GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER SERVICES
Rev. brenda will be offering a sacred Good Friday service this year on Friday, April 2, at 7 p.m. On Easter Sunday, our own Unity Spirit Choir and Band will perform during the service. Please join us for these two spiritually fulfilling experiences and bring your family and friends!
MARCH FOOD DRIVE ANNOUNCED
Spiritual Social Action Outreach is sponsoring a nonperishable food drive during March to benefit the HACAP Food Reservoir. HACAP provides food for many local food pantries and low-income food programs. They are so grateful for your continuing support. Let's challenge ourselves to bring at least one food item each time we come to church this month!
QUARTERLY CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
The quarterly congregational meeting will be held on Sunday, April 25, following the 10 a.m. service.
SWEETHEART DINNER/TALENT SHOW IS GREAT SUCCESS
The Second Annual Sweetheart Dinner & Talent Show was another great success! The event raised over $3,000 and included a tithe to Flood Them With Love, an organization started by Karla Goettel to help with flood relief.
Cindy Hathaway, the brainchild of this great event, wishes to thank everyone who helped in any way, from setting up, cooking, serving and cleanup for the dinner to assisting with the silent auction by donating items or services to set up and tear down. A big appreciation goes to those of you who bid in the silent auction as well.
A note of thanks to caricature artist Dick Butschi who donated his time and raised $135 for UnityCR; Judy Junge who designed the poster; Beth Parker for printing the posters and tickets; and to the blessed ones who helped sell tickets before and after the Sunday services.
As for the Talent Show, thank you to Nina Swanson for her tireless work to organize, plan, rehearse and overall make everyone sound wonderful; to each of you who shared your talents (on the stage or behind the scenes); our terrific band of Nina, Ron James, Gary Matthews and Nick George, and to those who attended and gave so generously through your love offering.
We are deeply grateful to the following individuals who graciously gave many hours of their time to make certain this year's event was outstanding: Nancy and Katie Andreasen, Chloe Brigl, Nancy Dearborn, Bill Graham, Jim and Pat Healy, Sue Jorgenson, Kim Killian, Robyn Krell, Sandy McCright, Glady McMellor, Ann and Ken Rinehart, Pat Schomburg, Tracey Supplee, Kaeleah Swore, Cindy Thompson, and Rochelle Turkal.
SPRING UNITY 101 CLASS UNDERWAY
Our early spring Unity 101 class began Sunday, Feb. 28, and meets in the Strong Classroom from noon to 2 p.m. for four consecutive Sundays, ending on March 21. If you are a current member and want to learn more about Unity basics, please attend. If you are a congregant who is curious about Unity basics, please attend. If you've been considering joining UnityCR, your attendance is required for membership status. You may register for the class by calling the UnityCR office at 393-5422. We will welcome our new members in a March 28 ceremony held during the Sunday service.
LEARN MORE ABOUT UNITY TEACHINGS IN UNITY 102
Do you have questions about just what is Unity and what we believe? Feel like you desire to better understand the basic Unity teachings? Join the Unity 102 class, led by Licensed Unity Leaders Susan Liddell and Jan Griffith. This is a four-week series that starts March 6, from noon to 2 p.m. We will discuss key Unity concepts, including the Five Principles, Twelve Powers, Prayer and Meditation, Metaphysics and Metaphysical Bible Interpretation. We will use several texts, "Simple Truth" by LaFolla, "Alternatives" by Fischer and "Five Principles" by Debenport. Please join us. Questions? Contact Susan at liddelles@aol.com and/or Jan at janithsg@aol.com.
UNITYCR TO EXPLORE NEW EARTHCARE MINISTRY
UnityCR is exploring the possibility of joining in a new ministry of the Unity Association's Spiritual Social Action Ministry: Unity's EarthCare International (UECI), or EarthCare, for short. You are invited to attend an organizational meeting Sunday, March 28, after brunch. Interested volunteers and representatives of UnityCR's various ministries are invited. If there is enough interest, a proposal for a new ministry team will be submitted to the UnityCR Board of Trustees on April 20.
Ministry team leaders: Please discuss with your teams how you could participate. To 'be green' we are encouraging everyone to view, rather than print out, the brochure and Congregational Program online.
MARTHA CREEK TO VISIT UNITYCR
Martha Creek, a certified facilitator of the teachings of Byron Katie, will be at UnityCR April 23-25. She will facilitate leadership development with our board and ministry team leaders from 6-9 p.m., Friday, April 23. On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., she will lead the ministry team leaders through "Healthy Congregations and Family Systems Theory." Martha will be our guest speaker during the 10 a.m. Sunday service and will offer a workshop for congregants from 1 to 3 p.m., focusing on Byron Katie's "The Work." To register, contact the church office at (319) 393-5422.
For more information about Martha Creek, visit marthacreek.net. For information about Byron Katie, visit thework.com. Questions about Martha's visit? Contact Susan Liddell at liddelles@aol.com.
REV. BRENDA'S SPRING CLASS SET - SAVE THE DATE!
Rev. brenda's Spring class series is scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 6 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.This class will be a five-week series, so please reserve mark your Thursday evenings from May 6 through June 3. Watch the April e-newsweekly for further details.
WEDDINGS
We celebrate congregants Jill and Finn Meadows, who were married in Hawaii on Dec. 30, 2009, and then had a family ceremony on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14. The former Jill Vibhakar and Finn Klein chose "Meadows" as their new last name.
TRANSITIONS
Our prayers go out to longtime congregants Dayle Berggren and Cindy Hathaway whose father, Paul McCright, made his transition on Wednesday, January 6.
Our prayers go out to board member, Paula Land, whose father-in-law, Fred Bjornson, made his transition on January 25. Fred's son, Sig, was the architect for the original part of our building. We also hold his wife Jeanne in prayer.
We bless congregant Betty Johnston who made her transition on January 30.
Our prayers go out to board member Beth Parker, whose mother Milda "Millie" Grace Baker made her transition Feb. 15.
UPCOMING MUSIC
March 7: Unity Spirit Choir and Band
March 14: Tracy Price, vocalist
March 21: Profound Sound Quartet from Harmony Hawks
March 28: KCRG news anchor Ashley Hinson, violin
April 4: Unity Spirit Choir and Band
April 11: Dr. Oleg Timofeyev and Vadim Kolpakov, Russian guitar, vocals
April 18: Deborah Kennedy, vocalist
April 25: Beaucoup Shakit (Sharon Bousquet and Heather Love
MINISTRIES OF THE MONTH
PRAYER
For over a century, prayer has been the heart of the Silent Unity ministry and the basis of the Unity movement. Many options are available for prayer support. Our mission for the entire Prayer Team is to uphold and maintain the prayer consciousness for Unity Center. Jan Griffith, Licensed Unity Leader, is the Prayer Team liaison. Please contact her if you have questions about any of the ministries at janithsg@aol.com or (319) 389-0706.
Here are the six teams that make up our Prayer Ministry:
PRAYER TREE REQUESTS
Place in prayer box at front of sanctuary or call Unity Cedar Rapids, (319) 393-5422, or contact Audrey and Verne Eggleston, Prayer Tree Ministry Team Leaders, at (319) 377-0283 or via email at audreyverne@gmail.com. Prayer requests are shared via an email chain using first names only. Prayer requests are held in prayer 30 days and then mailed to Silent Unity where they are held in prayer for another 30 days.
PRAYER ROOM
Located off the sanctuary for private or group prayer any day of the week. Each Sunday different members of the prayer team are present for prayer support for our congregants.
ENCOURAGING WORD
Dayle Berggren leads this important ministry. You may listen to Dial-an-Encouraging-Word 24 hours a day by calling (319) 393-6837.
CIRCLE OF HEALING PRAYER COMPANIONS
The following are trained by Unity ministers to be Healing Prayer Companions for Unity Cedar Rapids: Dayle Berggren, Stuart Bohling, Janith Griffith (chair), Susan Liddell, Phil Petersen, Rose Petersen, Susan Primrose,Tom Zimmerman, Deb Breeden, Barb Buchanan, Josh Haun, Kaye Hennessey. We work together to provide the power of group affirmative prayer to guide, balance, and transform all areas of people's lives.
The group meets on the first Sunday of each month from 9-9:30 a.m. in the Purple Prayer Room. For longer healing prayer appointments contact Jan. If you desire a quiet space for prayer and meditation before Sunday services, join one of the companions each Sunday morning from 9-9:30 in the Purple Prayer Room.
The Healing Prayer Companions, per request of the minister and the board, facilitate quarterly services: World Day of Prayer in September, Thanksgiving Eve in November, and special services in the spring and summer.
PASTORAL CARE VISITORS
This is our newest prayer ministry. Ten members take turns being on call so that someone is available each day to respond to requests for health care visits, bereavement visits, and nursing home and hospice visits. Home visits will be added soon. Contact Jan for calls or visits. A spring update meeting is planned. If you are interested in serving, please contact Jan.
MEDITATION CIRCLE
Meditation is offered Wednesday from 6-6:30 p.m. in the chapel. A member of a facilitator group rotates each week to lead the meditation.
MEMBER PRAYER CONTACT
Each congregant receives a quarterly phone call and an opportunity to share their personal prayer requests with the prayer team. This team will be meeting this spring to update and train new members. If interested, please contact Jan.
MARCH BIRTHDAYS
Marie Land 4
Belinda Springfield 8
Pat Healy 9
Jim Cline 11
Connie Kahl 11
Sue Ellen Perkins 11
Charles Thurston 13
Ann Wright 16
Pam Polglaze 17
Susan Liddell 19
Linda Fox 19
Shirley Hammes 22
Ann Kinney 22
Elayne Fisher 23
Scott Miller 23
Morgan Land 25
Dorothy Gee 25
Sharon Truen 25
Kit Hersey 25
Penny Bess 26
Tom Zimmerman 29
Sydney Marie Cira-Debban 30
Sue Anderson 30
Stephanie Fox 30
APRIL BIRTHDAYS
Angie Weiland 2
Marsha Brandt 3
LeAnn Hassman 3
Tom Marks 3
Barb Carter 5
Judie Walton 6
Dana Dippery 8
Ericka Maynard 8
Nikkole Curtis 9
Ron Macal 11
Vince Woodson 13
Kaden Carter 13
Julia Schultz 17
Matthew Nurre 19
Judy Junge 19
Cathy Metsch 20
Mada Jones 26
Marcy Brammer 26
Jamie Lynn Nash 28
Rose Meer 29
Ashley Rinderknecht 29
Kaylee Swore 30
