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Unity Spiritual Life Center
December 18, 2013 ~ Weekly Update
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MISSION
To be a center of positive, practical, progressive Christianity devoted to helping people awaken to the Spirit within and to inspire one another into a grater experience of God and life through prayer, meditation, education, and service to others.
VISION
To create a loving and engaged Unity Truth Community that transforms the spiritual consciousness of the planet...one thought, one word, one action at a time.
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Sunday, December 22, 2013, 10:30 am
LESSON FOR TODAY: Love
Love is one of our spiritual abilities, an inherent quality
of being that we possess in its fullness. Our work is to use this ability to see
good everywhere and in everybody. Spiritual love is unconditional and loves
for the sake of loving. Can you commit to showing up as love?
SPECIAL MUSIC: Synchronicity and Sandy Hemenway
Childcare provided for the service.
MEET & GREET follows the service ~
spend time munching and mingling,
as you greet old friends and meet new ones!
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PAULA'S PERSPECTIVE
DASH AWAY, DASH AWAY, DASH AWAY ALL!
Really? Are you caught up in this cycle? Is this what you WANT Christmas to be about? I don't think many of us think about what we want it to be. We just allow our selves to be swooped up in the crazy shopping, eating, making it the best ever perfect thing that it is supposed to be. What do you really want it to be? Just sit for a moment and decide what you want this Christmas to be about for you. It's not too late. Decide what is the most important thing about this time of year for you, first...and then those you love.
Get quiet (yes I know this may be a challenge, but do it anyway), take a deep breath...and then another one...and make a choice, a conscious choice about what you want it to look like and feel like. Make a choice about how you want to remember Christmas 2014. When you leave the dash away, dash away, dash away commotion behind...you will come to know what really matters to you...what is important for you...and your Christmas can be what you want it to be.
Much joy and many blessings...Merry Christmas.
Paula
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Silent Meditation: 9:30-10am Sunday
First Friday of every month: 7-8:30pm - Fun First Friday
SPECIAL EVENTS
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
PRAYER AND HEALING MINISTRY SCHEDULE - Fillmore Chapel. The Prayer and Healing Ministry will be offering bi-monthly gatherings for all who are interested. We will be meeting in the Fillmore Chapel on the first Sunday of a month (after service) and the third Monday of a month at 7:00 p.m. The hour includes time for healing prayer and a guided meditation with the opportunity for a brief hands-on healing. Very relaxing and uplifting. NEXT GATHERING: SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 2014. Note: There will be no gathering Monday January 20th as it is the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.
CHRISTMAS BOOKSTORE SALE - 35% off of all books today! Take a final look around for a special Christmas gift. Janice is pulling out the stops! This is the last day of a super sale!
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE, December 24th at 7pm. Join us for our Twelve Powers Candle lighting Service. We will affirm our spiritual nature and light candles as a symbol of expressing our potential to be limitless and unbounded in all ways. We will remember the story of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem and our own re-birth into the light of a new possibility for our life.
BURNING BOWL SERVICE, December 29th. Participate in a ceremony of releasing all that no longer serves you by writing on paper and burning it in our fire pit. Claim the good you want in the new year by prayerfully writing your intentions. Don't miss this special Sunday!
WHITE STONE CEREMONY, Sunday, January 5th Revelations 2:17 - "To everyone who overcomes...I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it." Receive your new name from the God of your being. An amazing way to begin the new year.
COMING SOON
FUN FIRST FRIDAY, January 3rd - 7-9pm. The Creativity & Play Ministry will be holding our popular annual Dreamscaping playshop to help you visualize your goals and visions for 2014. After a brief introduction and guided meditation, you will create a Dreamscape (or Treasure Map, Vision Board or Goal Collage) with the provided scissors, paste and poster board. Please bring old magazines to share. Join us for this beautiful and powerful way of setting intentions for the new year.
BOARD ORIENTATION, Saturday, January 11th, 9am-noon. Are you curious about what is involved in being on the Board here at USLC? Do you want to know what goes on "behind the curtain?" Cher & Bil Holton will be presenting a short workshop to answer questions and help us understand how Boards can most effectively serve their congregations. You DO NOT HAVE TO MAKE a commitment to SERVE ON THE BOARD!!! in order to attend. This is an information session. Sign-up is required.
WORSHIP ASSISTANT MEETING, Sunday, January 12th at noon. Worship assistants help during the service each Sunday by reading Announcements, distributing Welcome Packets to visitors and presenting an inspirational story, daily word, or other appropriate and uplifting reading. If you currently participate in this ministry or wish to participate please join Rev. Paula for
this brief meeting after the service.
NEW MEMBERS CLASS, Saturday, January 25th, 9am-noon. Are you ready to commit (or re-commit) to developing a greater awareness of the power and presence that is God in your life? Is it time for you to allow the gift that you are to be known here at USLC by tithing your time, talent and treasure to this spiritual community? Is 2014 the year you decide to step out in Faith to participate in the transformation of your self and the planet? Join Rev. Paula for Unity Basics and make a decision to open up and show up. All current members invited, too.
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YOU CAN HELP USLC GET FREE MONEY
***HOW?***
* Pick up a gift card from Carla; $5 is already on it to get you started.
* Take it to Kroger Customer Service Desk and put your grocery money on
the card.
(Be sure you do this at least 12 hours before you plan to use it. It takes time for it to be put in Kroger's system.)
* Go grocery shopping with the gift card.
This does not affect your regular rewards from Kroger.
Every time you use your card to buy groceries or gas at Kroger, the amount is credited to USLC toward a 5% reward when our total reaches $5000...that's $250 for the Center.
You continue to receive all your regular Kroger rewards. Encourage friends and family to join our fund drive.
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WOW!
You are a child of God! You are a child of Goodness and Light. Know that this is true as you look within for the gifts you possess. Let go of any negative thoughts you may be holding; release any fear you may have about reaching a goal or using your gift; release any feeling of unworthiness. Turn to God and realize the truth about yourself-that you are God's beloved child, filled with amazing gifts, wonderful qualities, and divine attributes.
Peggy Pifer, from
Unity. org article
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| Sundays:
9:30
Silent Meditation
Fillmore Chapel
10:30
Celebration Service & YOU/Uniteen classes
(Childcare available) | | |
Directions: Exit 175 off of I-85. Turn NORTH on Guess Road; Turn right onto Carver Street. Go approximately half a block; USLC is located in the small business park on your left. |
Opportunities to Serve at USLC
Sunday Service Ministry
Co-directors Rev Paula and Renee Piere. This ministry takes on the responsibility for an exciting and inclusive experience for all who attend Sunday Services. Most team members arrive at least 20 minutes before the start of the service and some stay after everyone is gone to put our space back in order.
* Hospitality Team: Sets up coffee, tea, refreshments, and snacks and puts hospitality area and kitchen back in order at the end of fellowship time.
* Collection Counting Team: Two members count the Sunday collection and fill out the forms necessary for accurately recording tithes and love offerings.
* Greeter/Usher Team: Greets visitors and members, hands out bulletin, and collects the offering during the service.
* Sound Team: Sets up microphones, checks sound with musicians, provides sound control during the service, records service ,and provides CD's for purchase after the service.
* Worship Assistant Team: Reads announcements, provides inspirational reading, and hands out welcome packets.
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COMMUNITY ZONE
It is with a sad heart that I share the news of Shirley Paynes passing. I received a call from Carmen Ingersoll today. Details are not yet available regarding plans for a celebration of life or other ceremony.
Please hold Shirley,her family and friends in your prayers and thoughts today and into the weeks to come. We know the eternal nature that she expressed on earth continues in her next experience of life. Paula
Christmas Service Projects
A special Thank You to our project leaders, Ginny Brendlen and Carla Garcia, for organizing these projects and for putting on all the final touches that made these gifts so special.
Share Your Christmas - Our family was blessed by your willingness to share your abundance. Thank you to all who shopped and wrapped with love.
Holiday Gift Bags - These will be delivered on Monday, December 23rd. Thank you for making this Christmas at Carolina House bright with your
generosity.
KEEPING UP: What's happening in your neighborhood? Are you traveling, hosting visiting friends or relatives, having a yard sale, announcements, other activites? Send your information to rodgers.jean@gmail.com by Tuesday of each week.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
ABOUT GIVING AND RECEIVING
An excerpt from the article The Power of Thought by
Dr. Maya Angelou
......So, I ask for everything-everything I need, and I have much more than I need. I'm happy to be charitable. My grandmother taught me, "When you get, give. When you learn, teach." And so, I feel that way. When I was younger and living in New York, friends used to say to me, as they'd give something and I'd like it, "Would you try to hold onto it for, like, two weeks at any rate?" But I've found that if you give it away, it comes back in such abundance.
I don't give it away so that it will come back, but that's just the nature of things. If you plant one tomato seed, and it comes up, it will bring thousands of tomato seeds. Whatever you plant, you'll get thousands of what you planted. So, you look a fool if you plant a tomato seed and when it's time to harvest go out and expect to find oranges.
I think that's true in giving. You ask for what you want and then give it away because you're going to get so much more of it back. I think that what we want, we have to give to the world --- kindness, tolerance, generosity, justice, even mercy-in all our dealings. I would encourage you to be very careful that you don't die before you've done something wonderful for humanity.
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MINISTRIES
Creativity and Play Ministry: Director: Robin Johnson. This ministry schedules an event each month that is fun and provides an opportunity for fellowship.
Bookstore Ministry: Director: Janice Escott. Many people love to browse our books and gifts after the service on Sunday. Team members are available to ring up and record purchases.
Music Ministry: Works on special singing projects during the year including Christmas and Easter. Team members sing on Sundays.
Healing and Prayer Ministry: Co-directors Lisa Giragosian and Rev Paula. Twice monthly this team conducts healing and prayer service. Team prays with members requesting prayer one on one and also prays for requests dropped into our prayer box. One member carries the prayer box at the Offertory during the Sunday Service.
Youth Education Ministry: This essential ministry provides Sunday lessons from an established curriculum for our youth during the 10:30 service.
Adult Education Ministry: Director: Rev Paula. Unity classes are offered for credit and other classes for spiritual enrichment by Rev Paula and other teachers.
Media and PR Ministry: Co-director: Jeanie Rodgers and Renee Piere This team handles all things media...social, print, electronic and visual.
Earthcare Ministry: This team is focused on activities related to caring for our planet. If you are called to this ministry you can help guide us into the next greatest expression for how we accomplish this goal.
Community Service Ministry: Giving to our community and to the world is important at USLC. This team helps identify ways we can do this and organizes our efforts.
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