What a ripe and exciting time for Unity San Francisco! I'll be leaving after the Sunday Service on December 30th, then, Transitional Minister Rev. Denese Schellink will be on board to shepherd and facilitate in the process of discerning and selecting your next Spiritual Leader.

 

These past four years have been fantastic! We've grown personally and as a community; the love and support we've shared has shifted the culture of Unity San Francisco in loving and supportive ways that we're still discovering.

 

Poet and author Clarissa Pinkola-Estes says this:

Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this...world, will help immensely. It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good. What is needed for dramatic change is an accumulation of acts (and spiritual consciousness) adding, adding to, adding more, continuing. We know that it does not take "everyone on Earth" to bring justice and peace, but only a small determined group who will not give up during the first, second, or hundredth gale.           

 

I have great faith in all of you - that you will continue with your own spiritual journeys and practices, being the force for Good in the world that Unity San Francisco has always been!

 

With Gratitude for the Privilege of Serving,

 Rev. Sonya Milton

Brief Guide: On Finding Our Next Minister

 

Some of our congregants have asked how Unity San Francisco is going to find it's next minister. Search Committee Chair and Board Member Alan Constant says:

 

"I'd like to explain what's involved in the process of finding a new minister because the result of this search will affect each and every person in our community. We have put together a search committee to take us through this process. The members are Darlene Castleman, Eleesa Hager, Nugget Burkhart, Glenn Underwood, and myself, Alan Constant. We have already met once to go over what we will need to do in the coming weeks and months. Our mission is to serve Unity San Francisco in finding the right minister for our community."  

 

The first step involves our filling out a "Church Packet" which is essentially a report that describes our church and the qualities that we would like to see in a prospective minister. This is where each member of Unity San Francisco can have input into the search.

 

Then, on February 3rd, Unity San Francisco will have a Congregational Gathering. At this meeting, our transitional minister, Rev. Denese Schellink, will guide us in developing an idea of what we want in our next minister. All members are welcome to join this gathering and express what qualities in a minister are important to you. This is probably the most important part of our search process and will have a direct impact on who we hire.

 

After this meeting, the search committee will consider the congregation's input, complete the "Church Packet" and then submit it to Unity San Francisco's Board of Trustees for approval. Once it is approved, it will be sent on to Unity Worldwide Ministries. They will use this packet to create a listing for their website that will announce that Unity San Francisco has a ministerial opening. Any minister who is looking for a position may send an application and résumé to the search committee.  

 

The Committee will then go over each application and narrow the field down to 2-4 likely candidates. They will then contact each of these candidates and invite them to Unity San Francisco to speak and to give us a chance to get to know them. After Unity San Francisco has been visited by each of these candidates, the Board will choose the best candidate to hire. The whole search process will take about 4-6 months.

 

If you have any questions about this process, feel free to contact Unity San Francisco Board Member Alan Constant who will be happy to talk to you. You are also welcome to talk to any of the search committee members as they are all aware of what this process entails.  

 

This is an exciting time for all of us at Unity San Francisco. The Committee values your input as they search for the person who will be leading us in the coming months and years at Unity, and we trust that together we will find the right person for our community.

 

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SAVE THE DATE:  A VERY SPECIAL  

SONYA CELEBRATION

  

Sunday, December 16th  

NOT YOUR USUAL UNITY SUNDAY SERVICE

10am Service  

11am Hospitality Hour 

 

A celebration for Rev. Sonya Milton...

 

Some laughs, some tears, and an Actor's Studio type interview with guess who?  Just in case you are wondering, her name begins with an "S".

 

And after the service, continue the celebration at a special Hospitality Hour.  Join us! 

Spiritual Guidance is available for anyone within our Unity San Francisco community with Licensed Unity Teacher Judith Zaeske. Sessions are by appointment only. Contact the Unity San Francisco office at 415-474-0440, or email Judith directly.   

 

Spiritual Guidance is a service provided to our community on a free will, love-offering basis. There are no set fees. No one will be asked for any payment. However, it is appropriate to leave a love offering for the facilitator.

 

We are blessed to prayerfully and lovingly be here for you.   

Do you love our Hospitality Hour after service?  We certainly do, and though we are making a few changes that will be implemented over the next month and a half, we consider it a vital and necessary part of our Sunday Celebrations.

What will the new Hospitality Hour look like?

• We will simplify Hospitality Hour by reducing the number of people and money needed to produce the weekly gatherings, and the time it takes to organize, setup and cleanup. We want to do this without sacrificing the warm and friendly environment we've created.
• We'll be requesting finger foods only, in order to eliminate the need for costly forks, spoons and plates.   
• We'll continue to provide coffee, tea, sugar, half & half and condiments, but will charge $1 for each cup.  This will help to defer the costs of the products Unity provides.

Thanks to the wonderful team of folks who bring food each week to contribute to this celebration. Please continue to show us your creativity with a variety of finger foods!  

 

A special thank you to Wendy McClure and Kate Thornton who have steadfastly been there to keep this wonderful tradition going, week after week.  They have also labored hard to come up with this new and less work intensive solution but still maintaining the spirit of Hospitality Hour, and we owe them much gratitude and support.  Thanks to them and also to their set-up and clean-up teams!  

 

Finally, regular attendees - how about joining our group of select "Up" volunteers?     

 

Step Up, Set Up, Clean Up...

 

We could use your help!  Please see Peggy Schaller for ideas on how you too can be of service.  Thanks! 

 

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Holiday Teddy Bear Round-Up

Please join the Holiday Teddy Bear Round-Up by donating a new teddy bear to Unity San Francisco during the month of December.  This is a Unity San Francisco tradition:  We pre-love the bears before they go to their new homes in the arms of a child needing comfort.  Thank you.

Please note:  New teddy bears only, please!   

 See the class description on our website

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 Candle-Lighting Service