August 2020
My dear friends in community,
Can you believe we have spent more than the entire Q2 of 2020 secluded from each other physically, as society and the Covid-19 virus continue their dance together?! I so appreciate of all the ways you have been showing up to keep our community thriving during this strange time. The Unity Board of Directors and I thought you might like an update on what we have accomplished and the state of affairs.
But before we offer that, we want to offer you a way to receive spiritual support at times when you may feel overwhelmed, scared or grieving as the virus “overstays its welcome” and rearranges our individual and collective lives in ways we did not foresee, do not appreciate, and cannot control. We have an unusually large group of ordained ministers in our community who are skilled in pastoral care. They have agreed to share their phone numbers so that you can reach out in your time of need and get support.
Rev. Dick Wolgamott—415-755-3412
Rev. Jill Gwen—310-890-8907
Rev. Tamera Schmidt—650-799-8983
Rev. Jim Pasmore—541-788-6791
Rev. Beth Welton-Miller—503-680-5810
Rev. Robin Ryan—541-588-2887
Rev. Jane Hiatt—541-390-8244
Donna Wolf—Eckankar clergy—408-505-9254
Additionally, at any time, you can get prayer support by Filling out a claim at https://unitycentraloregon.org/prayer/ or calling Silent Unity at 1-800-NOW-PRAY.
We hold with you the knowing that each of us is more wise and resilient and connected to All That Is, than we may feel, and that we are emerging, individually and collectively from all this with greater compassion, wisdom and strength.
Prosperity Flow
Financially, you’ll be gratified to know that your donations are steady and we are doing even better than we had hoped to be. We so appreciate those of you who have set up recurring donations and all of you who continue to donate in whatever form you do. We are making a difference! Second quarter our tithe recipient was the Central Oregon Environmental Center and we were able to send them $378.
Coming Together
Although, we still believe it’s prudent to remain apart on Sunday morning, we are allowing groups to meet in the foyer with distancing and masks and outside with distance and masks if you are closer together. The Board created a protocol for inside use. If you are considering meeting inside with a small group, please contact Susan Warnick to reserve the space. (">) Also consider getting together in small (distanced) Spirit groups or other small gatherings in a park or your own backyard. Or come each evening between 7:30-9:00 to pray and connect with one another.
Please Share Your Ideas
We welcome your feedback for ways we can continue to support you on Sunday morning with innovations that keep the spice in our spiritual experience. Please contact any of us with your ideas.
Engaged!
If you would like to become more engaged with our community by becoming an official member, please contact Rev. Jane. There will be Unity Basics class or two this fall but they have not yet been scheduled. If Rev. Jane knows your interest, she can be sure to work with your schedule! Why would you want to be a member? For most of us, it’s because we are passionate about creating a spiritually awake world where love is embodied, and we know there is a greater power available when doing that as a spiritual community.
Accomplishments
Outer Developments
- The labyrinth was certainly a big accomplishment! This is a project that had been floating and gestating in our consciousness ever since we moved to One World Center nearly 2 years ago. Then suddenly, like a pregnant woman giving birth in a taxicab, the Labyrinth Mother decided the time had come and we all (so many volunteers!) scrambled to accommodate the birth. And what a beautiful “baby” our labyrinth is. Hopefully, by now, you have watched the Sunday service from July 19, which includes the video of the birthing process and the shiny newborn, courtesy of Kevin and Nikko Kubota. I hope you have had the opportunity to walk the labyrinth too. The more people who walk it, the more the energy will grow. And the more often each of us walks it, the more able we become to access higher dimensional wisdom through the process.
- We have a brand new Conscious Design Team (Penne Chapin-Zeigen, Pamela Mathews and Lisè Gottwald) that is charged with creating an overall experience of beauty, reverence and coherence on our outdoor grounds. Even though we are not gathering on Sundays, we can rest in sacred space outside. There will be many opportunities to participate in the creation of a meditation garden and more so watch the newsletter for times.
- Our community garden has had many challenges with critters but the plants are still flourishing. It is just a toddler in terms of what it can become. Cherie Swenson, our Garden Earth Goddess, has lots of ideas for what can be. Contact Cherie if you want to help in that area.
Inside Jobs
- On the inside plane, we have mastered live streaming our services. How fortunate we feel that we got a Templeton Grant from Unity Worldwide Ministries and were almost ready to launch live streaming anyway when we got the Cosmic “Go! Now!” order in March. Kevin and Nikko Kubota have been tireless and so skilled technically in allowing everyone to tune in and have the experience be smooth. They’ve also created some breathtaking videos in collaboration with Solshine. David Wendlek built a booth for the camera team behind the sound booth, so when we can fill the room with community members, the live stream experience can continue. (Our intention is that live streaming is a permanent aspect of our ministry.)
- Meda Thompson felt a call to Deaf Ministry and began signing for our services. She also started taking SEE classes and began a Spirit Group that exclusively communicating by signing!
Ways We Connected
Sunday morning has been a small part of how we’ve connected in this last quarter, however.
- We offered two SEE (Spiritual Education and Enrichment) classes and had people attending from as far away as Texas!
- We added 3 more people to the group who are exploring the path to become a minister or a licensed Unity teacher, bringing that group to a total of 14, with 2 already in ministry school!
- We created and offered 10 Prosperity Circles
- We held at least 7 Spirit Groups
- We offered about 5 Unity Basics Groups
- We added (so far) 14 new members, bringing our total membership to 166, including several who have never been to our sanctuary!
- Our Earth Care team held a Virtual Earth Care Birthday Film Festival
- We achieved the highest tier of accreditation with the Unity Worldwide Earth Care Ministry
- Nate Hitchcock gave our website a makeover and the results are startlingly beautiful. Have you seen it? https://unitycentraloregon.org/
- We pivoted from offering hands on healing sessions in the sanctuary to creating an entire Health and Wellness ministry, beginning with a Sunday evening virtual series on grounding.
Sneak Peak of Fall 2020
More details to come, more programs to be planned, but for now:
- We will be hosting a virtual SEE week September 14-18. See the calendar for that week for details of the 5 classes that will be offered.
- NW Regional Unity Virtual Conference featuring Mendhi Audlin, creator of Spirit Groups and the What If Up process. September 21-24
- We have 4 other SEE classes scheduled for the fall: Overview of Christian Scriptures, Prosperity, Self-Awareness, and Discerning Your Purpose.
- Spirit Groups! Contact Kevin Kubota to plan your group.
As you can see, we are not meeting as a whole group on Sundays, but we are definitely not
closed! Thank you for all you do keep our vibrant community alive and pulsing with love!
Many Blessings!
Rev Jane and our Unity Board of Directors
Clare Kubota
Cylvia Hayes
Susan Warnick
George LeMagie
Rhett Harty
Penne Chapin-Zeigen
Rev. Jim Pasmore
Who To Contact
If you have questions, or would like to get involved in any of these areas here is who to contact:
