Board for 2011-2012:

President: Dick Allen
Vice Pres: Pam Prather
Secretary: Bill Jonsen
Treasurer: Deni Niethammer
Joyce Burgess
Pat Johnson
Charley Rogers
Betsy Whatley
Judie McKown, Alternate
Tim Willis, Alternate

From the Board

      from Dick Allen Board President, 2010-

Winter 2011-12: Do you find yourself asking, "Where did Summer go?" Now with Autumn history too, we realize even more that as we get older, time does seem to move faster. That, together with all of the activities our church is involved in, just points out the energy and opportunities we are offered. Some of these are: 

1. Several Associate Minister candidates have submitted applications. Though fewer than expected, we realize that we are one of 26 Unity churches presently seeking ministerial help in some capacity, and that only seven new ministers graduated from Unity Village this past term. We now have a Search Committee in place and they are already reviewing candidates’ information. 
2. Our Unity Habitat Team has completed work on the 13th Interfaith Build with Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. This was the third consecutive year we have provided a team.
3. A "Peace Porridge Hot" luncheon on Oct. 23 introduced 25+ interested attendees to the subsequent “Beyond War” series of classes taught by Board members Charley Rogers and Pam Prather, along with Nancy Glowacki. 
4. Charley and Pam introduced "Easy Giving" during October Sunday services. Easy Giving, formerly called Faithful Stewardship, is an opportunity for members to pledge their weekly offering via credit card, debit card, or bank draft. Then, even if you are away from church on a particular Sunday, your offering is still tendered. This can have a huge effect on our ability to meet expenses each month. Thank You to the 31 folks who have signed up as "Easy Givers."
5. Board member Judie McKown volunteered to head up the Belk fundraiser for our church. Nearly $700 was donated to the church by Judie and her recruits selling $5 tickets to the Belk Charity Sale. Each purchaser got $5 off his/her purchase, and the church got to keep the $5. Thank you, Judie, for your and your recruits’ efforts! 
6. On Nov 13, we welcomed 13 new members into the church. Welcome to each of you, and thank you for joining this "Merry Band of Seekers". 
7. Board Member Betsy Whatley designed and painted three new signs to direct drivers to the church. One sign each will be mounted at the intersections of Airport Road & Old Fanning Bridge, Hwy. 280 & Hwy. 191, and Hwy. 191 & Old Fanning Bridge. Unity member Richard Mackey constructed the holders and posts for the signs. Thank you, both, for your efforts. 
8. At Sunday services throughout November, the congregation was given the opportunity to make a "“Love Offering" for the Unitic Band and Church Staff. This is the third year we have offset the lack of raises/bonuses for these groups with this "Thank You" for their services. The gifts will be made at Christmas. 

We encourage you to volunteer in some way - you'll make new friends or deepen existing relationships, find & use your own strengths, and feel more connected to your church family. Don't miss the experience! The Board normally meets the third Monday night of each month at 6:00 p.m. Any church attendee is welcome at any meeting. Come and join us anytime. 

Respectfully submitted, Dick Allen, Board President

Fall 2011:  The summer of ‘11 will go down as one of the hottest on record for our area (indeed, for most of the country), as well as one of the busiest for our Board and church.

Five of our Board members attended Leadership Training at Unity in Atlanta over the weekend of July 15-16. We found it to be interesting and most informative. One mini-theme of the Conference was that we cannot over-communicate with our congregants, but need to use every avenue available to be sure folks are well-informed.

To put this into immediate practice we have done several things:

1. We are posting the latest approved Board minutes and any other pertinent information (such as a copy of the letter to Unity Village re: the desire to hire an Associate Minister) on the bulletin board in the hallway leading to the Restrooms.
2. A Board member will announce in the Sunday services anything that may be of interest to fellow congregants, which is what just transpired leading up to August's "What’s Cooking at Unity" potluck.
3. We had a Board member available at each table at the above potluck luncheon to discuss and answer any church-related questions raised at that table.

At the New Member Dinner on August 5^th, we welcomed 11 of the 22 Unitics who had joined in the last year. Thank you, Joyce Bugess, for chairing this event for the second consecutive year. Thank you, too, to all who took part in making the evening so special. There were many sweet moments as you expressed your love for our church.

As mentioned above, we have sent to Unity Village a letter expressing our desire to hire a part-time Associate Minister (see pg 2). The offer is open to any licensed, ordained Unity ministers who have served two years or more. We expect a number of applicants to respond.

In addition to the job being a part-time one, with considerable flexibility in the work schedule, the selected minister will receive a salary of $18,000 and have opportunities to grow that income with weekly classes and a share in an increase in Sunday attendance (and corresponding offering). S/he will share the pulpit duties with Chad who has graciously agreed to reduce his salary by $18,000 for his reduced workload.

A selection process will be forthcoming. Some of this process is dictated by Unity headquarters, but we will have considerable flexibility. For sure, we will involve the congregation by choosing a Selection Committee composed of a representative sample of about 10 congregants of various ages & lengths of church membership, Board members, and Chad. If you would like to commit to serve on this committee for the full process, please contact a Board member or email unity@unitync.net

The committee will review applicant resumes & videos, then choose the top five or so candidates, who will be invited for a "tryout" opportunity to conduct a Sunday service and afternoon workshop, etc. for our benefit. The congregation will be asked to vote and give input to the Committee at the end of these tryouts. Hopefully, we will be in a position to make a selection around March of ’12.

We have not had a Love in Action Coordinator for several years. In addition to this opening, we have a number of vacancies on the Ushers/Greeters Teams, Coffee Teams, Kitchen Team, etc. Please consider volunteering for any of these important duties. A complete listing of available committees/teams, and team leaders, is on page 14 of this newsletter.

On behalf of all our Board members, thank you for the opportunity to serve.

~Dick Allen, Board President

At the Annual Meeting in May, the congregation elected six members to the Board. They are:

1. Charley Rogers - A Board Alternate in ’08, Charley completed the unexpired term of a board member who resigned - now elected to a full three-year term. Charley and wife Kim have attended Unity since moving here in ’95, becoming members in ’05. Involved with “new thought” theology since the early ‘70’s, he is now involved with Peace initiatives, and serves as educator/facilitator with Henderson County non-profit groups.
2. Pam Prather - A recent new member with husband Jack, Pam brings much enthusiasm and expertise to the Board with her election to a three-year term. They moved to Hendersonville five years ago, were introduced to Unity by Charley and Kim Rogers, and quickly became involved in a number of church activities. Pam serves as Development Director with The Healing Place.
3. Deni Niethammer - Elected to a second, consecutive three-year term - Deni served as Board Treasurer for most of her first term. Deni moved to Fletcher five years ago from Boulder, Co. She owns and operates a successful real estate company and eBay store.
4. Joyce Burgess - A Board Alternate in ’08, Joyce completed the remaining term of a Board member who resigned. Joyce has been much involved with a number of Unity activities, such as new member dinners, Lighthouse Celebration, and most recently with the introduction of the OM products through our Bookstore. She is the local distributor of this line of products and has generously donated her profits to the church, when those products are purchased through our Bookstore.
5. Judie McKown - With husband Steve and two Golden Retrievers, Judie now lives fulltime in Brevard, after spending part of each year in Tampa. They were members of Tampa Unity and were surprised and delighted to find our church in ’04, and to find it to be just what they were searching for. Judie is a retired CPA and has served on a number of boards, so she brings much good experience and energy to our Board.
6. Tim Willis - After a number of jobs during and after college, Tim “found” Atlanta Unity and his first sales job in the late ‘80’s, and both felt like “home.” Since ’06, Tim has been an employee of Apple Tree Honda, specializing in pre-owned sales. Tim brings a wealth of experience and talent to the Board.

As discussed in the Annual Meeting, the impetus of this Board is to address at least the following:

1. Watch costs, monitor spending, look for ways to increase church attendance and increase income,
2. Pursue adding an Associate Minister to work with Chad by crafting a creative offer with our many opportunities for an aspiring person, such as:
   a) Part-time work 20-30 hours/week, with flexible hours,
   b) Work with & be mentored by a real Master in our young 77-year-old minister.
   c) Have an opportunity to “grow” his/her ministry, as well as salary, by teaching classes, giving workshops, increasing attendance and income,
   d) Have an opportunity to work/play/live in one of the most beautiful locales anywhere, serve on this one-of-a-kind campus with an outstanding, dedicated staff, band, congregation, and yes Board. Once created, we’ll send this resume to Unity Village, where it will be published for all to see, and we’ll see what the response will be. After we select the best half-dozen, or so, from the many applications we expect, we’ll invite candidates in for a visit and presentation to the congregation.
3. Of course, this Board will deal with the usual unexpected “opportunities for excellence” which will undoubtedly arise, in the spiritually awakened and light-hearted way of this group. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. 

~Dick Allen, Board President

Sept 2010: Whew, what a summer! As cold and snowy as was our winter, this summer has been a record-breaking hot one. Hope you have managed to "stay cool" in every way.

The summer has been busy too. Some of what Unity has been involved in:

• Unity Feed the Kids Team served its first dinner on May 28, 2010, and also served on 7/2 & 8/13, and a lunch in August. From 180-250 kids are served dinner on these Friday nights. For information on how you can help with this outstanding effort, see pg 2 or contact Geri Conley.

• Our Unity served as host church for the UMMAS Leadership Training over the weekend of July 16/17th. Over 120 Unitics from NC, SC, TN, and GA attended. Many of our members served to make sure the event was well hosted, but Phil & Pam Thurman and Betsy Whatley deserve special recognition. Our church, staff, volunteers, and grounds earned many compliments! Thank you.

• The New Member Dinner on July 23 was a huge hit as we welcomed 16 of our interesting and talented new members. Thank you all who have chosen to join with us; and special thanks to Joyce Burgess for co-ordinating this event!

To reduce ongoing costs and conserve energy, while doing all we can to practice environmentally friendly efforts, we have formed an Energy Conservation and Reduction Committee, chaired by Jim Caskowski, Facilities Manager of Pack Place and a new member last November. Phil Thurman and Dick Allen serve with Jim. A number of items have been completed; many more are underway.

For the 3rd consecutive year, Unity will field a team to participate in the 12th Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity Interfaith Build. Unity, along with 12 other faith communities, will work on construction of the house from Aug. 24 to mid-October. We have been assigned 8 workdays over this period. To join the team, contact Dick Allen, coordinator. You can participate in other ways, too: make a donation to AAHH, shop at the AAHH Home Store in Biltmore, or donate goods to the Home Store.

Part of each Sunday service in September will be used to discuss Faithful Stewardship. Typically, one of the board members will discuss why s/he attends Unity, why s/he serves as Board member, and what being a Faithful Steward means to him/her. The member will explain the mechanics of becoming a Faithful Steward, but even more importantly why.

Over the past two years, the staff and Board have made significant reductions in those costs over which we have some control. A number of significant new cost-cutting efforts are being considered or already underway. In spite of this, we have been in the red in each of those years. Part of this is due to Sunday attendance being down slightly, but more significantly due to the fact that the average offering gift has been down markedly. Were it not for the large one-time gift of a long-time faithful Unity benefactor and the ability to dip into our reserve funds, which currently rest at just under $80,000, the economic situation would have been far worse for us.

You will be given a chance to make a decision on Faithful Stewardship in the weeks ahead. Until then, please examine what tithing, what this church and being a member of this "merry band of seekers" (as Chad fondly refers to us), what belonging to this spiritual family of like-minded souls, and any number of other outstanding qualities this church offers each of us – means to you. If you agree, as I certainly do, that we have so much to be thankful for, consider becoming a Faithful Steward and/or increasing your weekly offering to the level you feel moved to attain. Our deficits can certainly be eliminated if each of us "does his/her part." Thank you.

Respectfully submitted, Dick Allen, Board President

Over the church year, our Board has been presented with a number of opportunities dressed as challenges. Some of the more significant have been:

• We were introduced to the “Appreciative Inquiry” concept at the UMMAS Leadership Retreat last summer in Greensboro. Our interpretation of the concept led to questioning the congregation as to “Why Do I Come To Unity?” Answers to this question are listed on the poster in the lobby. The answers are also helping us develop a “brand” that identifies in a few words what our Unity is, does, means to us. Our initial thoughts of a “brand” center around “Love in Action,” a long-time phrase used in our church to describe volunteer activities. If you have thoughts on what would constitute a good “brand” name/phrase, please list them on a card and place in the box in the lobby.
• We invested $20,000 in a loan to Unity Church of Raleigh to help them over some rough economic times until they could sell some of their land and buildings. They have already repaid half the loan with significant interest, and we expect the remainder in January, 2011.
• We also made gifts of $500 each to both the Association of Unity Churches and Unity of Birmingham (AL), both struggling economically.
• We have looked into Elder Housing and a "green" cemetary for possible use of some of our 21 acres of land. At the moment, we are leaning more toward a Memorial Gardens concept.
• The March Auction, co-chaired by Bobbi Abbott and Janie Adair raised over $13,000 for the church. The May “Unity Plays Broadway” performances, co-produced by Lytingale and Katie O’Shea brought in another $2,000! Thank you all, and especially you ladies who made it happen.
• Dick Allen headed up the Unity Habitat team for the second straight year working on Interfaith House No. 11 in the Summer of ’09. Interfaith House No. 12 will start up in August, we again expect to provide a work team.
• The Unity Feed the Kids group, co-chaired by Connie Shoemaker, Laura Nelson, and Geri Conley, will serve a meal for the first time on May 28th.
• Last November, the congregation was asked to help a little extra for love offerings for our Staff and Band. These two groups had not received raises or bonuses in a couple of years, so this was our way of thanking them. Your generous gifts were made to them in December.
• Because of our struggles with income, especially due to the loss of two Sundays’ services because of snow, a 10% salary reduction for the Staff & Band was announced in January. The plan will go into effect whenever it appears that we’ll lose $1,500 or more, in any given month. Since devising this plan, fortunately we have not had to implement it!
• In March, Bill and Phyllis Jonsen presented a lively Star Trek skit to present the Faithful Stewards concept. This program allows you to have an amount deducted regularly from your VISA, Mastercard, or bank checking account. A significant income is now being generated by members already on the plan. Further emphasis on expanding Faithful Stewards participation will take place in June.

At the April Board meeting, Suka Chapel was chosen serve as the new Board President. However, she has chosen to resign, and the Board has now re-elected me as President.

It has been my good fortune to have been able to serve as President and as a member of this outstanding board. Welcome aboard, new members!

Respectfully submitted,
~Dick Allen, Board President

During the January Board meeting, Dick Allen moved from Vice President to President, Suka Chapel was voted in as Vice President, and Joyce Burgess agreed to serve out the remaining portion of John’s term on the board. These folks will serve until Board elections in May.

One of the many unique things about Unity is openness to new ideas. Robbie & Jen McLucas recently suggested a novel way to create a Unity presence in downtown Asheville. Thus, Truth On Tap, a twice/month gathering at the Lexington Avenue Brewery was born. Chad meets with any and all who want to sit at the Unity table and share thoughts and beer. Eighteen folks were at the second gathering, and it’s not only a great way to introduce Unity to others, but a way for fellow Unitics to bond. Try it out the next second or fourth Tuesday, bet you’ll enjoy.

Snows in December and January caused the cancellation of two Sunday services. The resulting loss of revenue taxed our already challenged financial position.

This prompted Board member Bill Jonsen to devise a creative way to re-introduce the Faithful Steward concept to the congregation. No one present at either of the Feb. 7^th services will soon forget Bill and Phyllis’ appeal, set in a Star Trek theme! Thank you both for your inspired and interesting presentation.

If any of you are interested in becoming a Faithful Steward, you can do so by calling the church office, and letting Kathy know of your intention to have your Visa or Mastercard account debited each month, or pledge a monthly amount from your checking account online. Either way, it insures that your offering will be made regardless of the weather.... so the Unity Ship can stay on course!

I want to offer special recognition of the following volunteer efforts:

• Fonda Haight and Evan Williams for working with Lytingale in setting up & promoting Unity on Facebook and for offering other ideas on increasing the church’s online presence, and for creating the Connections team to help visitors and new members to become more connected;
• Rick Sherrill for shoveling snow from the sidewalks;
• Pete Latrella for twice plowing/scraping driveways and parking lots to allow Sunday services;
  
• Bobbie Abbott and Janie Adair for co-chairing the upcoming Unity Auction on Friday, March 19, and assisting Jana Weed in this most important church fundraiser. We are now ready to receive your donations of items and gift certificates to sell at the Auction. We do hope you'll attend and bring a friend! It's lots of fun and there are some great bargains to be had by all.

For the many who graciously perform their efforts to make our church what it is – Thank You!

Respectfully submitted,  Dick Allen, Board President

from John Abbott, Board President, 2009-2010

• Our Thanksgiving celebration. Many thanks go to each of you who helped "create" this event & make it such a special time for so many of us. To Nancy Glowacki and ALL of you co-creators, a very warm and grateful thank you for the beautiful, festive, delicious, and plentiful dinner experience you provided!
• The outpouring of love and thanksgiving by each of you to our Staff and Musicians in the Special Offering during November. Although times have been lean, we recognized the importance of these special folks in our church family by providing them with a generous love offering. I know I speak for them when I tell you of their gratitude for your generosity during these "dark" of times and how blessed they are in receiving the "light" of our offerings of love.

• The fixing of the entry waterfall and many thanks go to Dick Allen and his crew for the diligence they applied to get it running for us to enjoy!

Your board has been hard at work on number of initiatives including...

• Providing an opportunity for the Montessori Learning Community to operate out of our facility. Our Unity Center, surrounded by and immersed in the "essence" of creation in all its natural beauty and wonder is a marvelous environment providing the foundation for learning the various systems which manifest in our natural world. Young minds, and more importantly, Spirits, are being nurtured in the fertile grounds of our "space" and we are overjoyed to be able to be a part of this unfolding.

• The Elder Housing initiative is still alive, but with the housing market still in upset, we are holding off on pursuing this program until the nation's financial crisis subsides and our own economic posture is developed. More information to come!

• Our Connections program got off to a fabulous start headed by Fonda Haight & Evan Williams. They started a program whereby folks visiting Unity are made to feel welcomed and are contacted after the visit to welcome them to return. While we had a system in place prior to their involvement, we've had a wonderful upsurge in response to this enhanced program. Our heartfelt thanks go to Fonda & Evan for their personal energy invested in this initiative.

• As part of the Connections program, Fonda, Evan, and Lyte have expanded and promoted our presence on Facebook resulting in a multitude of folks who have previously not heard of our community now being exposed to all we have to offer. Fonda & Lyte plan to present a workshop devoted to exploring Facebook, how and why to use it, and why it is such an important part of "connecting" in this present age! Look for more information to come!

• Special thanks to Mike Birkle and the A/V staff for your great work on our Sound System. Mike has been working assiduously to provide us with the optimum audio and visual experience. Not an easy task given the configuration of our sanctuary! Thanks to Mike and to all the A/V staff for your consistent dedication to our community.

Keep our upcoming Auction in the forefront of your mind especially as you begin to "change over" from one season to the next. The Auction, on March 19, is one of our biggest fund-raisers of the year, and we are looking for "gently used", quality items of value to be donated. We'd like the auction to be less a "yard sale" event, and more an event people will remember as an "awesome" experience of buying and selling high-value items.

If you are a business person, or one who has contacts, consider donating interesting items of value or whatever service you can offer. We always get great results selling services such as handyman work, photo shoots, interior decorating consultations, and the like. Since our space is limited, we'd appreciate your keeping these special items safe in your home or business until the call is made to gather them in to our facility. For more info, contact Janie Adair or Bobbi Abbott, Co-Chairs of this year's auction. Let's "circle the wagons" to make this the BEST auction EVER!

I want you to know our Board has such a wonderful spirit of warmth and amity and we are so thankful to have Rev. Chad as our spiritual guide and mentor.

We also deeply cherish the opportunity to serve each and every one of you! Please let us know your thoughts and ideas and, if possible, lend us your hands in service as we continue to build on this marvelous experience we call Unity. You always have a personal invitation to attend any of our Board meetings which are normally held the third Monday at 6:00pm.

With the passing of the winter solstice, we usher in and welcome, with great joy and gladness, the "light" which grows increasingly in warmth, brightness and breadth in our hearts, our minds, and our world. Be sure to invite your relatives, friends, and neighbors to share this "uniquely different" experience with you. May it be ever so.

Yours in Unity, John Abbott, Board President

~ John Abbott, Board President

Thank you to all who participated in the Annual Meeting, and especially to those who brought the food!  We made a Bylaws change so that all references to Unity Center of Christianity in Fletcher were changed to Unity Center of Christianity in Mills River, to match the change in our mailing address.  We are holding our own financially, with the help of a one-time gift of $35,000 from an anonymous member. 

Elected to 3 years terms on the Board: Suka Chapel, Pat Johnson, Bill Jonsen. Elected as Board Alternates (for 1-year terms): Joyce Burgess, Gary Prichard, Brad Swift.  Our thanks to Mike Birkle, Krishna Murphy, Linda Walker who just completed their terms on the Board.

We elected Mike Birkle to the 2010 Nominating Committee, with Geri Conley as Alternate.

from Mike Birkle

Board President, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 

~ Mike Birkle, past Board President

~ Mike Birkle, Board President

June 2008 - Tis the season to be jolly fa la la la la la la la ..... Ok wrong season but apt sentiment. Even summer time, which really is not my preferred season (Yes I'm a Scrooge at heart when it comes to summer), holds a reason to celebrate; I just have to look harder. But Unity remains a constant source of joy.

Well, with the coming of summer we close our fiscal year and there have definitely been some challenges there, but we need not dwell on the past - rather let's move forward with direction and purpose.

At the Annual Meeting we elected new members to the Board. I look forward to service with John Abbott, Deni Neithammer, Nancy Pew, and their alternates Charley Rogers and Dick Allen. I hope they find as much reward in their service as Board members as I have.

And with new Board members there are those departing; Betsy Whatley, Mike Vaniman, Will Allen, and Jim Wohlgemuth. I wish to extend my heart-felt thanks for their service and what's more, the real pleasure of their company.

In the coming year with the new Board, we will be revisiting and revitalizing our mission and vision for Unity, looking specifically at ways to facilitate making this a reality. And with that in mind, I extend an invitation to consider sharing what that is for you and how we can make it a reality.

As Board president I have many expectations for what we at Unity can be and accomplish. But as long as we can balance the budget, get a decent cup of coffee Sunday morning and a great hug well that wouldn't be too bad for starters...

Our Faithful Stewards program allows you to tithe by credit card to make it convenient and easy to support your spiritual family. Tithing becomes one less thing to think about. The Faithful Stewards help the church to have a more balanced, consistent revenue picture.

Thank you to all of you who have sent prayers my way for my health challenges. It's good to know that my spiritual family is there to support me.

~ Mike Birkle, Board President

Greening Unity

Our Unity Center is exploring small and large ways to "go green." We hope to serve as a model for green techniques, and thus to qualify for grants for the more expensive items.
Right now: Recycling office paper and plastics. No styrofoam cups. Compost bucket in the kitchen. Commercial dishwasher & plates/flatware rather than disposables. CFL lightbulbs where possible. Low flush toilets.
In process: Our new entryway will have Suntubes & Solar lighting; Renewable bamboo flooring; Solarpowered fountain.
Future projects: Windmill & Solar power to generate electricity. Geothermal heating/cooling/water heating. Rainbarrels for gardens.

Cost-saving Measures

Although we did not exceed the Expenses that were budgeted for fiscal year 2007-08, our church experienced a significant drop in Income, resulting in a $44,000 deficit for the year. For this year's budget, we looked long and hard for ways to reduce expenses. The following cuts have been made:

• The 891-3337 (fax, DSL) phone line discontinued ($450 /year) (Fax is now call-ahead, sharing 891-8700)
• Advertising cancelled in Pisgah Mountain News & Asheville Daily Planet ($1,192/yr)
• Renegotiated credit card processing fees (@$200/year)
• LoveInAction celebration - no brunch ($1,000/year)
• Musicians pay rates - rolled back to pre-raise amounts ($300/month)
• Signer for Deaf discontinued ($2,600/yr)
• Board Christmas dinner - move from restaurant to potluck (@$600/yr)

This initiative makes it easy to support your spiritual family, especially for those of us with a lot on our plates. Tithing becomes one less thing to think about. The Faithful Stewards help the church to have a more balanced, consistent revenue picture. If you did not receive the mailing, call the church or drop by the Bookstore, fill out the form and forget about it. 

Our Nominating Committee is now working on creating a slate of candidates for the Board. If you are interested in serving in this important and interesting growth opportunity, talk to Chad or a Board member. If you know of someone that you think would make a good Board member, let us know that too! Board members attend a meeting once a month, and serve for 3 year terms.

 We will elect new Board members at our Annual Meeting, which I hope you will plan to attend on Sunday, May 18, right after the 11:00 service (about 12:30). We need your presence to have quorum so we can vote and conduct the church's official business. Please plan to invest this little bit of time (a little over 1hour). A luncheon will be served to everyone attending the meeting. If you're not yet an official voting member, you can join on Sunday, May 18 after attending the New Member Orientation on Monday, May 12. 

Thank you to all of you who have sent prayers my way for the health challenge I've been facing. It's good to know that my spiritual family is there to support me. Although the doctors still haven't agreed on what's going on, I am slowly improving and have returned to work.

 ~ Mike Birkle, Board President 

December, 2007 ~ Well, another season has passed, our summer chores were accomplished, the building exterior has been refurbished, painted, shrubs trimmed, and grass mowed for the last time.

As we move into Christmas where it's easy to get wrapped up in the Madison Avenue hype (to feel the pressure of finding the right gift, finding the money for the right gift, finding the time to find the right gift) or for many of us personal issues dealing with the ghosts of Christmas past, that we forget "Jesus is the reason for the season".

Christmas is a celebration of His birth, life and ultimate gift to us. Granted it is wonderful that we set aside a holiday to try and emulate Jesus through acts of giving. But it is in those who give in their daily life, who don't have to wait for a holiday, that we find the true meaning of Christmas.

To all of you I want to give thanks, and especially to all the volunteers who have helped and continue to help keep Unity running. Your Talents, Time, Treasures and Tithe make it all possible and continue to make it possible.

There is no gift too small, though sometimes unnoticed and personally unacknowledged, the worth is no less. So whether you choose "ho ho ho", or "BAH, humbug", this Christmas season remember that in the end, even Scrooge, found the ultimate gift of giving warmed his soul.

We are starting the tithe by credit card campaign to help make giving more convenient and nudge us into the 21^st century. Sometimes change is easy sometimes not. This initiative will be easy, especially for those of us with a lot on our plates. Tithing will be just one less thing to think about. For the church, this will allow us to have a more balanced revenue picture over time.

Look for more information in the mail or just drop by the Book store, fill out the form and forget about it.

Merry Christmas from the Board

~ Mike Birkle, Board President

September, 2007 ~ Wow time flies, summer is winding down, vacations ending, school back in session and time to think about those summer projects that need wrapping up, as well as some new ones to get started.

The Board has a few projects and initiatives on our agenda. September the much needed church exterior maintenance and repainting is to be accomplished. And the upper story glass treatment will be completed.

Coffee, anyone? We are now serving organic fair trade coffee, both regular and decaf, so enjoy.

We are also looking at energy usage and ways to lower costs and our CO2 burden on the planet. Along those lines, I'd like extend a special thanks to Tom Kreimeier who over the last year has changed over most of the lighting to low wattage florescent bulbs and yes, it only takes 1 Unitic to change a light bulb, actually thanks to everyone who gives the gift of their time, talents, treasures, and tithe.

And with the ending of summer it is nice to see all of our returning members - hope you had a great summer!

~ Mike Birkle, Board President

~ Mike Birkle, Board President

from Krishna Murphy

Board President, 2006-2007 

Krishna Murphy, Board President

Greetings! I hope this finds you well and happy, as I am. I've pondered much over what I might share in this message. Though the function of the Board is to handle the church's business, there is so much more that is meaningful in being a Unitic. As Board members, we in some way exemplify that; my life certainly reflects it, as you’ll see.

There is one item of business I want to bring to your attention. We finished our last fiscal year “in the black” - for the first time since I’ve been on the board! Congratulations, and thanks so much to everyone for your contributions. I know some folks were very concerned in that regard; your faith has born fruit.

We’ll always have new challenges, like the tractor being repaired now, or the usual winter Sundays with ice storms forcing cancellation of services and the consequent loss of a substantial chunk of our revenue stream that month.

One way of smoothing these minor bumps in our financial road was brought out at the Board Training we hosted recently – they called it the “Consistent Giving Program.” We already have the infrastructure to implement such a program her, and you’ll be hearing more about that grace-filled opportunity soon.

As many of you know, I had the opportunity to overcome major challenges in the arena of health over the last several years. Thanks again to everyone, both for the wonderful support you gave and most especially for your many heartfelt prayers; I am certain that the excellent new level of well-being I enjoy is due in no small part to your Love, and you are in my heart forever.

The power of our prayers has no limit, and the needs are present at every moment. At this time, I ask you to please hold our dear sister Laura W. in your prayers as she overcomes her health challenges. Her courage and faith are sure to be rewarded, and we are blessed to be empowered to hold her in our hearts.

Prayer has benefited me in every area of my life, and I am grateful that I have had your support in that. I know that many of you have experienced the striking effects of prayer as practiced here, and I encourage each of you to take full advantage of the extraordinary blessings available. I hope you will share YOUR experiences of that power in your life with others, as I am sharing with you – then invite them on over to the church! “The more, the merrier!”

One of the many ways that I have been blessed through the power of prayer and positive intention is in the area of experiencing “Plenty.” I refer to it as such, rather than “Abundance” or “Prosperity” as other sometimes do, not because there is anything inherently wrong with those concepts, but rather because I have some negative associations with those terms from the way I’ve seen others use them. For me, “Plenty” means having ALL that you need, plus a little bit more for comfort – without the connotation of waste that I’ve heard exalted in so many other programs.

This experience of financial blessing has moved me to overcome further resistance in myself, and I have accepted the special invitation to join the 4-T program (“Tithe your Time, Talent, and Treasure”) extended by Chad and the facilitators. I hope you join us; this program begins soon, and your presence will be a great blessing.

It's been good to have a chance to share these things with you, and I thank you for your gracious attention. The world is richer for your beloved presence. May the blessings of God be upon you as you go forth!

Yours Truly!
Krishna Murphy, Board President

Thank you to all who participated in the Annual Meeting, and especially to those who brought the food!  Our Treasurer reported that we showed a surplus of $5,191 for the fiscal year.

Re-elected to 3 years terms on the Board: Mike Birkle, Krishna Murphy, Elected to a new 3-year term: Linda Walker. Elected as Board Alternates (for 1-year terms): Mike Vaniman, Cathy Visoskis.  Our thanks to Amanda Trancoso who just completed her term on the Board.

We elected Margaret Klava to the 2007 Nominating Committee, with Joe Glowacki as Alternate.

Joe Glowacki reminded us that it's time to inspect, repair, and paint the siding on our building, to prevent further, more costly repairs.

from Terry Gratton

Board President  2005-2006 

Friendship Sunday took months of planning. It was a great success. Betsy Whatley and Janie Adair, both Board members, co-chaired the event. They could not have accomplished as much as they did without the support of many volunteers. Our amazing band treated us to a wonder-filled concert. I saw church members moved to tears by the beautiful music. The energy in the church was electric. We all had a good time. The friend that I brought is still bragging about the wonders of Unity

We hosted the Unity Board/Minister Training Retreat for UMMAS Region last July. This event was huge and again Betsy Whatley and Janie Adair spearheaded the entire successful affair. We have been asked to host this event again this year.

Sudbury School Committee approached the Board proposing that we rent space to them for the upcoming year. Thus, Sudbury School has been with us since October.

We were able to get our mortgage refinanced to flat 6% fixed interest rate giving us a substantial savings. We adopted a Unity Church in Key West which was totally ruined during hurricane Katrina.

The auction was another huge undertaking. It was co hosted by Kathy West, B.J. Condrey, Kathleen Eislet and myself. At least 60 volunteers helped make this event the best auction ever bringing in almost $9,000.00.

The Bookstore personnel had requested a Mission Statement. Thanks to Bill Black, they now have one.

Thanks to Nancy Glowacki for all she does.

On a personal level, I would like to thank all of you for the support you have given to the Board and for all the good work that you do for this church. I have met wonderfully kind and loving people.

I have completed the year long commitment as President. I have enjoyed every moment and have been privy to working with Board Members who have taught me with their wisdom and experience. I thank them for their support. May I also express my appreciation to Reverend Chad for his guidance and humor. God bless you all!

I will continue to serve as President of the Board through June, when the Board will choose its new President. I do have one more year remaining of my term, during which I plan to be very active both on the Board and within the membership. I can only say to you all that I have been truly blessed by this experience.

Terry Gratton, Board President

We thank Bill Black & Janie Adair for writing the Bookstore mission statement…”To offer books, music, and items of spiritual, self help, and religious nature for our members and others who use our church.”

The monthly game nights started in January, and have had a good turnout. Everyone enjoys this inexpensive night out, and friendships are forming. We meet once a month, 7pm - 10:30pm. Dates are on the Schedule. All adults are invited for a friendly evening of fun and games. Come play with us!

The Board also approved a garage sale. We need a couple of volunteers to lead the garage sale team. Call Terry to tithe some of your time to this effort. The proceeds will go to the Y.O.U.

Our building is 6 years old and it is time to have a “painting party”. We want the classrooms to look cheerful and bright. We need volunteers for one or two Saturdays to prep and paint. We will even feed the paint team and the garage sale team. This also can be a lot of fun and a great time to meet new folks. Please call Chad with any questions

We are figuring out different ways to use the patio. We are getting estimates on the cost of partially covering it so that we can have more activities out there.

We believe in the importance of our monthly Friday night Spiritual Cinema series, and are looking into estimates to put more blinds up in the chapel so that movies can be viewed during the evenings when it is still light out.

We are also addressing ways to increase our membership and serve our members. Janie Adair and Betsy Whatley are co chairing Friendship Day. This event will take place on Sunday, April 30th and it will be a lot of fun. Please think about who you would like to invite and also how you might help out.

As previously stated, the All Membership Meeting will be held on May 21. There will be three openings for regular Board members and 2 openings for Alternates. If you are interested in serving your church in this capacity please contact any Board Member, Jana, or Chad for more information.

As of the end of May, I will no longer be serving you as President of the Board. I do have one more year remaining of my term, during which I plan to be very active both on the Board and within the membership. I can only say to you all that I have been truly blessed by this experience. God bless you.

Terry Gratton, Board President

Happy Valentines Day from your Board!
Terry Gratton, Board President

Happy Holidays from your Board!
Terry Gratton, Board President

October, 2005:  Here it is October. It’s unbelievable how fast the time goes!

I looked around the table at the last Board meeting and was so grateful to be apart of this particular group of people serving the church. Each of us brings a certain flavor or should I say flair to the meetings. Coming from diverse back grounds, it is amazing how we all work together for the Greater Good. These folks are dedicated to serving Unity. There is humor, compassion, and understanding as we work to accomplish the business of the church.

Not only do the Board Members meet monthly, they donate their time to different projects going on at the church. They serve on committees and participate on the various church related-projects. Several members were responsible, along with church members, for setting up the magnificent meals served at the Minster/Board Retreat. It took several days and countless hours to prepare for that event. All of the Board Members in one capacity or another, are involved with the monumental job of putting the Auction together.

None of these events could take place without the graciousness of the membership who volunteer their time, talent, money and goods. All of the events that occur in the church…concerts, workshops, potlucks, etc. are successful because they are supported by members who attend and who volunteer. You do not go unnoticed. You are appreciated and loved.

I have noticed several new faces at the Sunday services. Some are returning for the second and third time. If you see folks whom you don’t recognize, introduce yourselves, welcome them. If you are like me, you may find out that the have been a member for a long time or they may be new. Either way, you will feel great.

I invite you to volunteer. It is a wonderful way to connect with others and to feel really good about yourself. It is a way to give back to the church. There are many unsung heroes who quietly give their time to help out. We have all kinds of projects that need your help. Let’s have fun serving our church.

Our goal this year is to increase our membership, to fill those chairs on Sunday and to serve you in any way that we can.

Bring a friend. Be a friend. Keep in mind our Vision: Unity Center is an inspired community joyfully practicing Universal Peace, Love and Acceptance.

Terry Gratton, Board President

August, 2005:  I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for you kindness and your support of all of The Board Members.

A year ago I was asked if I would be willing to place my name on the ballot for Board elections. After making several excuses to myself for not participating, I began to ask God what He thought it. The answer came as the question, “What am I afraid of?” I asked myself how would I know if I was capable of performing the duties of a Board Member? That was the time that I realized by the Grace of God that I would not know unless I took the risk and tried.

During the past year I was an active participant of the Board. I also volunteered on other church-related committees. I observed Brad Swift at the Board Meetings. I watched how he directed the Board, his attitude towards us and his relationship with us and with our minister. I was very impressed, and when he resigned his position, I felt sad.

This year, when I was approached to run for the presidency, I asked the same questions of myself. Again I received the same answers from The Divine One. This time I had one other question. “How will I ever fill Brad’s shoes?” The answer was, “Why fill his shoes? Why not my own?” What an awakening!

This is what I am asking of the Board Members and of you. Fill your own shoes. Reach out to the new members and to the visitors. People who come to Unity are spiritual seekers. Remember how you felt when you first walked through the doors when you were welcomed with a smile, a hug, or an understanding nod.

I remember the first time I came to a Sunday service in the old church, I was broken and sad, looking for God. Some one reached out to me and I came back for more of what our beloved Unity offers.

I invite you to volunteer. It is a wonderful way to connect with others and to feel really good about yourself. It is a way to give back to the church. There are many unsung heroes who quietly give their time to help out. We have all kinds of projects that need your help. Let’s have fun serving our church.

Our goal this year is to increase our membership, to fill those chairs on Sunday and to serve you in any way that we can. We are looking at starting up some social groups like a book club, softball team, game night. Bring a friend. Be a friend. Keep in mind our Vision. Unity Center is an inspired community joyfully practicing Universal Peace, Love and Acceptance.

Terry Gratton, Board President