Members follow many paths to a deeper involvement in the life of our congregation.  But most move from acquaintance to commitment in the following steps, as they learn to understand the value of the membership commitment.

Attend Sunday Worship

Make attendance at our Sunday worship services a part of your life for a few weeks or months.  Participate in worship and enjoy conversation at our coffee hour.  You will soon learn if this congregation has the right mix of people, principles and spiritual practice to become your religious home.

Get Involved

Even before you become a member, you can take part in the many activities we offer.  Volunteer to make coffee on a Sunday morning: it’s a great way to get to know who attends our services.  Join the choir and help brighten our services with beautiful music.  Attend our Spring Fling and sign up for wonderful social events or join our Bountiful Harvest Garden team to help grow food for New Jersey residents in need.

Becoming a Member

You become a member of the congregation by signing our membership book and making a pledge of financial support to our mission.  You may sign the book at a time of your choosing by contacting the Minister or the Membership Committee.  Once you have signed, we will introduce you to the congregation at the next Membership Sunday, where we publicly welcome you and exchange statements of commitment with the congregation.

A pledge is your promise to pay a certain amount of money to Central Unitarian Church over the year, whether you pay weekly, monthly, quarterly or once a year.  It is not a guarantee; all of us face changes for better or worse in our financial circumstances from time to time.  But your pledge not only expresses your commitment, it also makes it possible to forecast our congregation’s annual income and manage the operating budget.

How much should you give?  We ask households to pledge 1-3% of their adjusted gross incomes.  That’s between $200 and $600 per year for a household with an adjusted gross income of $20,000, or $2,000 to $6,000 per year for a household with an income of $200,000.  Depending on their situation, some members must give less, while others are able to give more.  The most important thing is to make a pledge you are proud of, because you know you are doing your fair share for your spiritual home.

More Information

To learn more about membership or ask to become a member, email membership@cucparamus.org.