The Christmas Stories

With Rev. Jane Hiatt

As it turns out Matthew and Luke, the only two Gospel writers to even report the birth of Jesus, haven’t got their stories straight. Was he born in a house or a manger? Visited by shepherds or kings? What’s going on? This Sunday, Rev. Jane will set the record straight!

Guest musician – Jaya Lakshmi

Kids Activities this Sunday

The nursery is open for children 4 years and under.

Our elementary-aged children will meet in The Nest with youth teachers Shabana & Forrest and continue watching Polar Express and continue Christmas prep.

Teens – this Sunday is bowling! Contact Clare Kubota for time and location.

Sign Up to Bring a Snack to Share After Service

Our kitchen lead extraordinaire, Michael Ray, is requesting 3 people to sign up each week to bring a yummy food snack to share. We encourage you to visit with him this Sunday and pick a week that works for you. When you share good food you’re sure to make some new friends 😁.

Healing Sound Sundays

There will be no Healing Sound Bath this Sunday. Instead we invite you to join us for Jaya Lakshmi’s Altar of Love Weekend. See details below. Healing Sound Bath to resume the following Sunday, Dec. 18th at 5:30 PM.

This Weekend! Jaya Lakshmi – Altar of Love – Yoga, Music, Meditation, & Ceremony

Saturday & Sunday, Dec. 10th & 11th at Unity

Musician, kirtan and mantra artist, and certified in Sattva Himalayan kundalini Yoga instructor, Jaya Lakshmi has been performing for over 30 years and has 19 sacred music albums. She has taught workshops all over the world and we are so fortunate to have her sharing her gifts with us! During this often hectic time of year, we invite you for a weekend self-care time with meditation, yoga, music, and ceremony. Sign up for one event, or the entire weekend.

Sat. Dec. 10th @ 9 AM – Yoga & Meditation

Sat. Dec. 10th @ 6 PM – Concert

Sun. Dec. 11th @ 10 AM – Performance at Sunday Service

Sun. Dec. 11th @ 12:30 PM – Singing & Mantra Workshop

Sun. Dec. 11th @ 3:30 PM – Cacao Ceremony

Poetic Prompts Poetry Workshop

Saturday, Dec. 17th from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Unity

Join Poetic Presence – AKA – Donna Benjamin and William Gregory – for this 2 hour workshop exploring the many “ways in” to writing poetry. Learn how to work with prompts; how to write from the heart; and about the different forms of poetic structure. Beginners are welcome. Donna and William are talented poets who have a passion for sharing their love of words and encouraging others to find their words. They believe that there is a beautiful poet in every single one of us. Read one of Donna’s heartfelt poems at the end of this newsletter.

Cost for the workshop is $29 which supports the instructors and Unity.

Holiday Poetry Hullabaloo

Saturday, Dec. 17th from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at Unity

Celebrate the holiday season with your original poetry. This is an open mic poetry event featuring Donna Benjamin and William Gregory as your co-hosts as they encourage you to share your poetic talents in a supportive environment. Beginners welcome. One poem per person and a second one if time allows.

$5 – $15 sliding scale – includes refreshments!

Newcomer’s Potluck Dinner at Rev. Jane’s

Monday, Dec. 12th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM

A free welcome dinner for anyone new-ish to Unity! Let’s get to know each other and have some fun 😁. All are welcome, but space is limited to 8 guests, so please RSVP as soon as you are ready to commit to joining us. The address will be given upon receipt and confirmation of your RSVP.

We look forward to getting to know you better.

Unity Action Compassion Transformation Group Potluck & Meeting

Tuesday, Dec. 13th from 5:30 to 7:00 PM at Unity

Action Compassion Transformation (ACT) is Unity’s social and environmental justice ministry. If are passionate these topics or just curious about learning more, please come break bread with us as we discuss the next steps we want to take in using our Unity principles to help heal our planet and help folks in need in our community. Please bring a dish (any simple thing is just fine). Cylvia will give a summary of what happened at the recent UN climate talks and some hopeful signs for the redesign of civilization. We will also brainstorm how best to help out those experiencing homelessness in these cold months.

Ongoing Programs for Adults

Women’s Activity Group – Every Wednesday at 10 AM. Join a group of wonderful women for hikes and other fun adventures. Contact Suzanne Landry to be notified of what’s happening each Wednesday.

Men’s Group – A time to connect and get to know each other. Gatherings are held on the 1st and 3rd Monday at 6pm at Unity. The next gathering is Dec. 19th. Contact Dan Stephenson for more info.

Singing Group – Join Unity SolShine music director, Dave Finch every Wednesday at 7pm at Unity. No experience is necessary and all ages are welcome! Contact Dave for more info.

Member Appreciations 🙏🏽

This week we’d like to share our appreciation for Lisa Swisher. Lisa has been leading our Sunday service meditation for the past couple of months. She has many years of experience as a Reiki Master and leading Sound Healing experiences. We connected with her when she began leading our Sunday evening Sound Baths. We asked if she’d be willing to volunteer her time at Sunday service and she has shown up every Sunday since! She has quickly become an integral part of our community. Thank you Lisa for sharing your beautiful energy and gifts with our community.

We’d also like to give a shout out to Genesis who spent an entire day last week decorating the sanctuary and foyer for the holidays. It looks beautiful! Thank you Genesis!

Stocking Stuffer Gifts Available at Unity

We have fun magnets, bookmarks, and cards from Advice for Life on display and for sale at the sanctuary. They are perfect stocking stuffers! Be sure to check them out this Sunday. All proceeds go to support our Unity community.

Help Us Bring the Winter Season to our Community Altar

We are about to enter the season of winter. The snow outside is telling us it’s already here! The altar at the back of our sanctuary is a place we’ve created to flow with the seasons. If you currently have something on the altar please swap it out with something for the new season. Help us bring in some fresh new energy for this season of colder weather and longer nights.