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APRIL 2008“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.” 1 Timothy 1:12 Beloved Friends, The great philosopher William James once wrote, “People can alter their lives by altering their attitudes.” The remodeling of our church has been a spiritual experience. The blessings of the transformation have been wonderful. At times it has seemed like living in an upside down world with the moving of cabinets and supplies and office equipment. In the midst of seeming disorder, Divine Order always keeps us on track. A special thank you to Carla, who has kept the office flowing smoothly through this time of constant change Paul Hoggatt and Rick Flynn have helped to oversee the process with our contractor and his team to keep up with any last minute changes. Gratefulness stays foremost in my mind. Each moment gives us a choice in our attitude towards the experience we find ourselves in. I have chosen to make this time a grand adventure! The Koh-i-noor diamond is among the most spectacular in the world. Queen Victoria received it as a gift from a maharajah when he was a boy. Later as a grown man this maharajah visited Queen Victoria. He requested that the stone be brought from the Tower of London to Buckingham Palace. The maharajah took the diamond and, kneeling before the Queen, gave it back to her, saying, “Your Majesty, I gave this jewel when I was a child, too young to know what I was doing. I want to give it to you again in the fullness of my strength, with all of my heart and affection, and gratitude, now and forever, fully realizing all that I do.” Conscious thankfulness can become a way of life. It is the pathway to inner peace and greater realization of the wondrous gifts our Creator has given us. It opens our eyes, both human and spiritual, to even greater abundance when we consciously appreciate everything in our lives. God already knows our innermost thoughts. To take gratitude and give it life by lovingly helping others is the most profound way to thank God for the precious gift of life. Henry Ward Beecher once wrote, “If one should give me a dish of sand and tell me there were particles of iron in it, I might look for them with my eyes and search for them with my clumsy fingers and be unable to detect them. But let me take a magnet and sweep through it and now would it draw to itself the almost invisible particles by the mere power of attraction. The unthankful heart, like my finger in the sand, discovers no mercies. But let the thankful heart sweep through the day and as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings, only the iron in God’s sand is gold!” This month I celebrate having served you for seven years. They say it takes a whole church to raise a minister. Eric Butterworth speaks more clearly than I ever could what I feel. “A grateful heart will always attract to itself in one way or another, through human hands, or through wonder-working ways, the great things needed to solve the particular situation. It is an outworking that you can stake your life on.” You are the gold in my life, and in our church, and I am blessed and thankful for each of you! In Spirit and in Truth, Reverend Stephen P. Horn CALLING ALL PAINTERS! Each Saturday in April at 9 a.m. we are painting the inside of the church. As each room is finished, our contractor adds texture. We need several people each week to help tape, paint and finish our rooms for use. It is beautiful to see the work already done. Please take time from your Saturday to help us complete this necessary project. Then we can add carpet and be complete! Bring spare brushes and rollers if you have them. Thank you God! THE ACTIVITIES TEAM PRESENTS: 2ND ANNUAL KITE FLYING CONTEST AND PICNIC Join us Saturday, April 12th, from NOON to 4 p.m. for our Kite flying contest and picnic at Bayshore Park in Bacliff as we did last year. Bring food and side dishes to share. Meat and drinks provided by the church. Bring a friend or two to join in the fun! Get those kites ready! WHAT: Picnic and Kite Flying Contest WHEN: Saturday, April 12, 2008 from Noon – 4 p.m. WHERE: Bayshore Park5437 W. Bayshore/FM 646 Bacliff, TX 77518 BRING: A covered dish to share, comfortable share, friends and a kite! Directions to park: RICK’S REFLECTIONS A little over a month ago I wrote that the wait for our build-out to start was over and construction had begun. What has happened in just over a month has been nothing short of amazing. The rooms for the teens, offices for Rev. Steve and Carla, and the copier room need only a few items to be finished. The portion of the sanctuary wall has been reconstructed, giving us much additional room in the sanctuary. The rooms for the new kitchen, bookstore, storage, second teen room, and the elementary area have all been put up. All these rooms are now in various stages of completion. I was thinking the other day about all of the contractors that were contacted to give us bids but never did. We have been truly blessed with the way we ended up with our contractor. Al Herring has been so wonderful to work with. He really has our best interests at heart. His positive caring attitude is always demonstrated in everything he says and does. All his employees have this same attitude. I can only believe that it was, again, God guiding us to have the contractor that was going to be best for us. What seemed to be discouraging in finding a contractor turned into the same blessings we have been receiving since Reverend. Diane Plamondon founded our church. The past couple Sundays Reverend Steve has reminded us that our church is not the building we are in but is all of us, the people of UCBA. The more we get to know and help each other, the more we are blessed by each other and are a blessing to each other. This past Saturday we had a painting “party”. It was such a joy to watch the people that came. Everyone was so helpful to one another, having such a good time with each other, laughing, sharing experiences, and working as a team, a community, as a church should be; just what Jesus taught us, to be giving and caring. I encourage you to be really involved with your church community. It’s worth it! Blessings to all, YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRYOur dreams and visions are now becoming a joyous reality! Our Youth & Family Ministry Wing is to be fully complete this month, sometime in the first two weeks of April. As I walked through the area, I could see our vision of classrooms with a nursery and bathroom being birthed before my very eyes. How wonder-full to have a space for each age group to meet and be spiritually loved and nurtured. We are going to have so much fun with our new space, creating a renewed energy and environment for our babies, children and teens. Thank you, God! And thank all of you who allowed God to express through you in helping financially to create this miracle for our youth! We are truly blessed. I know that God is good all the time, and I feel that God is especially good right now, blessing us with all things good. Each of us is a resource that can nurture and contribute to our youth as they evolve into the adults and leaders of tomorrow. All involved with Y&F Ministry are blessed and enriched by our children’s presence as they laugh, grow, play and love. As they learn from us, they in turn have much to teach us, reminding us of what we sometimes forget. The unconditional love of a child is a beauty to behold and experience. Their hugs fill your heart with joy and gladness. Thank you for entrusting your most precious ones with us as we create spiritual community together. We enjoyed making palm crosses on Palm Sunday and the Easter Egg Hunt. We are decorating our rooms with new creations. Please consider joining our fun as we explore new ideas and understanding through Bible stories through our wonderful Unity curriculum. Serving in our Youth & Family Ministry team may be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life. Rediscover your youthful spirit one or two Sundays a month as a class facilitator or assistant. Please call me at home on 281-339-2096, or leave a message in the church office if you are called to be a part of our exciting, vital and growing team. Youthful Blessings! GUEST SPEAKERS IN APRIL Reverend Steve is on vacation the last three weeks of April. He has lined up a great set of speakers to feed us spiritually during his vacation! April 13, 2008: Jerry Stefaniak ~ Loving Your Inner Brat April 20, 2008: Dr. Gary Arnold ~ Understanding Spiritual Healing Dr. Arnold will also be presenting a workshop in the afternoon, Creating Healing In Everyday Life - Workshop from 12:45–2:45 p.m. after light lunch provided by church for those attending. Workshop is free and open to the public; a love offering of $20 is suggested to the church. April 27, 2008: Jack and Jill Kastle ~ We’re All Bozos On The Same Bus Creating Healing In Everyday LifeSunday April 20, 2008 ~ 12:45-2:45 p.m. A Workshop with Dr. Gary ArnoldDr. Gary Arnold’s inspiration for The Creating Healing In Everyday Life workshop comes from his twenty-two year study and teaching of A Course in Miracles®. Dr. Arnold teaches that as a healer, there are spiritual and energetic demands. Understanding this initial demand and the principles of healing is crucial prior to understanding and preparing for healing others and ourselves. In the Creating Healing In Everyday Life workshop, author and teacher Gary Arnold shares his most valuable insights and recommendations for anyone interested in healing or being healed, including health care professionals, counselors, therapists, body-workers, students of ACIM, and anyone wanting to be a conduit to heal others. Dr. Gary Arnold presents a series of structured A Course In Miracles® training exercises, based on his 22 continuous years of teaching A Course In Miracles®, (19 continuous years in Louisiana). You too can learn to access Spirit and be a conduit for healing! TREASURER’S REPORT for FEBRUARY 2008 General Fund Income $ 17,502.65 Expenses -17,742.77 Net General Fund Income - 240.12 Building Fund Income + 0.00 Total Income $ - 240.12 Building Fund $ 150,910.56 Unity Church of the Bay Area's tithe for February was $1749.00. It was blessed and $874.50 each was sent to the Association of Unity Churches and 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. Thank you, and thank you God! TITHING AND SPIRITUAL GIVING Many people feel awkward when discussing the subject of spiritual giving. We have trouble fitting together the subjects of money and spirituality. Yet, unless we begin to see the relationship between these two seemingly unrelated things and find the role that spiritual giving has in life, it will be difficult for us to grow spiritually and deepen our relationship with God. Because of this awkwardness, most people do not give much thought to what they give their church. They simply give from what they have left over at the end of the week or what they can spare. Unfortunately, giving from what is left over is not the kind of giving that empowers us to draw even greater good into our lives. The principle is “as you give, so shall you receive.” And the question is: “Is God a first thought or an after thought in my finances?” The nature of God is Love and Infinite Expression. The world in which we live is the result of God’s unlimited desire to give to each of us. Giving and receiving is an integral part of our relationship with God – “give and it will be given back to you...” We must claim our abundance and demonstrate the flow of prosperity through giving and receiving. We come alive and enrich our relationship with God when we become givers, opening to the unlimited blessings that God has for us. On Sunday morning everything our Church has to offer is given away for free to everyone who attends. You can go to no other place and receive so much and not be charged for it. Even those who give nothing in return can leave with new information, personal insight, positive feelings and inspiration, having heard a meaningful message and enjoyed wonderful music. Those who give in return will leave with something more, however. They will also leave with the gift of growth and renewal because they did not merely witness the service they attended; they invested themselves and experienced it. We know there are those who really give what they can and that is a spiritual stretch for them. But there are many who could easily give more and do not. There are probably many reasons. Perhaps they think the Church has a wealthy benefactor. Maybe they’ve never thought about the direct link between what they give - or do not give - each week and the Church’s average monthly operating costs. Perhaps they figure somebody else is doing it, so they don’t have to. It is a significant turning point for a person when he or she decides to factor into their weekly budget a gift that reflects the value of the spiritual support and instruction they receive from their church and give accordingly. Spiritual growth is a function of our willingness to make a commitment. Tithing is a tool used successfully by many to learn the power of commitment and creating prosperity. Every time the offering bags go around at the Sunday service or we send in our monthly gifts, we have an opportunity to decide what our spiritual growth is worth to us. Our giving is a statement of the priority we place on our growth. Many people spend far more every week on entertainment, dining out and other activities than they spend on their spiritual growth. Where we put our money reveals our priorities, and we will never reach great spiritual understanding until such an understanding is our clear priority. Yes, we are grateful for every gift we receive. And we are especially grateful to those who have learned the joy of giving, those who practice the principle of tithing, and those who give much more than the average per person needed weekly to move forward. They make up the difference that makes our Church possible for us all. As you consider your support of our Church, remember that spiritual giving is actually a form of prayer. It is an opportunity to express our gratitude and open ourselves to receive greater abundance. You will benefit most from spiritual giving when you follow these simple suggestions: Seek Inner Guidance For Giving...When we rely on God, we can only be right! One can never out give God! Give Regularly...Make a personal commitment and keep it, not for the church but for yourself! Give Unconditionally...Give freely and joyously. “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Give More Than Just Money...Also give of your time and talent, and invest yourself in your spiritual home. Bless Every Gift...An attitude of gratitude is important. Giving in love nourishes you and the church. Feel Good About Giving...We are God’s reflections of peace, love and prosperity to the world! INCREDIBLE PROSPERITY WORKSHOP! THE FEEL FREE TO PROSPER PROGRAM Saturday, May 17, 2008, 1– 4 pm REGISTER NOW! The Feel Free to Prosper Program Will Change Your Life! Join us for an afternoon with renowned prosperity mentor Marilyn Jenett and learn the most powerful prosperity principles available in a single class. Receive the legendary lesson that has brought remarkable results to Marilyn’s students in two weeks or less! Make an investment in yourself! It will make a profound difference in your finances and in your life. You deserve to have your dreams and goals become Reality! And the church will prosper as well. The foundation of success is in your mind. You can use simplified mental and spiritual principles based on Universal laws and the subconscious mind to create and attract all the elements that ensure your success. Two weeks before the class, you will receive and begin applying, the simple, but powerful Lesson that has brought remarkable results to Marilyn’s students from around the globe. You may have already begun to manifest increased business, income or other surprises before we meet on the 17th. Marilyn will teach you to apply simple prosperity principles to make more money, attract unexpected income, increase your business or find the right job. These principles can be used to manifest unexpected “miracles” and create prosperity in all areas of your life – with increased creativity and spirituality! This is a profound shift that will last your lifetime if you will apply yourself and allow Marilyn to guide you. For this special afternoon, the room will be cozy and beverage service and light cheese/fruit buffet are included. Seating is limited, so reserve your space now! The fee for this special event is $125, an extraordinary discount from Marilyn’s regular fee. So please take advantage of this unique opportunity and invite family, co-workers and friends. There is a 100-person minimum attendance for this event, so please reserve your seat now! Registration ends April 30th. Click on the link below to register and reserve your space for this exciting seminar! Want to know more about Marilyn Jenett and this life-changing program?
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