It's Okay to Do the Thing

I was in the middle of writing about something else - which I will finish for you next week - when I got a message that congratulated the congregation I serve (Cedarhurst UUs, northwest of Baltimore) for taking a chance on a building project that will significantly improve accessibility, functionality, and appearance. (Which, yes, will lead to growth.)

The risks involved using a lot of the endowment, leaving only a small amount for emergencies. It also involved seeking grants and initiating a capital campaign for phase two, which expands functionality.

Now I mention this today not just because I’m thrilled that others are noticing the work this 58-member congregation is doing, but because they weighed the costs of spending their endowment on this huge improvement project versus having a lot of money for a rainy day. To broadly paraphrase one of the board members, if we still wind up folding, I want to go out knowing we did everything we could. I don’t want to close with a million dollars in the bank.

When I became their part time minister in 2024, I saw some architectural plans on the wall, and I asked them about the project; I learned that it’s been in the works for years, but between a hard crisis in the 2010s and then a pandemic, it seemed more like a dream than a possibility. I saw the plans and got excited, and that excitement was contagious. The board prioritized the work (with the endowment committee) to bring the project to fruition, and in September, we had a hole in the ground. Here’s what it looked like a couple of weeks ago:

Yes, that’s a shaft for a passenger elevator.

Here’s my point. Some of your congregations are sitting on a lot of money. A LOT. Yes, it is vital to save for unexpected crises - repairs, replacements, other financial crises. Yes, it is a risky time in the markets because of government mismanagement.

But the endowment is there for your to improve the congregation.

Maybe that improvement is a building or renovation project - they take a lot of money in keep up, and I know several of you are worshipping in what can be described as money pits, thanks to lack of care or outdated construction methods.

But also: maybe that improvement is a new program, or a consultant, or even a new staff position. It’s hard sometimes to get out of the catch-22 of ‘we need to improve this program to bring in more people, but we can’t afford to pay what it takes to improve the program and bring in more people, if we have to rely only on the general fund.’ This is where endowment committee can and should step in.

Improvements may be physical, but often they’re programmatic - whether it’s training, or hiring, or something less tangible.

But they’re worth the risk.

And I sit here chuckling, because the people who are drawn to endowment committees are often the most risk-averse people in our congregations.

Dear endowments and boards: Take the risk. Do the hard thing. Will it be perfect? Probably not. (What is perfect, anyway, but a way to say no?) Try it out. Take a chance.

Sure, it means change, and we know how scary change can be. But let me tell you: in the last 15 months since I started at Cedarhurst, I have watched a real excitement and energy grow amongst the members. They are experiencing a rebirth of spirit, community, and strength. We’ve welcomed some new members and expect to welcome some more. And this weekend, we’re celebrating their 40th anniversary with a bold vision for the future.

Do the thing you’ve been dreaming of, the thing that will take some planning and resources and may not be perfect.

Seriously. Do the thing.