proud, History

The TJD Chalice Lighter program was created in 1987 and has grown into one of the largest Chalice Lighter programs in the UUA. About half our calls help congregations obtain or settle their first minister. The other calls help to build facilities. A few congregations have gotten a boost when constructing all-new church homes, but most of the calls were for much needed, but more modest renovations of newly purchased properties. Many of these projects were done, at least in part, by the members themselves; Chalice Lighters provided the building materials.

Pooling hundreds of checks of the $10, $15, $25 and more, has meant a lot to quite a few of our neighboring congregations since 1988, but opportunities for growth still abound in our district and the continued support of Chalice Lighters is critical. Please accept our invitation to become a TJD. Chalice Lighter and help spread the light of our liberal faith in the years ahead.