 |
||||||
|
||||||
|
 |
|||||
|
June 2005 Beloved Friends, Our trip to Honduras was a very moving and transforming experience. I wish to share my gratitude with each of you who helped with your donations and prayer support for this Mission of Love. Reverend Diane Plamondon and George Cushing join me in thanking you for all of that you gave to help this mission be a great success. I often read of and hear about “mission work.” I have been skeptical in the past about whether these efforts really make a difference. I saw clearly on our trip the power of God and how God uses each of us, in our own way, to help each other to heal and reclaim the innocence of truly being and living as a child of God. We had experience after experience on the trip that was only explainable through the active presence of Spirit. The joy was in seeing the children of Sister Rosa Maria’s many projects. They had a joy and a happiness that I wish I could bottle and bring to each of you. They appreciated every aspect of life. To see people empowering people, choosing to help one another is very uplifting. One of my favorite memories I will treasure is when we gave the pillowcases our church created to the children. These little ones eyes lit up when they saw them. They ran to get their pillows to have us help them to put them on. They opened their hearts to us and gave us huge hugs. That evening I understood more clearly about the ministry of Jesus Christ. “Let the little children come unto me.” Truly the children show us what it means to be in the presence of God. The trip was a success. The tools we took helped their Carpentry Shop reorganize and recreate itself so that it can continue to support other micro enterprises. People helping people. People loving one another. Was this not the great commandment of Christ? Thank you to each of you. I trust that God will continually reveal to you the way in which you are to share of your abundance. Let that sharing be done with joy and gratitude! P.S. Happy Father’s Day, Dad! In Christ Love, MARK'S MUSINGS Spring and fall happen to be my two favorite times of year here in South Texas. A big reason I love them so much is due to the weather. The weather relative to other parts of the country is most ideal in those two seasons; with summer being too hot and winter not cool enough (I was born in upstate New York). The weather also affects how often I get out into nature, and one of the best ways I do this is by going camping, preferably at one of many state parks in Texas. The reason I love to get into nature is that no matter what I do, I am confronted and eventually struck with awe at God’s magnificence through one of his creatures. This past weekend we made a quick trip to Huntsville State Park, which is only ninety minutes from our area and has boating, canoeing, swimming and horseback riding, as well as many trails and putt-putt golf. Ryan brought a friend for the weekend, so we all decided to go boating in the afternoon. The kids took the two-man boat that you pedal like a bicycle. Amy and I took a canoe. During that hour we came up to a marshy shore, and Amy pointed out a Heron to our right. Herons are interesting to me because of their spindly legs and their big gullet, in which they may catch and store many fish. We came up for a closer view, and that was when I felt the awe of God – just looking at this Heron and his magnificence and to top it all off, as we approached, the Heron decided to fly to another part of the marsh and we saw its wingspan and body feathers, which revealed another aspect of the heron. I saw him differently after that. So again, thank you God for all of your beautiful creatures, and invite each of you to take time to “Be still, and know that I am God…” in your favorite way! Mark Groblewski BOARD TALK The Board authorized purchase of a $15,000 CD for the Building Fund utilizing money from the Allstate investment account and income generously donated by The Artist’s Way class. May’s tithe will be evenly divided between SCUCA and Unity of the Eastern Shore in Daphne, Alabama. Income for April was less than the previous month, but donations were near budget projections. In appreciation for his continuing outstanding leadership, the Board voted a 3% salary increase for the coming year to Rev. Steve. We are blessed by his guidance and loving presence among us. After prayerful consideration, the Board voted to support two Unity ministerial students for the next two years, beginning July 2005. Our own Janie Kelley and a randomly-chosen ministerial student each will receive $100 per month. These gifts will be part of our regular tithe. Mark Groblewski donated a scanner for the front office to replace the defunct one. Thanks, Mark! You may have noticed a reduced glare in the sanctuary recently. Rev. Steve has made and installed solar screens for several windows in the sanctuary and has plans to install screens on more of the windows. We’ll benefit from lower electricity bills as a result. The Board has assumed responsibility for dealing with the excessive noise from our neighbor. Board members are scheduled to be present on our church premises to report incidents of excessive noise until the problem is resolved. We are pleased to welcome into Full Membership: Kimberley Cormier Happy Father's Day! Sunday June 19, 2005 Remember your Father today in a special way! YOUTH ED Recently, there was a wonderful blessing for a child in our monthly devotional, the Daily Word: “God is continually blessing you, dear one, with guidance, insight, and energy for every day as you grow and mature. You have the God-given ability to make a positive difference in our world, and I know you are now and you will continue to do so in the future. I see the brightness of anticipation shining in your eyes and know this is a reflection of God’s radiant light within you. God blesses you with the wisdom to make wise choices and the inspiration to fulfill your dreams. You are a precious child of God with your own talents, vision, and understanding – a child who is so welcome in our world and so vital to it!” I could see this so clearly for and in our children. Yet it also reminded me that I am a child of God and I want to become more child-like in my faith and trust in God. I want to live every day with this attitude and knowingness, yet also maintain my adult responsibilities. Bringing this continued awareness into my life seems an impossible task until I remember to ask God to help me and to continually be a conscious part of my daily activities and living. With God, all things are truly possible! This also inspired one of our teachers to discuss the possibility of creating a booklet, similar to Daily Word, yet in language our children could relate to more easily. We both agreed that it would probably bless each of us as well as being a blessing for our children. This sounds like a great project for our Youth Ed ministry! Would you like to help? Youthful Blessings…Chris Bennett A NOTE FROM Reverend Diane… I am excited to be able to be with you in June as guest minister for two Sunday services. Reverend Steve is traveling to our yearly Association of Unity Conference and then on to Tahoe, Nevada for a week’s vacation. These services will be uplifting and transforming, exploring the simple steps that are outlined in the Bible that can lead us to our own Promised Land! Egypt is the metaphysical symbol for negativity. We may sometimes visit Egypt, but we don't have to stay there. Do you have a challenge letting go of old ideas about yourself and how you "should" be? Would you like to let go of negativity, forgive yourself and set your feet on a new path? The story of Moses in the Old Testament leading the children of Israel out of Egypt on a journey to the Promised Land is really the story of our own life journey. When we can change our thoughts the darkness disappears and the Promised Land comes in view. You will be inspired by this life-changing service. The story of Moses and the children of Israel shows us that barriers to the Promised Land have to be overcome in our own minds before anything can happen. The Bible reveals to us the secret to obtaining our own Promised Land by doing our personal groundwork. You can do it and God will help! Find out how we can be assured that "nothing is impossible with God". It is all in the Bible, our manual for living. The steps are simple and the way is clear. Be with us as we arrive in the Promised Land. TREASURER’S REPORT April 4/1/05 – 4/30/05 General Fund Income $ 13,832.49 Expenses - 16,684.60 Net General Fund Income $ - 2,852.11 Building Fund Income + 185.00 Total Income $ -2,667.11 Building Fund (CDs & investments) $ 81,000.00 Unity Church of the Bay Area's tithe for April was $1,371.46. It was blessed and $685.73 sent to Unity Church of Clearwater, Florida, and $685.73 sent to Unity School of Christianity. Your continued financial support allows our church to grow and flourish and carry the message of positive, practical Christianity in the Bay area. LOVE IN ACTION TEAM NEWS Our Love in Action Teams are the heartbeat of our ministry. Our church relies upon the loving service we each share. Not only is it a blessing to us all, giving in this way is fun! It is a wonderful way to connect and get to know the people in our church. If you would like to join one of our many teams, you can do so easily at church. Forms are available in the gathering Room to add your name to our teams. Below are some team updates! The church Bookstore and Library teams would each enjoy having a few more volunteers. We have a nice lending library in the Gathering Room and are creating a team to help coordinate it. Please contact the church office at 281-334-9114 or Dianna Marion at 281-996-0508. Our Outreach team has coordinated several community projects in the past. We are looking for a team leader who can gather our energy to look for projects and ways we can serve in our greater community. Are you interested? Call Gayle McFadden at 713-910-3056 or Dianna Marion at 281-996-0508. UNITY CHAPLAINS "For where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst." Our church has a Chaplain team that is available to assist you! They support the prayer ministry of our church. The Chaplains have been trained to pray with others, following a model similar to Silent Unity - to listen, hold sacred space with you and pray. They are available for personal prayer with you after Sunday services. They also make monthly wellness calls, touching base with you to pray with you. If you would like to be added to our monthly Chaplain wellness call list or desire prayer during the week, call the church office at 281-334-9114. We'll add you to our call list or have a chaplain return your call for prayer. This powerful spiritual resource is open to everyone. MOVIE TIME! The Thursday afternoon A Course in Miracles group will sponsor a daytime showing of the film “What the Bleep Do We Know” on Thursday June 16th at 1:00 p.m. in the Angel Wing of the Church. Soft drinks and popcorn will be provided. Time will be available after the film for discussion and conversation. All are invited! SUNDAYS IN JUNE June 5, 2005 June 12, 2005 The Open Door! June 19, 2005 The Way Out of Egypt is to Let Go! June 26, 2005 The Way to the Promised Land is to Do Our Part and Let God! Rev. Diane Plamondon, Ph.D. Answered Prayers! My parents shared a beautiful home on a lake where they had retired and moved to years earlier. After my stepfather's death, Mom decided to sell the lake house and find a small home closer to her children. My stepfather, Rex, died very unexpectedly in a flashflood and did not leave a written will. Because of this, my oldest stepbrother, Andy, would have to sign off on the sale of my mother's home. After explaining the situation to Andy, he asked that we send him the papers to him for his signature. He had no emotional connection to the home. He had only visited one time in the years they lived there. The very next day, Andy called my mother. He had a "memory flash" and remembered that during that one visit years before, Rex had promised that he (Andy) could have the lake house upon Rex's death and that he had spoken to his attorneys in California and would be filing papers to stop the sale of his home. Mom was devastated. We spoke to lawyers here who said all we could was wait and allow this to play out in court. She could not sell the home without his agreement and he was not agreeing. My brothers and sister and I talked that afternoon. We agreed that prayer was our only avenue. The four of us and my mother prayed for Andy, that God's love in Andy would allow him to see what he was doing and know that it was wrong. The next morning, Andy called back again. This time, we could hear the difference in the tone of his voice as he tried to speak without sounding like he was crying. He apologized for any heartache he had caused the day before. He told us that he was mistaken, that the conversation giving him the house did not take place. He signed the papers we had sent two days earlier and the sale of the home went through without another bump in the road. Prayer worked....again. Unity of the Bay Area Treasures I tried to lay ahold of it, to learn from whence it flew. MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW FOR… Unity Church of the Bay Area HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP! We are planning silent and live auctions! We are seeking donations for the auctions and are asking each person to help by obtaining at least one donated item or service with a minimum value of $50. Do you know anyone who might be willing to donate a large item such as airline tickets, cruise tickets, TV, etc.? All donations are tax-deductible, and the church will provide thank you letters for tax purposes. Listed below are our committees and chairpersons. Together we can create a magnificent celebration that honors the Tenth Anniversary of our church and helps to forward our Building Fund. Contact them if you wish to help! Auction Acquisitions - Scott Sartorius - 281-250-3696 Silent Auction Organization - Chris Bennett - 281-339-2096 Registration & Tickets - Barb Clemons - 281-282-0195 Decorations - Sylvia Hicks - 281-326-3334 Entertainment - Michael Goldreyer - 281-334-4911 Your newsletter contributions are welcome! Please submit them to the church office or e-mail them to info@unityofbayarea.org by the 15th of each month. We ask that articles not exceed 300 words, and ask that Answered Prayers articles be between 150-200 words if possible. Our goal is to share your articles in newsletters as soon as possible.
|
||||||
