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Vision: A world powerfully transformed through the growing movement of shared spiritual awakening.
Mission: Advancing the movement of spiritual awakening and transformation
through Unity, a positive path for spiritual living.
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Table of Contents
(Click on item below or scroll down.)
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Membership Matters
Tidbits You Will Find Handy
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Rapid Response Webpage Has Resources for You. During this time of pandemic, when life is changing so quickly, we are collecting resources to support you and your ministry on our Rapid Response webpage. Please bookmark this page and visit regularly for updates. We list notices that we have sent, music considerations when livestreaming, financial assistance resources, and more. We also link to our Connection Space. We are here to walk through this time together with you.
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We have sent out other newsletters recently with information that may interest you.
Recent updates can be found on our What's New webpage. COVID-19 resources and information can be found on our Rapid Response webpage. |
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You’re Invited to a Focus Group. We need your input! Our Unity Worldwide Ministries (UWM) board and central office staff are starting a strategic planning process to help us better serve you. We’re calling it the “Better Together Project.” With John Wimberly as our coach and consultant, we will get clarity on the purpose of our UWM central office and board. All success begins with clarity of purpose, then goals and strategies will follow.
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Anyone who is an active part of Unity is invited to participate in the focus groups (ministers, LUTs, spiritual leaders, ministry lay leaders, and youth ministry leaders). Each group is limited to 15 people.
 Sign Me Up!
Please choose from the following options:
Focus Group 7: Wednesday, April 8, noon-1:30 p.m. (CT)
surveymonkey.com/r/Group7Apr8
Focus Group 8: Thursday, April 9, 6:30-8 p.m. (CT)
surveymonkey.com/r/Group8Apr9
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Hold Your Annual Meeting Online Via Zoom. Many of our ministries are now meeting virtually for health and safety reasons. Are you wondering about how to hold your annual meeting? Dr. Leonard Young, UWM Parliamentarian, is offering to assist you with hosting your annual meeting online. Please read the information he offers to see if this might be an option for you and your ministry.
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Webex: Another Online Platform Option. Given the number of security issues with Zoom accounts (some large companies are banning use by their employees), we offer Webex as an alternative. It has a free account option. This is an option for those who are reluctant to use Zoom and for those who want a free account that does not have the 40-minute limit. This information is also on our Rapid Response webpage, where we add resources as we become aware of them.
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Find Online Sunday Services. Unity Worldwide Ministries offers an online directory of our ministries at Find a Ministry on our website. In order to find a ministry that offers livestreamed services or services that are recorded, you’ll need to use the “Keywords” Search box. You can search for a ministry using keywords such as “livestream” or “recorded services,” which will pull up a listing of our ministries that offer these services. If you have any questions about how to use our directory, please contact Diana Kennedy at DKennedy@unity.org.
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Education
Educating Unity Leaders in Spiritual Principles
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Spiritual Education and Enrichment (SEE) Registration Open. Registration for Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute (UWSI) online SEE courses is now open. Courses begin the week of April 13, 2020. Review the course schedules, then register at uwsi.org.
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Leadership Development
Training Unity Leaders in Effective Leadership
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Connection Space: Support for You. Connection Space is designed to be a time of community and Q&A on a variety of timely topics. Each session will feature a specific topic and will be staffed by facilitators well-versed in the subject matter. The facilitators will share their knowledge and then offer a time for Q&A. Connection Space is scheduled for Tuesdays and/or Thursdays, 1-2:30 p.m. (CT), as we can line up presenters. There is no need to register, just show up with your questions. See the Connection Space webpage for the schedule of upcoming calls, details on how to join us, and archives of past calls.
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Next Up:
- Tuesday, April 7: "Making Online Giving Easy," with Rev. Richard Bunch, Rev. Becky Whitehead, and Rev. Dale Worley
- Thursday, April 9: "Providing Support Through Times of Grief and Trauma," with Rev. Richard Carlini, Rev. Bill Englehart, and Randie Jacobs
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Overflowing Registrations! We are delighted with the level of participation in our online trainings and webinars! Thank you all for joining us in this process of learning and growing together. The success of these events has made it necessary to restrict registrations to 100 people. When this limit is reached, we will close registrations.
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UWM Overview. UWM is a service organization that supports credentialed Unity leaders and ministries. This training reviews the array of resources and services that are available through UWM. It also provides an opportunity for Unity leaders to cultivate relationships with UWM staff. Once you are enrolled in UWSI, you can register for this course. Registration closes on April 3, 2020. Late registrations will not be accepted. (Five CEUs are available.) There is no suggested love offering for this one. Live sessions will be held on Tuesdays, April 7–May 19, 2020, 2-4 p.m. (CT).
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Online Book Study: How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going. We are living in a liminal period—an in-between period. We have one foot in what has been and the other foot in what will be. Susan Beaumont’s book brings rich insight and collective practices for opening ourselves to what is seeking to emerge. Let’s explore together and harvest our collective wisdom. This study will be held on Tuesdays, April 21–June 2, 2020, 6-8 p.m. (CT). Registration closes on Friday, April 17, 2020, 11:45 p.m. (CT). (No late registrations will be accepted.)
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The Road to Inclusion: Outreach. What if you stopped thinking of diversity as a problem to fix or a challenge to conquer? Bring your mission statement to class. Tracy Brown, RScP, will show you a basic road map for identifying and reaching your diversity-related target groups. Register by Sunday, April 19, 2020, 11:45 p.m. (CT). This session meets April 21, 2020, 1:30-3 p.m. (CT), and qualifies for diversity/inclusivity CEUs. Registration is limited to 100. Late registrations will not be accepted. Login link will be emailed out the day before the webinar.
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Sexual Misconduct and the Spiritual Person Persona. In this webinar, we will look at UWM’s latest Code of Ethics (revised 2018) and how it encourages the personal and spiritual development of ourselves as Unity credentialed leaders, as well as Unity noncredentialed leaders who serve in a ministerial capacity. We will discuss a scenario for encouraging a healthy Unity community response when an allegation of sexual misconduct is made against a Unity noncredentialed leader. The suggested love offering is $35. This webinar is offered twice. (Ethics Credit)
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Dance of Triangles. We all dance with emotional triangles on a regular basis. They are a common pattern in the fabric of relationships. You may have attempted to deal with this by telling people not to triangulate. However, it seems they don’t listen, the pattern continues, and things become more and more entangled. Register by Friday, April 24, 2020. Late registrations will not be accepted. Class limit is 50. (Five CEUs are available.) Suggested love offering: $140.
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The Three Phases of Ministry. A minister’s journey with a ministry comes in three phases: the application process, service to the ministry, and the goodbye. This course is intended for seminary students close to ordination or ministers in the field interested in any one or all three phases of the journey. Register by Friday, May 1, 2020. Late registrations will not be accepted. Class limit is 100. (Five CEUs are available, fulfilling your ethics/boundaries and/or professional development credit.) Suggested love offering is $105. Live Collaborate sessions are held on Thursdays, May 7, 14, and 21, 2-4 p.m. (CT).
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Emotional and Spiritual Development Guide. Part of our Leadership Development Guides series, this guide provides a road map for Unity spiritual communities to effectively guide current members and newcomers in developing the consciousness and skills of emotional and spiritual maturity. This guide shares a process for meeting people where they are spiritually and emotionally. It supports them from learning Unity basics through their evolution/transformation. These guides are free to UWM members.
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Connect
Providing Resources and Opportunities for Unity Leaders
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Transitions
Carol B. Simpson, LUT (licensed 2003), passed away in Tomball, Texas, on March 17, 2020. She had served as a licensed teacher at Unity Spiritual Center of North Idaho, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Send condolences to her beloved husband of 58 years, Reed Simpson, 13115 Mercer Drive, Tomball, TX 77375. We surround Carol in prayers of gratitude for her years of devotion to Unity.
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Changes
The last day that Mark Hicks, LUT (licensed 2009), served as the spiritual leader at Unity Center of Christianity in Baltimore, Maryland, was March 22, 2020.
Rev. Baine Palmer (ordained 1986) is the new minister at Unity by the Bay, Annapolis, Maryland, as of March 14, 2020.
Rev. Richard Rogers (ordained 1988) started as the minister at Unity of Prescott, Arizona, on April 1, 2020.
Celebrations
Rev. Lori Hisson is retiring (yes, again) from Unity of London (UofL), Ontario, Canada. Easter Sunday will be her last service (by Zoom). She has been involved with UofL since 1994; first retired in October 2015 and returned for the last two years. Rev. Lori was ordained through the Field Licensing Program in 2006. She currently serves on the Unity Canada Board of Directors. While she is "leaving the building," she takes everyone with her in her heart. Congratulation, Lori, and enjoy your retirement!
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 A listing of all current openings for ministers and ministry personnel can be found at UnityWorldwideMinistries.org/openings. No login is needed. Send questions/comments about ministry employment to Carrie Kenyon or Diane Pletcher. Ministry staffing, status changes, and transitions are available online.
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IYOU Event Registration Extended. To accommodate the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, we have extended the registration postmark date for the IYOU (International Youth of Unity) Event to May 31, 2020, at $600 without penalty. The IYOU Event focuses on the theme of “Illuminate” from July 12–16, 2020. Join us for a week of deepening spiritual practice and connection with YOUers from around the world, while we explore the power of our Spirit to illuminate our way in the world! Come let your Light shine!
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Last Call: Apply for the Green Star Award! The EarthCare ministry team is accepting applications until April 15, 2020. Visit the EarthCare webpage or click here to download the application. What has your spiritual community been doing to protect our planet Earth?
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emPower Music Festival Has Been Rescheduled. The new dates are October 28–November 1, 2020. See the emPower Music & Arts website for details. Your registration will be moved to that date unless a refund is requested. $40 will be deducted as an administrative fee. Your hotel reservations will also be moved and held for the new dates.
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Unity World Headquarters
at Unity Village
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Update on the Silent Unity Prayer Ministry. To comply with local guidelines in place for COVID-19, the Silent Unity® prayer ministry is going remote! Starting Tuesday, March 24, phone prayer hours will be from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. (CT) at 816-969-2000. Outside those hours, you may submit prayer requests anytime via Facebook, our uPray app, or unity.org. Prayer associates continue to hold prayer vigil 24/7 from their home.
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Event Changes and Updates. Due to the uncertainty related to COVID-19, many events at Unity Village have been postponed or the information updated. Your safety is our highest priority. Please check our events calendar regularly for updates and feel free to email Customer Care with any questions.
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New Prayer Cards. Share the transformative power of prayer with a set of five beautifully designed Pray It Forward prayer cards, free from Unity. The cards feature affirmative prayers to encourage and inspire. They’re a lovely way to let others know their concerns and requests are being held in prayer. Download or request an individual set, or order in bulk by calling Customer Care at 816-251-3571 or emailing wholesaleaccts@unityonline.org.
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 Don’t Forget! Be sure you are signed up to receive Postcards from the Village. The monthly email is packed with updates for Unity ministers and LUTs, from the Unity World Headquarters Executive Team. Request Postcards from the Village for complete and timely updates: postcards@unityonline.org.
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