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Vail Weller: Dear
colleague, thank

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you so much for the
gift of your ministry.

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You just don't hear often
enough how much of a difference

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you're making in so many lives.

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I get it.

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I know that you are
juggling sermon writing,

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pastoral emergencies, budget
creation, justice work,

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facing the moral
issues of the day,

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having deep spiritual practices,
and a rich personal life,

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and doing all of this
with grace and aplomb.

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Your life is full.

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And it's hard to read all
of your e-mails, let alone

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to know how to talk about the
Annual Program Fund, or gift

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in the southern region,
when you are asked.

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We want to make that a
little bit easier for you.

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So I want to be sure that you
will go to our APF web page

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to look at the
new resources that

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are designed to make it easier
for you to talk to your folks

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about APF.

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There are a few simple
ideas that I'd like

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to share with you right now.

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The first is that your
congregation's support

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of our Annual Program
Fund is the fulfillment

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of a promise that's
actually already been made.

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From the UUA byelaws,
a congregation

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becomes a member upon
acceptance by the Board

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of Trustees of the
Association of its written

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application for
membership in which it

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subscribes to the
principles of and pledges

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to support the Association.

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At the close of our
principles and purposes,

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we state, as free congregations,
we enter into covenant,

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promising to one another our
mutual trust and support.

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Your full support of APF is
the most concrete expression

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of this promise.

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It is a fulfillment
of our covenant.

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Secondly, your
generous gifts to APF

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are enriching the lives of
all of our congregations.

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I'll give you four
quick examples.

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The Annual Program
Fund is the vehicle

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which allows the Unitarian
Universalists in Anchorage,

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Alaska, to receive
the UU World Magazine.

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APF is the reason that
the UUs in Bangor, Maine,

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have hymnals to sing
from on Sunday morning.

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Gift in the southern region
is what provides our children

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in Tennessee with all of
the tapestry of faith,

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RE, curricula.

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APF is what leads
to the credentialing

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of our religious
professionals and puts

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ministers in our pulpits in
Minnesota and New Mexico.

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APF meets real needs of
hundreds of thousands

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of Unitarian Universalists
across the globe.

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Lastly, I need your help.

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I am working on a project
of covenant reeducation,

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helping our people to know
that no congregation exists

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in isolation, that we depend
upon each other more than we

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know, and that your
support for APF

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is crucial to the thriving
of our collective ministry.

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If you're moved by this concept
and would like to partner

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with me, please let me know.

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I'm looking for
your testimonials

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so that your passion for APF
can be shared more widely.

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I'm looking for your
stories of what is working

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within your congregation.

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And I would love
your involvement

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in our generosity network as
an APF ally and a stewardship

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superhero.

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If you feel called
to use your influence

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as a leader in your
district or region

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to help benefit the
growth of generosity

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in support of our APF,
please let me know.

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Your leadership makes
a huge difference

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within your community
and far beyond.

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Thank you for all that you
do, for all that you are,

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and for strengthening
stewardship in our tradition.

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Please do be in touch.

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Thank you.

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