A Message from our Board President...Drayton Riley

 

Welcome to The Light. You will be receiving it twice a year.  We are also planning a congregational meeting in August along with our Annual Membership meeting in March. 

As your Board president, I want you to know how joyful and committed your Board is. They are tuned in and turned on about Unity Village Chapel.   

 

Rev. Erin continues to amaze with the vitality and energy she brings to our ministry.  Not only does she deliver meaningful messages with depth and insight on Sundays, she generates, through her staff and our dedicated volunteers all kinds of opportunities for fellowship and spiritual growth. Just notice all the ongoing experiences available to us...Open Mic, Wednesday Meditation, our Summer Film Festival, our Village Art Gallery, our Fall Adventure in Spirituality program and Hoedown, just to name a few.  Our new Social Action Ministry is active and engaged, looking for opportunities to support our greater community needs.    Our Facebook page is growing in popularity with over 1000 "likes" and our Live Streaming is really catching on.  We now average some 50 online congregants on Sundays. 

 

And, in my 14 years here I have never seen such a steady stream of class and workshop opportunities. We have an amazing congregation. Thank you all for giving your Time, Talent and Treasure so generously.

A Message from our Board Co-Treasurer...Paul Summers

 

Board members Drayton Riley and Ernie Wassmann, along with Rev. Erin and Rev. Marianne attended the Unity Worldwide Ministries People's Convention in Overland Park the week of June 9 representing Unity Village Chapel.  The People's Convention is an annual event in June each year (next year's will be in Albuquerque, New Mexico, June 8-12) and hosts workshops and presenters on a variety of topics, plus an important business session.  

Dynamic Board Training

 

In April of this year, the Board engaged in a day and a half of Board Training with Susan Beck.  The scope of the training spanned  fundamentals like best practices for conducting meetings and bigger picture thinking about our ministry's consciousness, culture, community and organization.  It became apparent to the Board that it would be prudent to continue our training and the decision was made to have Susan provide coaching and facilitating on-goingly for a yet to be determined period.  

 

The focus of our training includes seven intentions: 

• Getting our Board "house in order"...clarifying accountabilities and roles, strategies for meetings and organizational development.
• Building relationships among board members, with volunteers and leaders, staff and the community as a whole.
• Integrating UVC's Core Values into an awareness of who we are and what we do
• Ensuring and promoting a Healthy congregation
• Renewing UVC's mission and beginning to  fulfill on UVC's vision, while assuring that our actions and thinking align with our Core Values.  
• Building a dynamic relationship with Unity World Headquarters
• Being strategic in our leadership...merging Board planning, administrative functions and ministry team initiatives into a cohesive whole.

There will be much to report as we move through this training and at times there will be opportunities for the Chapel's leaders and the congregation as a whole to participate.

  

We're making giving easier. Less and less people carry cash or write checks. In recognition of that, the Chapel now offers four additional opportunities to make offerings.  

• Easy Giving...sign up for a recurring payment using your debit card or credit card. You specify how often and on what dates you want to the transaction to happen.
• Auto Pay...using your bank's automated online bill payment process, you can have your offering made directly from your bank account automatically and you specify when the transaction happens.
• Giving Kiosk...this is the newest option the Chapel is making available. This is a self service process that allows you to make an offering on Sunday mornings by swiping your debit or credit card and following simple on screen commands much like you would using an ATM or making retail payments. More information will be made available regards to location. This technology will also be useful for providing an option to make purchases or pay for admission to special events that the Chapel sponsors. 
• Online Pay Pal...access our donation option on our web site.

 

Over the past year, the Board has moved through three initiatives designed to foster safety and clear communication-an inclement weather policy and procedure, a severe weather procedure and CPR training.

 

Most recently a CPR class was offered on June 29 and some 15 congregants participated.  The class was conducted by Rob McQueen, a paramedic with the Lee's Summit Fire Dept.  In addition to hands on CPR training, the AED device (Automated External Defibrillator) was demonstrated.  This life saving technology has the capacity to revive a person who heart has stopped functioning. 

 

At the July Board meeting, purchase of an AED was authorized so the Chapel can be assured of having one nearby during our services and other activities.  Anyone wishing to donate to offset the cost of this device, contact Board member Diane Wilks at andsoitis.ldwilks@gmail.com.  read more...