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UnityCR September/October
2010 Newsletter
Editors: Jan Armentrout & Ann Scholl Rinehart
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Rev. brenda s. ehret  |
MINISTER'S MESSAGE
September
brings interesting thoughts for me-a sort of melancholy feeling that the "fun"
of summer wanes with each day as the sun sets a moment or two earlier than the
previous day. It brings me face to
face each year with my vow, "I'm really gonna play this summer!" Did I fulfill that pledge? Did I enjoy the lazy, hazy days of
summer? Did I play enough?
Then
there's the up side. The thought
of relief from summer's oppressive heat and humidity. The anticipation of cooler, even crisp, temperatures. The expectancy of brilliant fall colors
as Mother Nature does her miracle work once again. Each year I am grateful all over again to have the
privilege of living in the Midwest where change of season is a work of art.
As we
reflect on our summer's season, my earnest desire is that you look upon yours
with fondness. As we turn our
thoughts to the fall season, my hope is that you anticipate colorful
changes in your inner landscape as well as the outer. To assist in that endeavor, there will be plenty of Spirit
Activities to explore at UCR. We're offering our final Unity101 class of the year. If you're a newbie around here, this is
your invitation to dip your toe into the water and explore Unity's basic tenets.
We swing
into full gear when it comes to spiritual learning opportunities. Be sure to check out the articles in
this issue about our plethora of class offerings. There's something to satisfy nearly every appetite.
Our Board
of Trustees will be turning our attention to mindful preparation for
2011-putting together a prosperity plan, setting up a nomination team for board
elections at our January annual meeting and working out a contract to offer the
Senior Minister.
As we
continue our upward spiral of spiritual evolution the opportunities for
enhancing your personal spiritual journey abound. Remember, we are participants
in creating our Good. Join us
on the journey. We welcome you.
FROM OUR BOARD PRESIDENT
Glady McMellor
During the last couple
of months, the UCR Board of Trustees has completed a visioning process with the
guidance of Rev. brenda. The top three priorities that
surfaced are to:
· initiate UCR Community-based
visioning with possible links to the results of the spiritual
gifts inventories and the board vision.
· develop long-term financial
strategies to increase the resources to reduce the mortgage and to integrate
into the 2011
prosperity plan. Much will be built upon the recommendations of
the current financial task force.
· create a
nursery as part of a bigger plan for the youth and family program.
In the meantime, each
board member has committed to personally championing these and other activities. You will be hearing more about this as time goes by.
A nominating committee
will be developed for 2011 board nominees. We will have the fall
board retreat Oct. 29-30 and the quarterly CommUnity meeting on Oct. 31. Our
minister's contract is also due at that time. It will be a busy,
productive fall when much will be harvested. We always know that
Spirit guides us with ease and grace.
There is always an item
titled "What did you hear?" at our monthly board meetings. We
encourage you to talk with us so that we can know what is in your hearts and
minds. Keep in touch!
Centered in Spirit, the UnityCR Board of Trustees is a safe
place where we mindfully serve the congregation.
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FROM OUR PROSPERITY CHAIR
Jim Healy
The Financial Strategy Task Force will soon be making recommendations to
your Board of Trustees. The Task Force was asked to explore options for
assuring we have a strong financial base so we can continue to serve and grow
our church. These recommendations
will help the Board of Trustees as they develop the Prosperity Plan and
supporting budgets for 2011 and beyond.
In the coming months the Board will be sharing the recommendations with
you. They will also keep you
informed as to how they plan to respond to the recommendations. Your Board is keenly aware of
their responsibility to develop policies and practices that enhance our ability
to live our mission.
The Financial Strategy Task Force Members are Ray Dutchik, Elayne
Fisher, Babs Haggin-Roy, Jim Healy, Rich Moritz, Carl Swanson, Allan Thoms, and
Pamela York. Please find an
opportunity to thank them for the time and talent they have contributed to this
much-needed process.
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| OUTREACH |  |
For
information, or to assist with any of the following activities, please contact
Gail Kidd at 812-332-6574.
ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY
Adopt-a-Highway will take place Saturday, Oct. 2. Volunteers will meet at the church
for coffee and carbs at 8:30 a.m. and begin cleanup at 9.
CIRCULATION
DAYS
We will host Circulation Days from 8 a.m. to
4 p.m., Oct. 14 and 15. Set up will be from noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct.13.
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| MUSIC |  |
Sept. 19:
Doug Jackson & the Unity Spirit Choir & Band
Sept. 26:
Janelle Lauer, vocalist
Oct. 3:
Angie
Kosirog, guitar/vocals
Oct. 10:
Janine Ambrose
Oct. 17:
Unity
Spirit Choir and Band
Oct. 24:
Shawndell
Young, vocalist
Oct. 31:
Amy 'n' Adams, guitar and vocals
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CD RELEASE PARTY
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Beaucoup Shakti (Sharon Bousquet and Phoenix Jordan, formerly Heather
Love) will kick off the release of their new CD with a CD release party on
Sunday, Sept. 19, starting at 12:30.
"How Spirit Sings" is a collection
of songs written by Bousquet to perform at Unity centers across the country.
The CD also includes a popular Rumi-inspired piece by Michael Green,
"Night Full of Talking."
The CD was recorded by Unity's own sound
engineer, Ken Rinehart.
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PET BLESSING
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If you've got a furry (or not-so-furry) critter,
please bring it to our pet blessing to be held on the grounds near the UnityCR
pond and meditation garden on Sunday, Oct. 3 after the
10 a.m. service.
This
short-and-sweet ceremony is a time for us to gather with our pet friends to
bless their well-being and express our gratitude for the unconditional love
they share with us.
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SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS
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Robin Schuster 1
Jennifer Cira-Debban 2
Joshua Haun 6
Stuart Bohling 7
Phillip Peterson 7
Sheri Mealhouse 8
Cindee Zobac 9
Diane Hathaway 9
Denise Houlahan 11
Wayne Tate 15
Lucy Hawkins 16
Pat Schomburg 17
Gail Kidd 18
Kaitlyn Hersey 18
Sally Eggleston 20
Paul Lundy 20
Pat Coon 22
Nina Swanson 23
Carol Woodson 27
Sharon Stewart 28
Megan Land 29
Laura Meade 30
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OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS
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Kate Gregor 1
Olivia Hawkins 1
Jim Barger 3
Aimee Anderson 4
Melanie Miller 4
Benjamin Burns 5
Jim Greene 6
Ruby Matthews 9
Bronwen Jones 9
Brian Schumacher 10
Frank Niedermeyer 13
Joan Gronert 14
JoAnn Willmsen Boyle 15
Steven Newell 16
Laurie Moritz 17
Christopher Mullenix 20
Ann Alliger 20
Melissa Hawkins 21
Ray Smith 23
Sheryl Ann Barger 29
Teri Schumacher 29
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TRANSITIONS
|  | Longtime UnityCR friend,
John "Jack" Wilson, of Mechanicsville made his transition on Friday, July
23. We bless Jack on his journey
and hold a vision of peace for his family.
Herc Clark, a former
longtime member who moved to Oregon, made his transition on August 9. We bless him and extend our deepest
sympathy to his loving wife, Carolann.
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WEDDINGS
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Congratulations to Melinda
Schwarz and Dr. Eyad Yehyawi who were united in marriage on July 24.
Congratulations to Rick Robinson and Deanne Lafleur, who were married Aug. 28.
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COURSE TO EXPLORE NEW TESTAMENT STARTS OCTOBER
6
Are you
curious about the New Testament? Have you ever wondered who wrote those 27
books of the New Testament? Who were the "key players" and what was their role
in this fledging movement called Christianity? For the answer to these and many other questions concerning
the New Testament, plan to attend Overview, the Christian Scriptures,
Wednesdays at 6:45 p.m. beginning Oct. 6 and ending Nov. 10. We will be using
Marcus Borg's book, "Reading the Bible Again
for the First Time." Another recommended text is "Don't Know Much about the Bible" by Kenneth Davis. Both books will
be available in the bookstore.
Overview
of the Christian Scriptures explores the Gospels, Letters,
History (Book of Acts), and Apocryphal literature (Book of Revelation) that
comprises what is more commonly known as the New Testament of the Judeo-Christian Bible. The primary purpose of this SEE course is to develop an
understanding of the Christian Scriptures' meaning. Questions? Contact Susan Liddell.
QUARTERLY MINISTRY TEAM LEADER MEETING OCTOBER 24
All
Ministry Team Leaders are reminded of the MTL meeting at 11:45 a.m., Oct. 24. We
will review the Ministry Fair and developing the Ministry Team descriptions. We
will also begin to develop the position descriptions for the liaisons and the
Ministry Team Leaders. Please RSVP to Susan Liddell.
UNITY 102 STARTS OCTOBER 28
Have you
been wondering about Unity's teachings? Do you have questions? Or do you want a
better understanding of the basic concepts about Unity? If so, consider joining
the four-week Unity 102 class, which begins Oct. 28. Each class offers a brief
introduction to each of these areas: Unity's Five Principles, Twelve Powers,
Prayer and Meditation, Metaphysics and Metaphysical Bible Interpretation. We
will use several texts. Learn more about Unity in a relaxed, enjoyable,
discussion-based environment. Questions? Contact Susan Liddell or Jan Griffith,
Licensed Unity Leaders.
MINISTRIES OF THE MONTH
SEPTEMBER: MUSIC
MINISTRY
Music is an integral part of UnityCR's ministry. We are blessed to
have the musical direction of the very talented Nina Swanson, who has been the
music director and choir director for many years. Nancy Dearborn has been the music coordinator for 10 years
and brings in guest musicians from all across the United States and even the world! In the past year we were fortunate to
have musicians not only from Iowa, but also from Russia, Germany, Georgia,
Florida, Illinois and Minnesota. Every Sunday, in addition to Nina, who is also our pianist, and Gary Matthews,
who accompanies beautifully on the flute, we have a guest musician. We help showcase young artists,
congregation members and established musicians. We have enjoyed the fellowship
of guest choirs performing for us. We provide a wide variety of music from
vocalists to instrumentalists, ranging from traditional instruments to those
less well known, such as the recent performance on a saw! Other unique instruments performed in
past years are the didgeridoo from Australia and crystal bowls. In addition to
our guest musicians, Unity is blessed to have our Unity Spirit Choir and Spirit
Band, which usually each perform once a month. Recently the men's choir and
women's choir each performed. The Youth Choir performs periodically, usually at
Christmas time. On Mother's Day
and Father's Day, the women and men serenade each other on their respective
days. Unity also provides several concerts a year. Questions about our music
program? Would you like to suggest a musician? Contact Nancy Dearborn at NancyDearbornMusic@gmail.com.
OCTOBER: YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRY
The Youth and Family Ministry's vision is to provide a safe, loving
environment in which children and teens may explore their spirituality and
oneness with God. We do that with through our curriculum and fantastic
volunteers. Our curriculum is from the Association of Unity Churches. It emphasizes
Unity Principles, the 12 Powers (or Gifts) of God, and basic values like
caring, cooperation and peacefulness. We always have stories, crafts, games and
music to enhance the weekly message.
In this school year, we intend to start a nursery, and have a flexible
staff to accommodate our preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school
students. Middle school students (Uniteens) will meet on Wednesday evenings. We
hope to launch a high school program, too. Until then, high school students are
encouraged to attend the Sunday service.
Our Sacred Safety Policy requires two adults for each children's class
each week, so there is a great opportunity for congregants to tithe their time
and talent as volunteers. If you are interested, or just want to know more, please
contact Laura Meade before or after Sunday services, or email her or call 364-3072.
Special thanks go to volunteers who served in the last school
year: Angie Weiland, Lynda Black Smith,
Penelope Hedden, Barbara Krumvieda, Cindy Hathaway, Tracey Supplee, Josh Haun,
Carl Swanson and others who assisted when asked. We are so grateful for such a
loving, committed group of volunteers, and pray that others will choose to bless and be blessed by this ministry.
COURSE IN MIRACLES MEETS TUESDAY - JOIN US!
Course in
Miracles Class meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays in the Strong Classroom. This is an ongoing
class that you may attend regularly, sporadically, and start or stop at anytime.
Longtime students of the Course, Audrey and Verne Eggleston and Dayle
Berggren, lead the group. The
Course, inspired more than 35 years ago, is a remarkable piece of literature
that has inspired millions. If you are curious, please stop by on any Tuesday
evening. All are welcome! ACIM books are available for sharing so you do not
need to purchase any books to attend.
BOOK REVIEW: THE FIVE PRINCIPLES
By Janith Griffith
"The Five Principles" by Rev.
Ellen Debenport was written to provide tools for daily living. It is written in
an easily read and understood way. Each of the Unity Five Principles is
explored with examples and supporting scripture and quotes. The book looks at
each principle and suggests answers to our everyday questions, such as, "What
is this greater presence we sense all around us? How can we communicate with
this presence? Who and what are we? Why do things happen in our lives the way
they do? What are we here to do?" There is a "yes, but..." section in each
chapter to encourage deeper questioning of the material. Each chapter concludes
with a meditation specific to the principle covered in that chapter. This book
is recommended for beginners and also for longtime Truth students. It is used
in Unity 102 classes at UnityCR.
MISS THE SUNDAY SERVICE?
If you
missed last Sunday's service, no worries! A podcast of the Sunday talk and
meditation is available on our website at unitycr.org. You may also pick up a
CD of the entire service at UnityCR. The cost is $5.
We're on TV in Cedar Rapids!
9 p.m., Monday,
Mediacom
Channel 18
8 p.m., Tuesday, ImOn Channel 5
We're on TV in Iowa
City!
4 p.m., Thursday & Noon Sunday, Mediacom
Channel 18
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See Rev.
brenda and Bill Graham for reference
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