Unity South January-February 2014

Page 1

January / February 2014

The

Unity South Church

From Reverend Festus

FOUNDATIONS FOR CREATIVE LIVING

“The future is an opportunity yet unmet, a path yet untraveled, a life yet

unlived. But how the future will be lived, what opportunities will be met,

what paths traveled, depends on the priorities and purposes of life

today.” C. Neil Strait

It is my hope and prayer that this first newsletter of the year 2014 will find you in good health, establishing a new outlook on life. In the beginning of a New Year we have an opportunity to view life with a new consciousness of possibilities.

In Unity, we begin our spiritual practice for the year with Faith (January) and Love (February). They are the two faculties of mind that need our conscious, deliberate activation at the beginning of the year. Inherent within our being are these two spiritual energy centers that work as tools for fram-ing our life for the rest of the year in a rhythm of positive energy flow. As co-creators with God, our life is not a result of chance and our future cannot be left to chance.

Henry David Thoreau said, “The possibility of the future far exceeds the accomplishment of the past.

We review the past with the common sense, but we anticipate the future with transcendental senses.” Yes, we anticipate the future with transcendent senses!!!

We invite you to start early to take a gentle, loving reflective look of your life. Be a designer, methodically building a new foundation for successful living. It does not matter what we have done or failed to do in the past. What we do now will be a rock on which our new life will be built. It all starts with the mind as the Master Key that molds and shapes, a thousand ills or a thousand joys. However, it does not stop there, for our achievement depends on how much we nurture and nourish our dreams.

Woodrow Wilson said concerning dreaming big dreams:

“We grow great by dreams. All big men [women] are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire on a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but

others nourish and protect them; nourish them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true. Don't let

anyone steal your dreams!”

I believe that in Unity we are continually learning to appreciate the power of vision and dreams and are growing in the appreciation that great achievements do not always follow our mental linear time frame.

It is said that among the ancient Hebrews, the word, “prayer” means to “set a trap for divinity.” The implication is that the vessel we set out to capture the invisible deity determines the qualities and things that show up in our lives.

There is no better time than the beginning of the year to set special traps to capture specific as-pects of divinity we want to manifest in our lives.

I invite you to consider ‘setting traps’ for Divinity in the area of your body and mental wellness. Some of us need to set financial traps. We need to be clear in our mind what realistic financial goals need to be and go beyond it. What traps do we need to set in the area of relationships?

Continued on page 3

In this issue …

Rev. Festus’ Column . . . . . 1

Church Council . . . . . . 2

Contact info. . . . . 2

Board News.. . . . . 3

GALA 2014 Information. . . . 4-5

Volunteer Appreciation . . . . 6

Classes & Speakers . . . . 7

Youth News . . . . . 8

Calendars . . . 9-10

Music, Birthdays. . . . 11

Centered in God,

Assured by Faith,

and

Prospered by Divine Love;

we boldly move forward

to serve humanity

by building our lives,

and Unity South Church,

together.

Power is FAITH.

Color is ROYAL BLUE.

Disciple is SIMON PETER.

Body area is PINEAL GLAND.

Power is LOVE.

Color is PINK

Disciple is JOHN.

Body area is HEART.

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Unity South Mission Statement

To inspire individuals along their path to spiritual unfoldment, to

encourage actions that affirm the Divine nature in each other and

to recognize and bless the powerful potential in all people.

Our Beliefs

God is absolute good, everywhere present.

Human beings have a spark of Divinity within them,

the Christ Spirit within. Their very essence is of God,

and therefore they are also inherently good.

Human beings create their experiences by the activity

of their thinking. Everything in the manifest realm has

its beginning in thought.

Prayer is creative thinking that heightens the

connection with God-mind and therefore brings forth

wisdom, healing, prosperity and everything good.

Knowing and understanding the laws of life, also called

Truth, is not enough. A person must also live the

Truth that he or she knows.

UNITY SOUTH CONTACTS

Ministers: Reverend Festus Umeojiego

[email protected] • 651-323-3180 (cell)

Rev. Festus’ Office Hours Tue—Thu 10am-4pm

(also available by appointment and as needed)

Marlene Qualle

[email protected] • 612-273-4467 (cell)

Board of Directors:

Kelli von Heydekampf, President

[email protected] • 952-829-0114

Vice President

(Leadership Position Available)

Mike Thienes, Treasurer


Cheryl Mayberry, Council Liaison


Francine Evans, Secretary


Lindy Anderson, Director


Office: Trish Greene


Office Hours Mon—Thu 9:30AM — 3:30PM

Church Inspiration Line 952-884-6656 option 1

Silent Unity 1-800-NOW-PRAY

(1-800-669-7729)

Church Council The Unity South Church Council keeps all of our activities

coordinated. The Council is made up of the leaders of each

of our ministry areas, and meetings are led by the Council

Coordinator. The group meets regularly to compare calendars, brainstorm for ideas, support one another’s

ministries, and keep things running smoothly.

Are you ready to take your volunteer involvement to the

next level? The Unity South Council would welcome your

input. Council members serve one-year terms and annually

decide whether they will continue. Please speak with any Council member to learn more.

Council Coordinator Missy Anderson Mound [email protected]

612-398-9913

Board of Directors Liaison Cheryl Mayberry [email protected]

952-942-7123

Ministry Team Leaders:

Adult

LaVonne Rasmusson [email protected]

763-546-4156

Finance

Leadership Position Available

Hospitality

Ron Belter [email protected]

651-786-9358

Newcomer

Margaret Peterson [email protected]

612-866-7285

Operations (Building and Grounds)

Steve Good [email protected]

952-688-3547

Pastoral Care

Don & Sharon Rollefson [email protected]

651-686-7327

Social

Cathy Blanch [email protected]

612-237-1873

Worship

Lindy Anderson [email protected]

952-949-0487

Youth

Barb Williamson [email protected]

Heidi Berkner [email protected]

Administrative Support

Trish Greene [email protected]

952-884-6656

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Continued from front page

This must be more than going through the motion of setting goals. It means to establish our goals on a firm foundation-rock of faith.

The year 2014 can be a happy, fulfilling year if our planning is anchored in a deep sense of God. Such plans must be established first as a state of consciousness that believes we cannot fail with God as our foundation. January is a good time to set our lives in firm foundations of faith and wrapped in love that is patient with ourselves for the progression of our goals and with all others in our lives.

Apostle Paul wrote in his Hebrew epistle:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we

understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

Without a deep anchor in faith, we are bound to limit our vision, based on our past. Or we’ll get impatient with ourselves and with others when things are not unfolding at our mental speed. Let’s approach this brand new year with great excitement and joy for our lives and for our Unity Church realizing the power of faith-centered vision and action.

We pray that the year 2014 will enlarge our lives with joy and with great accomplishments, exceeding our expectations.

Finally, affirm with Apostle Paul: “I will forget those things which are behind and press forward;” affirm with David, “I’ll lift up my eyes to the hills

from which my help comes.” And with Abraham, “I trust my God implicitly.”

May the vision for your future be clothed in faith of what we know God can and will do in your life. We celebrate you with joy, for the best is yet to be for you. Be open to more and more! And above all, be happy!!! We are holding you in our prayer of faith! In service of Love,

Festus

A message from our Board President

Unity South Friends—It’s Gala Time! What better way to shake off the winter blues than with a party? This

year’s gala promises to be a fun evening for all who attend. I hope everyone can join us for the Unity South

Love Boat party that is February 15, 2014. Don’t let the name fool you—this party is for anyone who is looking

for an exciting, fun evening to shake off the winter blues. Come with your spouse, your partner, your best

friend, or better yet, purchase a friends and family table this year! There will be music and dancing, auction

items, and raffles, but most of all, we have the chance to come together as a community to enjoy ourselves and

support our church in a very fun way. Plans are getting underway now, so mark your calendars, buy your tickets,

pull out your best (or ugliest) Hawaiian shirt, and come sail away with us.

In other Board news, we will be expecting a marketing plan presentation at our January meeting. A group of volunteers has been

meeting regularly to draw up a targeted marketing plan for the coming year. It is with deep appreciation that the Board

acknowledges Nancy Lee, Margaret Peterson, Robbin Frazier, Corrine Shields, Cheryl Mayberry, Julia McCreight, and Trish Greene

for their dedication to this process. We are looking forward to their presentation and their engagement with us.

The Board will also start preparing for the Annual Meeting, which will be Sunday, March 16th.

The Board offers their wishes to Rev. Festus for a safe journey and a fulfilling visit as he travels to Nigeria to visit family. We look

forward to his safe return and what will be many stories when he comes back at the end of January.

Peace and Blessings,

Kelli von Heydekampf, Board President

Board News

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We have the perfect remedy to chase away the

winter time blues—

the 4th Annual Unity South Gala!

Join us on February 15 on the USS Unity South

Love Boat for a night of fun, food, music, dancing

and laughter!

Come out and share the love we all have for our

church community! Dig out your favorite Hawaiian

shirt and flip flops, or a fabulous dressy gown if

you want to do “elegant cruise.”

Bring a friend, your spouse, or better yet,

purchase a “friends and family” table and spread

the love even more.

This party is not to be confused with any Valen-

tine’s Day celebration — this is to celebrate and

support Unity South! You don’t want to miss it —

especially the Ugliest Hawaiian Shirt Contest!

Get your tickets today!

Are you tired of winter? Are you tired of winter?

Wish you could just get away from it all?Wish you could just get away from it all?

Travel USS Unity South Love Boat—

$50 per person round trip.

IS JUST OVER THE HORIZON...

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Florida Get Away

RAFFLE

Tired of this cold MN weather???

Set your sites on a Florida Get Away to

Fort Meyers Beach!

This prize includes up to 2 weeks accommodations

in a private, gated townhome community, only

minutes from Sanibel & Captiva Islands!

Also included, is a Sunset Harbor Cruise where you

will experience beautiful scenery, a warm ocean breeze, and a chance to simply relax and let all of

your worries float away…

Tickets cost $25 each. Only 100 tickets will be sold during

this exclusive raffle, so don’t miss your chance to win!

The winner will be announced at the Unity South

Love Boat Gala.

Some scheduling restrictions apply.

Gala Silent Auction—Request for Donations!!

Ahoy, fellow U.S.S. Unity South Love Boat passengers! Before coming aboard, we are looking for silent auction items to make our Gala cruise a suc-cess. We would be most grateful if you, or someone you know, could donate any of the following items:

Services: massage, cabin/resort weekend, hosted home dinner, healing ses-sion, home repair, lessons (skiing, dance, photography, cooking, sports, etc.), pet boarding, decorating, sewing. These are always a big silent auction hit!

Gift Cards & Tickets: Who can resist bidding on gift cards (gas card, restaurants, oil changes, retail store, etc.)?!? Also, tickets to any venue (sporting event, theater, concert, ski lift, etc.) are always popular!

Things: Preferred items are those that can be auctioned on their own, or be combined with other things, and fit into a gift basket/bag for a total value of $50 or more (e.g. jewelry, electronics, accessories, etc.). Successful basket themes have included:

BBQ Cook Out Beach Fun Date Night Exercise & Energize Family Fun Night Gardening Girls Night Out Guys Night Out Healing Handy Tools Home Chef Cooking Movie Night Party & Celebration Sports Fan

OR use your imagination and create a theme of your own! ALL Donations must be received by Sunday, February 9, 2014, at the church office. Thank you in advance for making the USS Unity South Love Boat Silent Auction smooooth sailing!

I N T H E B O O K S T O R E

New Book Marks

Just .75¢

These beautiful, durable

new book marks have

the 5 Principles, Prayer

for Protection, and are

laminated for longer life.

Great gift idea for the

readers you love!

BE Whole! by Robert Conklin

Years ago, Robert and Nadine Conklin were members of Unity congregations in the

Twin Cities. Both have since made their transitions, but their love of Unity lives on through the recent, generous donation of Robert’s books to local Unity bookstores by their children after Nadine’s memorial in November. Explore the inspirational message, and receive

20% off during the month of January.

TITLES by

ECHO BODINE

Half-hour before each

of Echo’s Guided

Meditations at Unity

South, the bookstore

will be open for

purchase of her books.

Available titles include: The Little Book of True

Ghost Stories, Look for the Good and You’ll Find

God, Echos of the Soul, and others.

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W E L O V E O U R V O L U N T E E R S !

DARE TO

BELIEVE

by

May Rowland

C L A S S E S & S P E A K E R S

Tuesday Mornings, March 4 –April 1

9:30-11:30AM

“Dare to Believe”

Join this weekday morning class for five weeks which

will focus on May Rowland, the woman in charge of

Silent Unity for 50 years, and the book of the same name. Her book is a beautiful reminder of the power

of prayer.

“May Rowland speaks about a different

way of understanding the same Jesus,

the same Genesis, the same Bible that

has puzzled and frustrated me all my life.

After a lifetime of hopelessness, fear and

guilt over not being able to just believe,

or understand all the seemingly bizarre

and mysterious teachings of my childhood

and decades of adulthood, I feel like I have

just awakened from a long dream. This

book started me on my way to "New

Thought" living, with joy, hope and peace

like no other I've known.”

Lori D—Amazon Review

Each week we’ll focus on a portion of the book

and conclude with attending the Silent Unity Prayer Service together from 11:00-11:30.

The class will be led by Licensed Unity Teacher

Sharon Rollefson. Sign up in the Atrium. Sharon will be teaching from her own materials as the book is out

of print. There are used, a few new, and a few

collectible copies available from Amazon.com if you’d

like to purchase a copy.

Suggested Love Offering of $10/per class session.

Please know that all are welcome, regardless of ability to make a monetary contribution.

In Gratitude…

“I've seen and met angels wearing the

disguise of ordinary people living

ordinary lives.” ~Tracy Chapman

We would like to shine the light on our

wonderful Ann Long! Ann is stepping down

as our Usher Coordinator. She has been diligent in scheduling and training ushers to

ensure that there is always a smiling face to

greet us as we enter our Sanctuary.

We thank Ann for her service, time, energy,

and dedication.

Ann, we love you, we bless

you, and we behold the

Christ you are!

Ann Long, Usher Coordinator, with Michael Khan at Gala 2013

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C L A S S E S & S P E A K E R S

Sunday, March 23

12:00-1:00PM

“Judaism on One Foot” Introduction to Jewish

Belief and Practice

Join us for this presentation by Heidi Schneider,

member of the Jewish Community Relations

Council, our Jewish neighbor and fellow Minnesotan.

“When Yiddish words are part of

American speech, and bagels and lox

are standard breakfast fare, Jewish culture

has truly gone mainstream. But what are

the beliefs, values, and religious traditions

upon which the Jewish faith is based?

How do Jews express that faith in their

everyday lives?”

You can expect answers to these questions and more

from this informative, bridge-building presentation.

Connect the people Israel to the land Israel Learn about keeping kosher, Torah, Bar/Bat

Mitzvah, Holidays and Sabbath observance

Explore life cycle rituals related to birth,

adulthood, marriage and death.

Answer YOUR questions about Judaism

Learn more at: http://www.minndakjcrc.org/index.html

Suggested Love Offering of $10. Please know that all are welcome, regardless of ability to make a monetary

contribution.

Sunday, January 26

Rev. Allen C. Liles

10:30 a.m. Message & Meditation

11:30 a.m. Book Signing

While Rev. Festus is

enjoying his visit to

Nigeria, we welcome

back Rev. Liles as Guest Speaker on Sunday,

January 26.

Bring your book and get it signed after worship!

Rev. Liles will bring some

copies with him, and

there are also several

more copies available in the bookstore.

“Love this book.

Daily devotional thoughts, that brings oneself closer to God. Easy to read. I am enjoying this book very much. I have it on the table in the livingroom.”

MaryEllen— Amazon Review

Page 8

“ Ta ke th e f i rs t s te p in

fa i th . Yo u d on ’ t h ave to s e e

th e w h ol e st ai rc as e , j u s t

t a ke th e f i rs t s te p . ”

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy New Year! We turn toward new beginnings, renewal of our body,

mind and spirit. We know that all change begins with our thoughts. In the

month of January, we will work with the kids around setting and achieving

spiritual goals for themselves. Without a goal, it is easy to become adrift.

Spiritual goals help us focus our intention and our practice. Asking questions

about our understanding of God, and our relationship to God, are just the

beginning. We encourage you to ask your children about their ideas, and to

let them know that you too are working on spiritual goals. Maybe create one

as a family such as committing to regular church attendance, saying prayers together, meditating each day, or acts of service in the community. Let us

know your ideas—we love to hear from you!

Blessings,

Barbara Williamson & Heidi Berkner

Coming Up so Stay Tuned:

Uniteen and Y.O.U. Progressive Dinner: We’ll start and finish at church. Appetizers at Unity South,

then we’ll travel from home to home to enjoy our other courses—soup, salad, entrée.

We need two interested host families on the east side as one of our courses will be in Oakdale. Contact Heidi for

more details or if you can host!

Youth Fundraiser and Fun Night: We’re looking for talents and acts for a talent show! Contact Heidi

with your ideas and suggestions. Youth/Parent Spaghetti Dinner

GROWING AND LEARNING TAKES ENERGY . . .

Please sign up downstairs to bring a treat for the kids on Sunday mornings! Suggestions:

Granola bars, juice boxes, vegetables & dip, cheese & crackers, other healthy snacks.

The Unity South

2014 ANNUAL MEETING is

SUNDAY

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January 2014

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednes-

day Thursday Friday Saturday

1

Happy

New

Year!!

2 3

(office closed)

4

(office closed)

5 White Stone Sunday

9:00am Interactive Service with

Marlene Qualle

10:30am Worship with Rev.

Festus

First Sunday Pancake Breakfast

7:00pm Women’s AA

6

7:00pm CoDA

7

11:00am

Silent Unity

Prayer Service

8 9 10

(office closed)

11

(office closed)

10:00am-

12:00pm

MAGNT

12


Marlene Qualle

10:30am Worship with Marlene

Qualle

7:00pm Women’s AA

13

7:00pm CoDA

14

11:00am

Silent Unity

Prayer Service

15 16

5:00-7:30pm

Board of

Directors Mtg

17

(office closed)

18

(office closed)

9:30-11:30am

Women’s

Group

19


Marlene Qualle

10:30am Worship with Marlene

Qualle

7:00pm Women’s AA

20

Martin Luther

King Jr. Day

7:00pm CoDA

21

11:00am

Silent Unity

Prayer Service

22 23 24

(office closed)

25

(office closed)

26


Marlene Qualle

10:30am Worship with

Rev. Allen Liles

7:00pm Women’s AA

27

7:00pm CoDA

28

11:00am

Silent Unity

Prayer Service

29 30 31

(office closed)

3:00-7:00pm

Loaves & Fishes

7:00pm

Guided

Meditation with

Echo Bodine

Power is Faith.

Color is Royal Blue.

Disciple is Simon Peter.

Body Area is Pineal Gland.

Office Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday




Page 10

February 2014

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednes-

day Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

9:00am Interactive Service

with Marlene Qualle

10:30am Worship with

Marlene Quallie

First Sunday Pancake Breakfast

7:00pm Women’s AA

3

7:00pm CoDA

4

11:00am

Silent Unity

Prayer Service

5 6 7

(office closed)

8

(office closed)

10:00am-12:00pm

MAGNT

9


with Marlene Qualle


Festus

7:00pm Women’s AA

10

7:00pm CoDA

11

11:00am

Silent Unity

Prayer Service

12 13

5:00-7:30pm

Board of

Directors Mtg

14

(office closed)

Happy

Valentine’s Day!

15

(office closed)

9:30-11:30am

Women’s Group

6:00-11:00pm

GALA 2014!

16


with Marlene Qualle


Festus

7:00pm Women’s AA

17

7:00pm CoDA

18

11:00am

Silent Unity

Prayer Service

19 20 21

(office closed)

22

(office closed)

23


with Marlene Qualle


Festus

7:00pm Women’s AA

24

7:00pm CoDA

25

11:00am

Silent Unity

Prayer Service

26 27 28

(office closed)

7:00pm

Guided

Meditation with

Echo Bodine

Power is LOVE.

Color is PINK.

Disciple is JOHN.

Body Area is HEART.





Page 11

January 5:

Connie Olson, vocals

January 12:

James Schattauer, guitar, vocals

January 19:

Patricia Lacey, vocals

January 26:

Rich Miller, guitar, piano, vocals

February 2:

Marienne Kreillow, piano, vocals

February 9:

Rich Miller, guitar, vocals

February 16:

Julie Esterly, vocals

February 23:

Unity South Band

Sunday Worship Special Music

Is your birthday missing?

Let us know so we include you next year!

Green Congregational Coalition

Several churches in the metro area have joined together to

discuss and share ideas for making their

communities “greener” through environmentally-

sound practices, purchases, and maintenance.

Steve Good, along with support from

Arlene Young and Kirk Frauenheim,

is representing Unity South in this

endeavor. If you would like to learn

more, be involved, or have ideas and

suggestions, please speak with one of them.

Your friends are always welcome!

Please consider inviting a friend to join you for a Sunday morning service or a special class or event.

Share the joy of Unity South!

BRING A

January

1 Alicia Damara

4 Wayne Martinson

Tristen Heller

7 Lauretta Taggart

8 Bill Jordan

11 Don Ramler

12 Sandra Weise

14 Gayle Hubert

18 Carlotta Posz

Jim Rasmusson

Cameron Lloyd

22 Linda Ruth

Carole Fink

25 Margaret Peterson

27 Wendy Snow

Molly McKasy

28 Edith Washington

Sophie Lowe-Hines

29 Pam Brown

Karen Nestingen

Zoe Hetzel Hansen

February

1 Rev Festus Umeojiego

3 Kelli von Heydekampf

5 Ted Schmidt

6 Kevin Spencer

9 Leif Nestingen

12 Bill Coyne

Missy Mound

14 Betty Dexter

15 Rachel Allen

17 Tom Mound

Devol Trotman

19 Dawna Gray

20 Chris Ternand

22 Marian Karalis

Diana Smith

23 Claire Tokar

25 Deidre Kellogg

Wyatt Sauter

27 Dave Larson

Deja Duncan

28 Lisa Thorpe

Happy Birthday! Loaves & Fishes Friday, January 31 Creekside Community Center, West 98th Street & Penn Ave S Join other Unity South volunteers to prepare and serve a hot and nutritious meal to the hungry in our community. Two shifts available: 3:00-5:00 pm we prepare, cook 5:00-7:00 pm we serve & clean-up Work one or both—whatever works best for you! No experience necessary!

We need about 20 volunteers. Please sign up in the Atrium.

Page 12

Unity South Church 7950 First Avenue South Bloomington, MN 55420-1201 www.unitysouth.org 952-884-6656

Are you visiting, or new to Unity South?

After the 10:30 service each week, Rev. Festus,

along with a few Unity South members, would

like to meet you! Please stop by the Bookstore

(next to the sanctuary) and introduce yourself.

They will be happy to answer any questions you

might have, and to accompany you downstairs

for coffee.

We welcome you, we bless you, and we’re glad you’re here!

Sundays

at Unity South

9:00 am Interactive Worship

with Marlene Qualle

10:30 am Worship Service

with Rev. Festus Umeojiego

Sunday School

Y.O.U.

November / December 2013

Do you follow Unity South on Facebook and Twitter?

Stay connected and up-to-date with all the happenings

at Unity South! A great way to follow along and easily share news and events with others.

On Twitter—

twitter.com/unitysouth

or find us by searching for “unitysouth” (all one word).

On Facebook—

facebook.com/unitysouth

or find us by searching for “Unity South Church”

Documents

Unity South January-February 2014