As I have begun to get to know the wonderful people of Unity Church of Mesa, and get familiar with what’s what here, I have been drawn to focus on several areas where I feel I may share my gifts and contribute to the church community. I have been blessed beyond measure since arriving here in Mesa and playing with Joel as a part of our Sunday worship celebration services is a big part of the joy I have found in this, my new home. The energy you all radiate makes Sundays a significant high point for my week. I really look forward to feeling your presence each week. I will continue to co-create with Joel in the New Year.
Some of the primary areas of the church I will be involved living into are:
1) Coordinator for our church volunteer Love in Action program.
2) Minister liaison for our Youth and Family Ministries Program, working directly with Hal Bass and Julia Francis. I am excited to have the opportunity to connect with the kids and their incredible energy and wisdom. I see them as an important part of our church community and look forward to working with the Youth and Family Ministries Team to find ways we can all enhance that connection as a family together.
3) Adult Education. Offering the opportunity for continued education in spiritual and leadership development is very important to the growth and development of this ministry. I will support the spiritual and leadership development of our members by offering regular courses for credit through Unity Institute’s Spiritual Education and Enrichment (SEE) program that educates future church leaders as Licensed Unity Teachers, Ministers and Lay Leaders. Regular classes will be held on Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings throughout the year. I would be pleased to discuss the program with anyone who is interested in taking the SEE program seriously and support you in working toward living into that goal. (See theClasses section of this web site.)
4) Prayer Ministry. Prayer is the cornerstone of the Unity movement and a very important part of this ministry’s work. Living into this year, I am excited to set into motion a program that enfolds the various prayer groups active within Unity Church of Mesa under one Prayer Ministry Umbrella that functions in support of the various prayer needs for members of our church community. This will include a required focused training workshop weekend and on-going prayer team support gatherings throughout the year. The training weekend has been scheduled for the end of January (with full details given in the training announcement in this newsletter). By participating in the training commitment, each member will not only be better prepared as church prayer representatives with an aligned and unified approach, but also be making a greater contribution to the prayer consciousness of this ministry, and in the demonstration of prayer in our greater community around us. I know, as all you Unity truth students know as well, prayer is the greatest gift we can give one another, and to ourselves. I welcome all who are called into service as a prayer partner to become a member of the Unity Church of Mesa’s Prayer Ministry Team. If your heart is singing to join us, please contact me to discuss how you might participate in this wonderful gift of service.
Let us be reminded of one of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” As we live into the New Year, let us do it from what lies within us, that infinite all knowing essence of the Christ that dwells at the heart of every Being. That is the only way to live. Are you with me? Let’s live into life in a magnificent way this year, together…what a powerful difference we can all make in our world when we do.
Namaste’ friends.
Rev. Meghan Smith, meghan@unityofmesa.org, 480 892 2700 ext. 27
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