Chalice Lighters
Chalice Lighters
Chalice Lighters is a program of the Central Midwest District of the UUA (each District conducts a "Chalice Lighter Program"). The mission of the program is to offer to congregations a way to help each other grow. There are two parts to the program.
(1) Congregational leadership (the board) applies to the district Chalice Lighter Program if they have developed a plan of action that will contribute to growth of the denomination. They may make a plan for outreach and publicity, they may plan to hire/call new staff to serve a new (to them) constituency (e.g., their first parish minister, DRE, volunteer coordinator, social justice coordinator), they may decide to refurbish their building, etc. Application forms are on the District website (www.cmwd-uua.org) and a "chalice lighter call" with a deadline is made three times a year, at which time applications are accepted and reviewed by the Chalice Lighter Committee of the District, which chooses one plan to fund.
(2) Funding comes from members of UU congregations who choose to be "Chalice Lighters." A Chalice Lighter agrees (by calling the District office, submitting a form, or signing up during a Chalice Lighter Sunday event) to contribute $10. to each chalice Lighter call (there are three a year); many people give more than $10. Each Chalice Lighter receives a letter describing the project proposed by the winning congregation and requesting the donation. Whatever sum is collected during each call is the size of the grant given to the winning congregation/plan. A grant can be anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000.
More information may be had at www.cmwd-uua.org/chalice.html