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MINISTER’S LETTER”Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted…” Luke 4:1-2 Beloved friends, March is here and the weather is spectacular! I look around at the flowers blooming and the grass becoming greener and think of renewal. Isn’t it amazing that God knows exactly what we need and supplies it when we ask? Spring growth is exactly what I needed to see! It reminds me that God as Divine Order is always at work in the universe. The Omnipresence of is easily seen around us. New growth is important as well on our spiritual journey this month through Lent. Biblical studies these days have shown us that Lent is basically a church custom. The idea of Lent, however, has sound spiritual basis. Moses, Elijah and Jesus set a precedent for it. Each of these men observed a forty-day period of fasting and prayer as a preparation for the spiritual work that God had called them to. Moses, Elijah and Jesus were consistently seeking their own spiritual growth. The forty-day period was a wonderful means through which to accomplish this growth. Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai at the end of his fast. Elijah talked with God on Mt. Horeb at the conclusion of his fasting and prayer. And Jesus began his fast in the wilderness. Ancient Hebrew writers used numbers to symbolize ides. Forty was a foursquare number suggesting the idea of a foundation for something to follow, and idea of completeness. Even today, after a refreshing nap, I have heard people say the y have had “forty winks.” So, the number forty has been interpreted by Charles Fillmore and other mystical teachers to mean a sign of completion, the time it takes to prepare for that which is to come. And Jesus’ time in the wilderness was His time of preparation for the tremendous experience that was to follow. Lent can be a well-rounded, balanced retreat from things of the world for cleansing of the soul. It can be a very meaningful and exceptional season of preparation for Easter. It becomes a preparation for our own personal resurrection from of our soul from the darkness of its limitations, doubts and self-defeating beliefs into the light of understanding. Fasting from limiting, self-defeating thoughts that bring forth feelings of worry, fear and doubt will allow you to replace them with Christ-like thought of love, mercy and compassion. So I invite you to let your Lenten experience be one of transformation and transcendence. Rise above your comfort zone to find a higher consciousness, one which reflects the Truth of what God created you to be! In Spirit and in Truth, MICHAEL’S BLOGSometimes it is difficult for me to say “Yes.” I’m not talking about being agreeable. I’m talking about saying “Yes” to what life brings me. I have noticed how I feel when I say “No. This shouldn’t be happening?” I find I’m at my happiest and most productive when I say “Yes” to what life brings me rather than the “No’s” that I sometimes choose. I guess my goal is to be in balance with being able to be in integrity with saying either yes or no to decisions in life. I find my balance in life to be much more comfortable when I am flexible. I recognize that the openings I thought were doors were actually walls. Past experience has shown we that and often times I continue to try and go through the wall, and I’ve got the lumps to prove it. Thank God for new awareness! At Unity, we continue to grow, have people step up with suggestions and ideas for continued growth of our Church. As a Board, we take all ideas seriously. Your Board’s primary responsibility is to uphold the spiritual purpose of the community…to uphold in trust the highest interest of the membership in conducting the business of the ministry. We are entrusted to implement the mission and vision of UCBA in business matters concerning the church. All functions of the Board become a sub heading of our greatest responsibility – to you our membership. Our focus is on the common mission, what’s best for all concerned, the big picture and issues and ideas presented by members and attendees. I am proud to say we have a good variety of experience on our Board, each capable of reviewing each item of business and voting from their conscious connection with God. Our Board is not a “Yes” Board in following any one person’s opinion. We are blessed by the diversity of people on our Board. Normally our meetings are pretty lively and lately aren’t over until 10:00-11:00 p.m. We are currently completing evaluations of Reverend Steve and ourselves, looking at our performance and areas we can improve in our service to you. We are planning a Leadership workshop with excellent local consultants for the Board that will help each Board member to be of greater service. The next step is to offer a Workshop to the whole church community for those who wish to learn how to be a better leader. Such skills can be applied to every area of our lives. Studies have shown that churches grow when leaders step forward. Each of us is a leader! In closing, have you noticed the trees and grass starting to turn green? It must mean Spring and Easter are around the corner. I love this time of year! TREASURER’S REPORT for JANUARY 2009 General Fund Income $ 23,642.57 Expenses - 20,396.24 Net General Fund Income + 3,246.33 Total Income $ + 3,246.33 Unity Church of the Bay Area's tithe for January was $2,364.26. It was blessed and $591.06 each was sent to the Association of Unity Churches and Unity School of Christianity. $1,182.14 was sent to a sister Unity church, Unity Spiritual Center in Springfiels, Missouri in support of their ministry. Your continued financial support allows our church to flourish and carry the message of positive, practical Christianity in the Bay area. Thank you, and thank you God! UCBA WELCOMES BACK JIM MILES! We are excited to welcome back Jim Miles as our guest speaker on Sunday, March 8, 2008. He will be speaking on The Mystical Meaning of Lent. There will be one service this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Jim Miles, a former Jesuit, writer and public speaker holds a Master's degree in philosophy and has spent the last 28 years studying and teaching the esoteric and mystical traditions of the world's religions. We are blessed that he will again be with us to share an insightful, inspiring Message! LENTEN DAYSIn meditation, prayer, and praise, I celebrate my Lenten days In preparation to arise When dawn first lights the Easter skies. Dear Lord, in this quiet hour, Give me Your strength, Your love, Your power. Then, I too, shall be reborn, Renewed, refreshed, on Easter morn! By Florence A. Hawn YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRYOne of the greatest joys I have found as a part of UCBA’s Youth and Family Ministry for the past eight years is watching our kids grow over time. To watch them grow and unfold is incredible! Last December I had the pleasure of teaching a student I had met some six or seven years ago when he was a three-year old, literally diving under a table when I was substituting for Pre-school. He was so scared he didn’t come out for some 20 minutes. His family was going through challenging times and he was extremely shy. Fast forward to a few months ago - here I was having a lovely conversation with this confident, chatty boy, who is incredibly charming and graciously helped me assist the other classes that day. Recently I watched one of our preschoolers, way ahead of Dad, trotting up to his classroom as if he owned the place. He knows he belongs here, and has no fear any longer, and is happily engaged learning more about his true nature (which he already knows better than most adults!) I’ve even learned to speak “teenager-ese”, which I found challenging at first. But I soon learned that with consistency and caring, I could speak the language well. I was able to ask a single question and find out what was bothering a teen recently so we could address it, because of the trust and respect that has been built from learning the “language.” And even when I am deep into my “business mode” of getting things done as the Director of Youth and Family Ministry, the kids remind me of what’s most important. An adorable girl (also once shy) walked up to me while I was in a discussion, picked up my necklace from my neck and admired the beads. I gave it to her to wear for a while, and later before she left she gave me a hug and a “chap stick” kiss (melting my heart). This is why we are here – to contribute to and nurture the spiritual growth of our children – and it feels so satisfying and rewarding to do so! Thank you for your on-going support of our Youth and Family Ministry, including those of you who have so generously given to our “Giving Tree” in the Gathering Room. And a special thanks to our incredibly dedicated and loving teachers and assistants – the heart of our program. Talk to any of them about how rewarding teaching or assisting can be. We have lots of good experiences and stories we would enjoy sharing with you. In Love for our Kids, Amy Hart Groblewski, UCBA CHURCH DIRECTORY Now is your opportunity to be listed in the upcoming Unity of Bay Area Church’s directory. It has been several years since we have had an up-to-date directory and now we have the chance for an awesome one. Please don’t be left out. We would like for our Directory, for use by our congregation only, to be as complete as possible. This is a GOOD thing. It means you will be able to have correct, current information to contact others who attend our Church. Every Sunday in March, after the 10:30 service, someone will be available in the Gathering Room to take your picture for the Directory if you do not have a current snapshot. Please fill out a form listing your name, address, home phone, cell, and email address. The blank forms are located in the back of the Church on the information table. Return it either to the Church office or to Carol Curtiss, via email at captaincurtiss@comcast.net. We would like to complete our Directory this Spring. OUR UNITY BOOKSTOREWe have several new items in our Unity bookstore, including beautiful Easter Baskets for those who wish to give a friend a “special” visit from the Easter Bunny! You will find other great gifts and books in the Bookstore! UNIQUELY YOU @ UNITY Separate, but similar to our new Directory, is an in-house notebook that will give additional information about the people who go to our Church. When you fill out the information for the Directory, you also have the option to fill in additional information that will be listed in the “Uniquely You @ Unity” book that will be kept in the Gathering Room. This information is voluntary and you may list as much or as little as you want people to know about you. The book will be kept in our Church and information is not available to vendors. The picture that you submit for the Directory will be used unless you submit a different one. Looking for someone who reads the same kind of books you do? Check out the notebook. Looking for someone who likes to play cards? Check out the notebook. Looking for someone in your neighborhood to carpool to Church with? Well, you get the idea… Also, for those of us who forget names, you will be able to match a name with a face as we plan to have a picture of each person in “Uniquely You @Unity”. You can participate simply by filling out the bottom portion of the Directory information form that is in the back of the Church. Since the notebook is to be a three ring binder, it will be able to be updated with any newcomers, as well as changes in information. Come be a part of “Uniquely You @ Unity “ a great idea suggested and started by Carol Curtiss. You can contact her with any questions by e-mail at captaincarol@comcast.net or call the Church office with questions. TRASH BASH 2009 Once a year thousands of volunteers gather along the Texas waterways to do their part in cleaning up the environment and participate in the largest statewide event to educate the public about the importance of our water resources. This is even more important in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Unity Church of the Bay members are invited to participate in this wonderful outreach. Those who have participated in the past have shared their experiences of how meaningful it was to help our environment and make new friends. Each participant must sign a registration form, also known as the liability form, for the event. Registration is usually done at the cleanup site the day of the event. For more information about this important outreach, visit www.trashbash.org. There you can download information (Safety Information…what to wear) or to download and complete the registration form in advance. This is a wonderful opportunity to have an active presence in our greater community, helping to clean and restore our environment. Come join in the fun! Park under the Boat Ramp at Highway 146, Seabrook 8:30 am - 9:00 a.m. Registration at the Boat Ramp Site 9:00 am - 1:00 p.m. Debris Cleanup (see Safety Instructions) 1:00 p.m. Free lunch served by the Rotary Club, recognition of sponsors, exhibits to learn about our watershed, music entertainment, door prizes, souvenirs. Youth/scout activities to earn participation patch. Sign up at the Information Table or call the church (281-554-2450) if you wish to participate. Our goal is to have a Unity T-Shirt for all participants to wear!
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