T hriving - Unity Worldwide Ministries

T hriving in Unity

www.ThrivingInUnity.org

1.0

Table of Contents— 3

Table of Contents

Welcome to Thriving in Unity ............................................................................. 4

Leadership and Vision ........................................................................................16

Benchmark 1A: “Thriving in Unity” video in Sunday services ....................17

Benchmark 1B: Videos for new members classes. .........................................33

Benchmark 2: Thriving Ministries Model™ workshop. .................................37

Outreach Initiatives .............................................................................................44

Benchmark 3: Defi ne a welcoming practice for your ministry .....................45

Benchmark 4: Develop and maintain an up-to-date web presence ...............57

Benchmark 5: Schedule and hold at least one guest event ............................77

Congregant Service Opportunities ...................................................................86

Benchmark 6: Chaplaincy program .................................................................87

Benchmark 7: Spiritual Social Action event ...................................................95

Congregant Spiritual Development ................................................................ 110

Benchmark 8: Book studies ........................................................................... 111

Benchmark 9: Peacemaking / non-violent communication. ....................... 143

Ministry Prosperity ...........................................................................................154

Benchmark 10: The Practice of Thriving Program ..................................... 155

Best Practices ......................................................................................................166

Benchmark 11: Green Facilities Assessment ............................................... 167

Benchmark 12: Weekly worship service and class attendance ................... 177

4—Introduction

Welcome to Thriving in Unity!A program of

Unity Worldwide Ministries

Unity Worldwide Ministries is more than 900 ministries world-wide and growing. We are also united as a whole—as one movement.

We have a vision worth working toward: Centered in God, we co-create a world that works for all. This is truly a transformational vision. Even in the face of seeming global chaos there is evidence the seeds of transformation are springing to life. Unity ministries are uniquely positioned to nurture these seeds beginning to take root and grow.

The Unity message has never been needed more. Let us join together and share that message with passion and conviction.

We have three powerful intentions for our association and now have a strategic plan with clear goals to assist us in manifesting these intentions. These intentions grew out of a visionary statement which appears in brief below:

We are the fastest growing transformational spiritual movement in the world. Our congregants, leaders, and our new and established ministries are thriving, whole, healthy, and prosperous. We work closely with leaders around the world to bring forth “a new heaven and a new earth,” as one human family living in a world that works for all.

We believe that when we support our ministries in becoming thriving spiritual communities fi lled with thriving congregants, these intentions will become reality. We have designed a series of programs to support you and your ministry in living into the full potential of Unity principles. Many may already be living into these principles, and we applaud you. We also know that continuous improvement is available to all who seek further growth.

By choosing to participate in the Thriving in Unity program, you will experience:• Deeper connection to the activity happening in the movement as a whole

• Increased energy and enthusiasm within your congregation

• Aligned commitment within your ministry’s leadership

• Greater support for you as a transformational leader

Aligned in harmony, we act with a singleness of purpose to transform ourselves, our ministries, and our world.

Introduction— 5

Just what is a thriving ministry?Imagine a Unity ministry or center where there is more than enough—more than enough energy, creativity, enthusiasm, expertise, volunteerism, money—an abundance of inspired, committed Unity students of all ages and backgrounds who come together to worship, minister, support, serve and make a difference in the world.

Next, imagine an amazing partnership between credentialed and other leaders modeling self-responsibility, personal integrity, commitment to spiritual practice and prayer, and non-violent communication in such a way that others are inspired to take up meaningful roles in the life of the church—leaders cultivating and mentoring other leaders.

Consider what it would be like to participate in a center or church that is so clear about who and what it has come here to be—that the majority of the community are in active roles of bringing forth the shared vision of their future together. Not only are people involved, but they are learning, growing and transforming. And because of this, there is a welcoming spirit that goes beyond attraction—one that brings fi rst-timers face to face with the mirror of their own divinity.

This is a glimpse into what we call the Thriving Ministry Model™—the foundation for Unity becoming the fastest growing transformational spiritual movement in the world.

Our association home offi ce has developed two programs to serve as a pathway to help all our ministries move toward this model:

Option 1: The Practice of ThrivingOption 2: Thriving in Unity

You have selected Option 2: Thriving in Unity This option has 12 benchmarks taken from the key areas of the Transformation Experience. It offers you a starting point designed to move your ministry toward the Thriving Ministry Model™ described above. This kit contains all you need to complete this program and be recognized at the next Unity People’s Convention.

The activities contained in this series of benchmarks were selected as fi rst steps. They don’t touch on every aspect of ministry, because when we narrow our focus to a small number of goals, we know the effect is most powerful. There is always more to be done, and we will develop further programs as we roll out our strategic plan.

6—Introduction

Are You Ready to Transform?This kit has the potential to provide a transformative experience for your ministry. You can do these benchmarks lightly or you can dive in deeply. It’s up to you. As with most things, the more energy and commitment you put into carrying out the program’s 12 benchmarks, the more profoundly you will experience their impact.

By completing all 12 of these benchmarks, you will touch on many of the key areas that help a ministry thrive while accomplishing the following:

• Align your ministry with the energy and vision of our association as a whole and deepen your congregation’s understanding of the movement’s history.

• Introduce your leadership to the Thriving Ministry Model™.

• Defi ne or strengthen your ministry’s welcoming practice.

• Develop or revise your ministry’s website.

• Hold at least one intentional guest outreach program.

• Begin the process of developing a prayer chaplaincy program.

• Hold at least one church-wide Spiritual Social Action activity/event.

• Enhance congregational spiritual development through a book study program.

• Provide a workshop or course on peacemaking/non-violent communication.

• Gift your congregation and board with a prosperity course.

• Discover how “green” your facilities are as they stand.

• Track and evaluate attendance at Sunday services and weekly classes.

Perhaps you are already doing some of these. That’s great! We suggest you read over the material for each benchmark for possible ways to improve or streamline your work.

If you are tackling many of these activities for the fi rst time, you may fi nd it takes more than eight months to complete them all. If you are not fi nished with all 12 benchmarks by the deadline for recognition at the next People’s Convention, please keep going. You can continue to implement the benchmarks in the program and be honored at a later convention.

How to Complete the Program BenchmarksAt the end of each benchmark you will fi nd the required action steps as well as a Benchmark Tracking Sheet. In order to receive credit for the benchmark, this sheet must be completed and submitted to Debbie Allen at our Unity Worldwide Ministries home offi ce. We suggest you submit the form as soon as possible after you complete a benchmark while the experience is still fresh in your mind. Use the Thriving in Unity Program Tracking Sheet (located on page 13) to keep track of which forms you have submitted and which you have still to complete.

Introduction— 7

Once you have completed the last benchmark, send that tracking sheet along with a copy of the program tracking sheet. Both of these forms are on the website www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0. You may fi ll them out online, print and submit the form by mail, or email to [email protected].

We suggest you identify a Thriving in Unity champion or captain. This person may be the minister, a staff member, board member, LUT, or a key volunteer. Duties might include:

• Looking at the church calendar (September through April) to determine when each benchmark will be scheduled to avoid confl ict with items already on the calendar (A sample calendar with scheduling suggestions is included on the following pages.)

• Noting where additional materials may be needed and making arrangements to secure those materials.

• Planning events/activities for the benchmarks or identifying someone who is well suited to carry out the benchmark.

• Completing the required form for each benchmark as they are achieved and submitting it to the home offi ce.

• Filling in the program tracking sheet (found on page 13) throughout the duration of the program and submitting it upon completion of the program. The program tracking sheet is found after the timelines. The Benchmark Tracking sheets are at the end of each section.

A Word to Individual ParticipantsEach of these benchmarks has an individual component for those who are not participating as a ministry and for those who wish to do both. A separate tracking sheet for individuals is included at the end of each section. These tracking sheets have been modifi ed to capture actions geared toward individuals. Please read all of the material for the benchmark and then complete the items listed for individuals noting their completion on the modifi ed form.

Congratulations on choosing to join us in Thrive in Unity. We look forward to receiving your tracking sheets and cheering you on as you complete the program.

8—Introduction

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Introduction— 11

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- Aw

aken

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ome

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ce

(att

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.

12—Introduction

Crea

te y

our

own

Tim

elin

e fo

r Im

plem

enti

ng t

he T

hriv

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in U

nity

Pro

gram

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embe

r O

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r D

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ary

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Benchmarks 1 & 2Leadership and Vision

16—Leadership & Vision

Leadership and Vision“Most important, leaders can conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations and unite them in pursuit of objectives worthy of their best efforts.” —John Gardner

Having a clear vision and enlightened leadership practices is a major component of a thriving ministry. For Unity to thrive as a movement there must be coherence within our ministries and our organizations and congruence between them. Our association is making great gains in its efforts to align more clearly with Unity School. This benchmark is geared toward helping us (all the churches and ministries in our movement) align more clearly as an association.

We invite you to share these Thriving in Unity initiatives underway with your ministry leaders and congregants:

• Our association vision• Our association strategic plan• Our movement’s leadership structure (the two national organizations)• The Thriving in Unity Program• The Thriving Ministry Model™

(As the stratigic plan evolves, updates will be placed at www.unity.org/thrive.)

By sharing this information with your staff, lay leaders, and congregants, you will enroll your ministry in the larger efforts underway for our movement as a whole. The energy and excitement we can generate together far exceeds what we can accomplish alone, as magnifi cent as our individual efforts might be.

When we are clear, focused and united, our impact is immense.

Leadership & Vision— 17

Benchmark 1A: Share the “Thriving in Unity” video in Sunday servicesThe Art & Spirit of ThrivingFor our movement as a whole to truly begin Thriving in Unity, we need to be united in focus and aligned in purpose. In many ways, we are already united and aligned. To help us become more intentional about this important goal, we have created the Thriving in Unity DVD. Your ministry was mailed a copy of the Thriving in Unity DVD in a separate package. The materials for this benchmark have been created to assist you in sharing that video with your congregation. The video can also be viewed at www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0.

Getting StartedWe recommend ministers and spiritual leaders incorporate the video into a series of talks or a single talk on who we are as a movement and where we are going. We hope that with widespread support by ministers and layleaders, this benchmark will have the following effect on our movement:

• Our association is strengthened by a common vision.

• Greater coordination is developed within and among association members and creates a renaissance within the movement, sparking new creativity and synergy that is possible when we work together.

• The movement as a whole is uplifted and energized as we align in energy and intent.

This benchmark can also create the following within ministries:• Congregants understand the role of the association home offi ce and how it differs from

Unity School.

• Congregants and ministry leaders become enthused about the vision and direction emerging for our association and the strategic plan that has been crafted to get us there.

• Congregants and ministry leaders see how their ministry plays an essential role in bringing the vision into reality.

• Congregants and ministry leaders embrace the Thriving in Unity program as a path to building momentum for transformation.

• Congregants and ministry leaders take personal action to get involved and support the activities of the Thriving in Unity program.

Knowing that congregations differ, we have created topics and talking points for a four-part series, a two-part series, and a single talk. Please use the Benchmark 1A Tracking Sheet to record your results.


Action Steps1. Review the Thriving in Unity DVD (sent out separately, also can be viewed at www.

unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0.

2. Present a Sunday series or a talk using the video. Optional: see page 49 for an optional bulletin insert. Also, special music “We Are Unity” is available on the website www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0, Benchmark 1.

3. Complete the Benchmark Tracking sheet and submit it to Unity Worldwide Ministries home offi ce (attention Debbie Allen).

Overview of Lesson Themes:Unity Movement:We are a spiritual movement with a proud heritage of exploring the leading edge. Charles Fillmore did not assign immortality to his own thinking or writing, saying, “I reserve the right to change my mind.” He and Myrtle understood the importance of continuing the quest to fi nd new and more effective ways to apply Principle. Universal law is itself unchanging, but how we apply it should evolve over time as our practical experiences yield new understanding.

Theme 1: Who is Unity?Most would argue that we are in the midst of a global awakening. Fueled by emerging crises on a planetary scale, humanity is searching for a new way of being—one that is life affi rming, that puts the best of who we are and what we have to offer in service to the whole of life. Unity’s teachings are ideally suited for this task when they are applied with a realistic and clear view of where we are as a global community and what each of us can contribute.

Theme 2: A Vision for Unity (Thriving in Unity DVD)We have a powerful and timely visionary statement out of which has emerged a bold strategic plan. Our new strategic plan lays out a clear road map for us to achieve our vision as an association of ministries and individuals. When we are clear, focused and united, our impact is immense.

Theme 3: A Plan for Unity The Thriving in Unity program offers a unique opportunity for all members of Unity Worldwide Ministries to join our efforts across the movement as a whole. Together we can align in harmony and act with a singleness of purpose to transform ourselves, our ministries, and our world.

Theme 4: Thriving in UnityBy choosing to participate in the Thriving in Unity program, we will not only lend our energy to the efforts going on across our movement, we will also have the opportunity to live our principles right here in our own community, our own ministry, and in our own lives.


Theme #1: Who Is Unity?Introduce/review a brief history of Unity and introduce/review the two partnering organizations which serve the Unity movement.

Key Points• Our founders created this movement and its principles on the basis of healing and

prayer

• The movement grew out of a desire to create Unity centers so people could gather to share their journey and study the principles

• In order to best serve the larger world and to serve Unity ministries, we formed two partner organizations

• Our ministries provide supportive communities for congregants and Truth students to learn about and practice Unity teachings.

• It is up to each individual to determine what level of priority they are willing to give to embracing and living a spiritual path.

• Our challenge is to put the purpose of our own spiritual awakening fi rst.

Unity Founders• Charles and Myrtle Fillmore

• A story of healing, a story of courage

• The fi ve basic principles

The Creation of a Movement• Prayer service

• Publications

• The desire for worship centers that taught the basic principles

One Movement/Two Organizations: Two organizations impact how we express ourselves as a movement.

Unity School oversees the content of the Unity message and distributes the message in various ways reaching people of all faiths and traditions.Unity School is located at Unity Village where it:

• Publishes Daily Word and other Unity publications

• Operates Silent Unity (continuous prayer for more than 100 years)

• Offers SEE classes, hosts retreats, and trains ministerial candidates

• Operates Unity.fm online radio shows on Unity principle

Pages 19-26 are available in an editable format (MS Word) on the website www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0 (Benchmark 1—LessonThemes.doc)


Unity Worldwide Ministries is made up of more than 900 churches and centers worldwide. It also includes credentialed leaders and congregants. Unity Worldwide Ministries’ home offi ce provides direct support to Unity ministries and seeks to ensure a basic level of consistency and quality across the Unity movement.The home offi ce for our association is located in Lee’s Summit, just a short distance from Unity Village. Our home offi ce:

• Accepts candidates for ordination

• Offers placement and transitional services

• Ordains and licenses graduates from Unity School

• Supports ministries through programs such as

• Youth ed curriculum

° Small group ministries° Leadership and organizational development° Finance and tax advice° Worldwide coordination with international ministries

As part of Unity Worldwide Ministries, each individual Unity center or church:Supports congregations at the local level in learning about and living spiritual principles.

• Provides a community of like-minded and open-hearted people

• Offers programs, service/volunteer opportunities or other types of spiritual support to deepen one’s spiritual life.

Churches and centers also offer the challenge to go deeper:• How much we get out of our experience of our home church often depends on what

we put into it.

• By making a commitment to be of service in small ways or as lay leaders, we open the channel for spirit to fl ow more fully into our lives.

• Our home church offers us a place to develop our spiritual muscles and explore living principles.

The association home offi ce has produced a video entitled, “Unity: Two Partners, One Spiritual Movement” which captures the history of our movement and the role of the two organizations. You may wish to share this 13-minute video with your congregation. Some suggestions include:

• Run the video after the service in your fellowship hall

• Organize a potluck lunch and show the video

• Plan a special evening event to show the video

• Share it at your mid-week service


Theme #2: A Vision for UnityIntroduce the vision for our association and our movement.

Key Points• Our association has developed its vision over the years, knowing that we are churches,

centers and individuals.

• In current times, we are experiencing a greater urge for transformation throughout the world.

• Often what appears to be chaotic has divine purpose, since crisis almost always precedes transformation.

• Unity is uniquely positioned to support this transformation because of the transformational nature of our teachings.

• Our vision is to be the fastest growing transformational spiritual movement in the world.

• Every church and spiritual center, every leader, every congregant has a role to play in evolving the consciousness of the human family.

• It is up to each of us to commit to doing our part—as ministries, as individuals.

First we asked the question “Who is Unity?” Now we will explore a vision for Unity as a movement.

Set Context: We live in transformational timesExcerpt from Contact magazine, Letter from the President, June 2008 issue: “This is truly an amazing time to be alive. Even in the face of seemingly growing global chaos there is evidence the seeds of transformation are springing to life. As we open our collective eyes and see the work to be done we might feel overwhelmed and small. Yet people all over the world are realizing ‘if it is to be, it’s up to me.’ WE, each one of us, make up the collective. And when we join together and do what needs to be done, transformation occurs.”

The task can seem daunting: • Like the caterpillar that must surrender itself to the

transformational process of becoming a butterfl y, we too must be willing to break down and peel away all that is no longer needed in order to break though to our highest self.

History is governed by those overarching movements that give shape and meaning to life by relating the human venture to the larger destinies of the universe. —Thomas Berry


• Unity is uniquely positioned to serve us in these transformational times

° Refer to theme #1 message and how the teachings of Unity are a guide to how we can bring about a new way of living.

° Include Wisdom from Charles and Myrtle Fillmore.

° Unity as a spiritual movement and our association, with more than 900 spiritual centers and churches worldwide, are uniquely positioned to nurture these seeds of transformation beginning to take root and grow. The Unity message has never been more needed than it is today. We must share that message with passion and conviction, boldly be all that we are, and confi dently do that which is ours to do.

What would it look like if the Unity movement was living into its fullest potential, if it was expressing itself as the full glory of how the divine, God, sees Unity?

Visionary Statement:“We are the fastest growing transformational spiritual movement in the world. Our congregants, leaders, and our new and established ministries are thriving, whole, healthy, and prosperous. We work closely with leaders around the world to bring forth ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ as one human family living in a world that works for all.” —From Ideas to Expression Rev. James Trapp, January 2006

Unity Worldwide Ministries’ Vision Statement: “Centered in God, we co-create a word that works for all.”

The use of the word “all” rather than “everyone” is very important because it implies the understanding that our world must work for all life on planet Earth, not just people. This calls us to be conscious of how the choices we make impact not only other people but the environment as well.


We know that by being intentional and holding a vision in mind, we can bring it into reality.

Relate the vision back to your ministry:• How do we as a ministry contribute to this great work?

• What is our vision for ourselves, our ministry, and our world?

Relate the vision back to the individuals:• How do the personal choices we make impact the world we live in?

• If we indeed make our own reality, what choices must we make to change the reality we see?

Theme #3: A Plan for Unity Introduce the Strategic Plan by showing the video

Key Points• The world is ready for a new vision and a new path forward.

• Unity is preparing to assist in this transformation.

• For our movement to realize its potential in this endeavor, we know that it will require all of us to participate. The time has come, and we are the ones.

• At every level, association home offi ce, regions, lay and clergy leaders and congregants, we are the association.

• When we are clear, focused and united, our impact is immense.

• With our strategic plan our association now has a road map to focus our movement toward our goals.

We began by asking, “Who is Unity?” From there we looked at a vision for Unity, but not just for the Unity movement, we talked about a vision for our ministry, we as individuals, and how uniting in a common vision for good can co-create a new reality of a world that works for all. We asked tough questions about what each of us can do as individuals to make new choices.

Next we will look at what we as a movement are doing to help inspire the shift of consciousness needed to awaken the world to the infi nite possibilities of good that exist in bringing about a world that works for all.


Strategic Plan:Our association home offi ce along with teams of ministers from across the movement have defi ned a direction and developed a strategic plan to bring it into reality. We have a video to show you that shares some of the objectives of this plan. The video is called Thriving in Unity and is about eight minutes in length.

Theme #4: Thriving in UnityIntroduce your ministry’s involvement.

Key Points:• Our association has invited each member ministry to be part of something

extraordinary: a year dedicated to the transformation of our congregations, our ministries, our movement, and our world.

• We (your ministry) are pleased to participate in the Thriving in Unity program this year.

• From September through April we are planning several activities to enhance our spiritual journey as individuals and deepen our passion as a congregation. The program will also help us strengthen ourselves organizationally.

• If the world is to transform, every individual must take up the call to tend their own garden and do their own work.

• Every step forward affects the whole, every time we make choices and respond to life from a place of oneness with God, the world is changed.

Announce which program option you have selected. Below are some points you may wish to use:

Thriving in Unity 1.0Our ministry is ready for the next level of its expression and we are joining with ministries across our movement in a unique program called Thriving in Unity. By intentionally and precisely broadening the application of principle to specifi c areas of our lives and our ministries, we can experience the momentum leading to lasting transformation.

Be sure to direct congregants to the handout in the bulletin (see page 27) when you play Thriving in Unity video. The handout gives them the highlights from the video as well as encourages them to consider how they can get more involved at your ministry. Bulletin insert available at www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0.


• This program offers 12 concrete action steps to assist ministries in beginning to build that momentum (see the Tracking Sheet on p. 13).

• The key areas of focus include:

° Leadership & Vision

° Outreach Initiatives

° Service Opportunities

° Spiritual Development & Spiritual Social Action

° Prosperity for All

° Best Practices

Tie the program back to making a difference in our lives and our world:

Our work is to dedicate ourselves to our personal transformation. As we move to a new place of consciousness new choices, new ways forward emerge.

Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them. —Albert Einstein


By choosing to participate in the Thriving in Unity program our ministry will not only lend our energy to the efforts going on across our movement, but we as a congregation will also have the opportunity to live our principles right here in our own community, our own ministry, and in our own lives.

Through mind opening courses and heart opening activities, we will have practical ways to put our spiritual principles into action. When we dedicate ourselves to serving Spirit in action, miracles happen, not only in our lives, but in the lives of those we touch, and through the ripple effect many more. As we raise our own consciousness and our own demonstration of Spirit, the consciousness of the human family rises with us.

It will be a simultaneous transformation of ourselves and our world that will extend over much of the coming century, if not beyond it. —Geoffrey L. Breedon

Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one. —Marianne

Williamson

Truly I say to you as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did unto me. —Jesus Christ,

Mathew 25:40

Bonus: We have provided a song written exclusively for this initiative called “We are Unity.” The sheet music and an mp4 audio version of this song are on the website www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0.


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to put prosperity principles into action. The practice of tithing w

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Benchmark 1A Ministries— 29

Benchmark 1A Tracking Sheet for Ministries

Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

Thriving in Unity Champion: __________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 1A: Share the “Thriving in Unity” video in Sunday services

GENERAL INFORMATION

Date of service(s) when video was shared: ___________________________________

Service time(s) when video was shared: _____________________________________

Estimated total attendance: ________________________________________________

RESULTS

Please use the lines below to record your impressions of how your congregation received the video and the general mood, shift in perception or understanding, or other relevant information that documents your experience (use additional paper if needed):

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

FEEDBACKPlease use the space provided on the other side of this form to record your feedback on the following questions (use additional paper if needed):

30—Benchmark 1A Ministries

What were the most and least helpful aspects of the lesson themes provided for your use? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Did you use the bulletin insert provided for this benchmark? Why or why not? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

What other materials would you liked to have had to assist you in sharing this video? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Benchmark 1A Individuals— 31

Benchmark 1A Tracking Sheet for Individuals

Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 1A: View the “Thriving in Unity” video in Sunday services or view it online at www.thrivinginunity.org

GENERAL INFORMATION

Date of service(s) when video was shared or when viewed online: __________________

FEEDBACK

Please use the lines below to record your impressions of how you received the video and the general mood, shift in perception or understanding, or other relevant information that documents your experience (use additional paper if needed):

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

How do you see yourself contributing to the vision and action steps shared in this video?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________


Benchmark 1B: Add the “Unity: Two Partners, One Spiritual Movement” DVD and “Thriving in Unity” DVD to new members classes.The Art & Spirit of UnityMost Unity churches and centers hold membership classes for those wishing to formally join the spiritual community. This is an excellent opportunity to nurture your new members’ sense of the Unity movement by providing them with information about its history and its future.

Consider other ways your ministry can benefi t from the “Unity: Two Partners, One Spiritual Movement” DVD. We know confusion often exists in the minds and hearts of our congregants about these two organizations and the roles they play. Perhaps even your board members are unsure about the way our two leadership organizations interact and what they do. These short videos will not only benefi t your new members, but are a must see for your hospitality and leadership teams and can also be useful for all congregants.

Getting StartedAdding these fi lms to your new members class can be as simple as replacing content you already use or extending your class time to include these two short videos. Together, these two videos form a solid foundation of information about the Unity movement and its two international organizations and assist you in deepening your new members’ understanding of and commitment to our movement. (Please use the Benchmark 1B Tracking Sheet to record your results for classes held September through April).

Action Steps1. Schedule a new members class or multiple classes.

2. Determine what you want to share about Unity’s history.

° Show the “Unity: Two Partners, One Spiritual Movement” video (13 minutes).

° Add additional information, as you feel led, about Unity’s founders and the movement.

° Show the “Thriving in Unity” video to share about the movement’s new direction (8 minutes).

3. Determine what you want to share about Unity’s Principles and core teachings

° Suggestion: Use the brochure “Unity: A Path for Spiritual Living.”

4. Determine what you want to share about your ministry.

° Include groups, adult and youth education, volunteer opportunities, etc.

° Invite participants to sign up for a group, volunteer team or an upcoming class.

5. Complete the Benchmark 1B Tracking Sheet (with dates and attendance for each class) and return it to the association home offi ce (attention Debbie Allen).


Stretch Goal:Organize a special event to celebrate Unity as a movement. This might be a post-service potluck lunch, a mid-week evening, or part of some other event you already have planned. Possible agenda and activities include:

• Screening of the “Unity: One Movement, Two Organizations” video (13 minutes)

• Readings of Charles Fillmore’s writings

• Telling the story of Myrtle Fillmore’s healing

• Poetry reading of James Dillet Freeman’s work

• Share the history of Silent Unity

• Present a short talk on affi rmative prayer

• Invite participants to write a set of denials and affi rmations

Note:There is not a Benchmark 1B Tracking Sheet for Individuals.

Benchmark 1B Ministries— 35

Benchmark 1B Tracking Sheet for Ministries

Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 1B: Add the “Unity: Two Partners, One Spiritual Movement” video and “Thriving in Unity” video to new members classes.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Date of class(es) when videos were shared: ___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Estimated total attendance: ________________________________________________

RESULTS

Please use the lines below to record your impressions of how the audience received the video and the general mood, shift in perception or understanding, or other relevant information that documents your experience (use additional paper if needed):

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________


36—Benchmark 1B

What were your greatest success and your greatest challenge in sharing these videos? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

What other materials would you liked to have had to assist you in sharing these videos? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

STRETCH GOALDid you complete the stretch goal? If so please describe the results below. _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________


Benchmark 2: Ministry leadership views the Thriving Ministry Model™ workshop video(formerly Integral Leadership & Church Growth Workshop)

The Art and Spirit of Leadership & Ministry DevelopmentOften church leaders believe that ministry growth is tied primarily to increasing attendance numbers by bringing in new people. Research shows that true growth comes from elsewhere. Increasing ownership within existing congregants does signifi cantly more to increase a ministry’s ability to thrive than simply increasing the numbers in the pews. Yet when looking for training and education to assist with church development, we are often drawn to more traditional models that have at their core the mission of proselytizing. This of course does not fi t with the Unity perspective.

So just how do Unity ministries go about cultivating ownership, increasing resiliency, and creating coherent growth based on Unity principles? Our association home offi ce has developed an outstanding workshop to meet this need.

Getting Started:To meet this benchmark, the senior minister and at least four board members must view the Thriving Ministry Model workshop video (anytime since 2008 will satisfy this requirement).

Action Steps:1. Select board members best suited to view the workshop.

2. Go to unity.org/thrive and look for the link “Thriving Model Ministry workshop video.”

3. View the video and complete the Benchmark Tracking sheet and return it to our association home offi ce (attention Debbie Allen).

Benchmark 2 Ministries— 39

Benchmark 2 Tracking Sheet for Ministries

Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 2: Ministry leadership views the Thriving Ministries Model workshop video.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Our minister and board viewed the Thriving Ministry Model workshop video

Date and location: _______________________________________

Number of people attending: _______________________________

RESULTS

Please use the lines below to record your impressions of how the audience received the workshop and the general mood, shift in perception or understanding, or other relevant information that documents your experience (use additional paper if needed):

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

40—Benchmark 2 Ministries

FEEDBACK

Please use the space provided to record your feedback on the following questions (use additional paper if needed):

What were your greatest success and your greatest challenge in viewing the workshop? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

How do you feel this workshop stretched your leadership team? Will you use any of the information you received? If so how, if not why not? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

How did this workshop challenge your thinking as a minister? What changes if any will you make as a result of this workshop?_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Benchmark 2 Individuals— 41

Benchmark 2 Tracking Sheet for Individuals

Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 2: View the Thriving Ministries Model workshop video.

GENERAL INFORMATIONDate video viewed: ___________________________________________________

RESULTSPlease use the lines below to record your impressions of the workshop and your general mood, shift in perception or understanding, or other relevant information that documents your experience (use additional paper if needed):

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

FEEDBACKPlease record your feedback on the following questions (use additional paper if needed):

What were your greatest success and your greatest challenge in viewing the workshop? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

42—Benchmark 2 Individuals

How do you feel this workshop stretched your leadership skills? Will you use any of the information you received? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

How did this workshop challenge your thinking as a leader? What changes if any will you make as a result of this workshop?_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Benchmarks 3–5Outreach Initiatives

44—Outreach Initiatives

Outreach Initiatives

Because Unity has a tradition based in attraction versus proselytizing, many believe we must be passive in our approach to outreach. Unity is needed now more than ever as the challenges we face as a human family have reached global proportions. Millions of people around the world are desperately seeking a new way to relate to each other and a new way to relate to God. Finding the divine within may be just the message that will resonate with these seekers.

According to respected social scientist Dr. Paul Ray, author of The Cultural Creatives, there are 50 million people in the United States alone who are interested in a new way of living and working together. And 24 million of them are deeply interested in personal spiritual transformation. This is not about converting or convincing those who are happy with their path to join Unity, it is about reaching out authentically to those millions who are ready for and open to our message.

We hope the following three benchmarks will provide some assistance in formalizing how your ministry makes its presence known and opens wide its arms to welcome home all that are drawn to it.

There are hermit souls that live withdrawn, In the place of their self-content; There are souls like stars that dwell apart, In a fellowless fi rmament; There are pioneer souls that blaze their paths Where highways never ran—But let me live by the side of the road, And be a friend to man. —Sam Walter Foss

Outreach Initiatives— 45

Benchmark 3: Defi ne a welcoming practice for your ministryThe Art & Spirit of WelcomingUnity is non-proselytizing. For some ministries this translates into a “sink or swim mentality” when it comes to formally greeting and assisting newcomers. Being hospitable and welcoming, and even taking the step further to assist people in fi nding groups of interest to them to join, is not proselytizing. Ministries with intentional welcoming practices thrive because when people are welcomed into the spiritual community, both the newcomers and the volunteers who participate are enriched and supported on their spiritual path.

When guests visit your ministry they are assessing more than just the lesson and the music. They are getting a feel for the ministry and the type of spiritual community it is and wondering if they can fi t in. Making space for guests is not just about adding new people to your congregation, it is about providing an experience that makes them feel welcomed and inspire them to return.

Getting StartedJust what is a welcoming practice? It’s creating effective pathways for people to discover their relationship to your spiritual community rather than leave it up to chance. It involves intentionally fi nding ways for any guest to feel welcome and want to return again and again. That’s what Thriving in Unity is all about.

Welcoming new people into our ministries is a multi-faceted process.• Start by exploring and embracing the spiritual aspects of hospitality.

• Focus on strengthening the community and helping others on their spiritual path, not on growing the ministry in numbers.

• Make welcoming practices visible to guests as they arrive for your events and services.

• Offer a friendly welcome once guests enter the sanctuary, and after the service. This means individuals smiling and speaking to them.

• Assist newcomers in fi nding a small group in order to make friends and get to know your ministry and all it offers. The fi rst three months are critical for getting people involved.

It may take some time to establish these practices if you don’t already have them. If you have a solid welcoming practice in place already, use the points in this benchmark to help you improve it. The website www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0 contains additional materials to assist you with these steps (see page 46-50 for examples). Please use the Benchmark 3 Tracking Sheet to record your results.


Action StepsCreating a welcoming environment encompasses many aspects of ministry, but we will focus on a simple set of steps as a starting point. Completing all of these steps will enable you to successfully achieve this benchmark:

1. Create a hospitality/welcoming team if you don’t already have one.

2. Have the team study Gen 18:1-15 and/or Matthew 25:31-46 and/or offer a Sunday lesson on one or both of these passages to raise the awareness of the spirituality of hospitality among your congregation.

3. Ask the team to assess the “welcome” demonstrated by your facility.

° Using the assessment on the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 3, the team walks through your facility from arrival in the parking lot to the worship space, classrooms and youth ed, etc. looking with the eyes of guests. If you plan to attract families with children, pay special attention to your nursery and youth classrooms.

4. Evaluate what could be better (such as signage, reserved parking for guests, etc.). Can people easily fi nd what they’re looking for?

5. Based on your notes complete the assessment and present your fi ndings and suggestions for improvements to church leadership.

6. While touring your property determine the best placement for greeters.

7. Once you’ve done the above preparatory steps, set up a welcome system with these components:

A Welcome Packet with:• Information about your ministry

• Information about the Unity movement (try using the pamphlet entitled “Unity: A Path for Spiritual Living” available for order from www.unity.org.)

• A guest card for guests to fi ll out (see the website www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0, under Benchmark 3, for editable welcoming materials for your use)

Usher and Greeter Teams:• Set up teams of ushers and greeters if you don’t already have them.

• Position ushers and greeters throughout the facility for worship services. Consider the parking lot, entry doors, classrooms and sanctuary.

• Gather the teams before the service to pray together and envision perfect hospitality and to hold all in prayer who enter that day.


• Assign the hospitality team to actively look for guests to greet after the service.

Optional: Order the booket Guidelines for Unity Ushers, plus books for ushers and greeters at www.unity.org.

Guest Card Collection Plan:• Plan a way to collect the guest cards after the service. You might encourage them

to return it to a table in the fellowship hall and receive a gift such as a Daily Word, a service tape, a coupon for your bookstore, etc.

Guest Follow Up Plan:• Add the guests to your mailing list database if you have one.

• Call guests to thank them for attending within 48 hours. In churches of less than 500, ideally the minister should contact fi rst time guests by phone. In larger churches, this may be assigned to the hospitality team.

• If the guest is open, the minister can set an appointment to “make a brief visit.” Keep it to 10 minutes or less. Answer questions, let the guest know about something in her area of interest, and invite her back.

• Mail a thank you/welcome letter to each guest, perhaps containing a Daily Word, a bookmark, or a coupon for a free tape/CD or for use at your bookstore. You might also wish to send a second letter at the one month mark inviting guests to join you for an upcoming service or a Unity Basics class, as well as to invite them to call the minister with any questions they may have.

Bonus: The sample welcoming materials on the following pages are available in editable formats on the website www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0. Use them to personalize your brochure to offer specifi c information about your ministry.


Welcome Materials

Spiritual LivingUNITY: A PATH FOR

Welcome BrochuresChoose from an array of different covers, this brochure is set as a template for you to customize (see sample on page 51) it with your ministry’s information. You can fi nd brochure covers, templates, and instructions for using them on the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 3.

Association Identity BookletThis booklet is excellent for fi rst timers to your church. It explains Unity’s purpose and identity on various topics. You may order this brochure at www.unity.org or call 1-866-236-3571.


Guest CardWelcome! In order to continue supporting those seeking a spiritual community we ask you to please take a moment and ll in this card.

NAME

ADDRESS

PHONE

EMAIL

Please add my name to your mailing list

How were you greeted when you arrived and what was your rst impression of the church when you entered the building?

Besides the ushers and greeters,how would you describe the overall friendliness of our congregation?

Not enough – didn’t seem friendly

Just right – people were friendly

Too much – it was overwhelming

How did you rst learn about our church?

What did you like most about the church and service?

What suggestions do you have for improvement?

What describes your most recent church background?

Metaphysical Evangelical/Fundamental Traditional/Mainline

Christianity None

Other ( ll in below)

We appreciate your input!

Prayer Request

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything

by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let

your requests be made known to God”—Philippians 4:6

We join with you in prayer knowing God is at work in and

through your life. All prayer requests are con dential.

Thank you! Please place card in the offering,

or give it to the minister or usher.

We hope you will return again soon. Please let us know how we may

help you on the path of your personal and spiritual growth.

Guest CardsThe guest cards are ready-to-print fi les on the CD-ROM under Benchmark 3: Guest Card.pdf to be used as is, two choices of layout art.


Unity’s Basic Beliefs

1. God is absolute good, everywhere present.

Many paths lead to the one, loving God.

2. Our essence is of God, and therefore

human beings are inherently good. This

God essence, called the Christ, was fully

expressed in Jesus.

3. We create our experiences by the activity

of our thoughts. Everything in our lives has

its beginning in thought.

4. Prayer and meditation are important ways

to heighten our connection with God.

5. Knowing and understanding Unity principles

is not enough—we must also live the truth

that we know.

to our community

note from our minister

As a member of Unity Worldwide Ministries,

this community is a part of the worldwide

School of Christianity, publisher of the Daily Word

devotional magazine. Our primary teacher is

Jesus, whose message is love—love of God, love of

others, and love of ourselves. We are committed

to encourage and inspire spiritual and personal

growth through practical, relevant Christianity

and loving service.

Prayer for Protection

The Light of God surrounds me.

The Love of God enfolds me.

The Power of God protects me.

The Presence of God watches over me.

Wherever I am, God is.

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” —1 Corinthians 12:7

OurUnitycommunity offers you:

PracticalChristianity

A Global Movement

A

Welcome Brochure Sample

The inside features space for a message from the minister (left panel) and a panel for you to include what your ministry offers (right panel).

See pages 51-52 for full sample brochure

Choose from seven different covers. The left panel lists Unity’s fi ve basic beliefs and the middle panel blank for you to add your church’s name and address.

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Pastoral Services and Spiritual Counseling

Classes, workshops and discussion groups

Bookstore and Lending Library

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Wednesday night w

orship service at 7 p.m.

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morning service

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Exeter Rd., take 2nd driveway.

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Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 3: Defi ne a welcoming practice for your ministry.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Check all elements of welcoming practice you have put in place (all items must be accomplished or in place to receive credit for this benchmark):

Hospitality Team in place. Date accomplished: _____________________ Study of Bible passages. Date accomplished: _____________________ Facilities Assessment. Date accomplished: _____________________ Evaluation of facilities. Date accomplished: _____________________ Determine greeter placement. Date accomplished: _____________________ Set up welcoming practice. Date accomplished: _____________________

Welcome packet done Date accomplished: _____________________ Usher and greeter teams Date accomplished: _____________________ Info card collection Date accomplished: _____________________ Follow up plan Date accomplished: _____________________

RESULTS

Please use the lines below to record your impressions of how achieving this benchmark has impacted your ministry:

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________


FEEDBACK

Please use the space provided to record your feedback on the following questions (use additional paper if needed):

What were your greatest success and challenge in implementing this benchmark? _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

How do you feel this benchmark spiritually stretched your volunteers and congregants?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

What other materials would have been helpful for you to have in meeting this benchmark?_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________



Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 3: Defi ne a welcoming practice for you.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Check all elements of welcoming practice you have put in place (items in bold are required to receive credit for this benchmark):

Join your church’s Hospitality Team. Date accomplished: ___________________ Study of Bible passages. Date accomplished: ___________________ Serve as a greeter (min. 6 weeks) Date accomplished: ___________________ Share Unity:A Path for Spiritual Living with friends and family Date accomplished: ___________________ Invite someone new to a service or event in your church Date accomplished: ___________________ Other: ___________________________ Date accomplished: ___________________

RESULTS

Please use the lines below to record your impressions of how achieving this benchmark has impacted you:

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________




_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

How do you feel this benchmark spiritually stretched you?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________


_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________


Benchmark 4: Develop and maintain an up-to-date web presenceThe Art & Spirit of Internet OutreachToday, more people are using the internet to fi nd services and products of interest. In this digital age, a professional-looking and functional website with up-to-date information is just as essential as a telephone. This benchmark is designed to support you in taking steps toward creating or revising your ministry’s website so that it effectively welcomes all who might be interested in learning more about Unity and your church or center.

Getting StartedIf you do not currently have a website, this benchmark will set you on a journey that can raise the bar for how you make your church known in your community. A full discussion of creating a website is impossible here, so we have included optional referral resources at the end of this section.

If you currently have a website the information here may help you to revise and/or streamline your web presence. If you have a successful website already in place, we encourage you to simply review the material presented for potential ideas you may wish to implement. Please use the Benchmark 4 Tracking Sheet to record your results.

Action Steps:1. Read the Contact articles on website development located at the end of this section.

2. Review the website checklist.

3. Review the sample layout which follows the checklist in this section.

4. For existing sites:

° Review each page of your website and make note of where your content information is not up-to-date.

° Remove old content, make changes to content, add new content. New content is critical to bringing people back again and again.

5. For new sites:

° Create a team to assist you to develop a website or in selecting a web development expert in developing a website.

° Make a clear map of all pages and the content you would like to have on your website before beginning any layout or design (you can do this by topic area).

° Begin drafting the words (content) that will appear on each of the pages listed in the map above.


Website ChecklistThe following items offer some best practices for a website. Once you have checked all of the boxes your website will work for you as a practical and polished tool to share your ministry with the world.

Content:

Questions to Consider:Is your website’s description of your ministry current and accurate, including your contact information? Could the content be written more clearly, passionately, or succinctly? Could your website be more informative, helpful, interesting or relevant? Would congregant comments or an FAQ section strengthen your message? Is content organized logically so that those unfamiliar with your ministry can fi nd it?

Evolving Content:Your website will evolve as your ministry grows, so in a sense it will never truly be “fi nished.” Avoid the common mistake of calling attention to what is missing by using the phrase “Under Construction” or “Coming Soon” on your website. If you must include pages that aren’t yet completed, put some informative content on the page to motivate people to check back later. Otherwise leave out the section altogether until it’s ready for publication.

Content Checklist:❏ Place the address and phone number of your church or center in a prominent place

on the home page. It is also good to place it in the footer section so it appears on every page at the bottom.

❏ In a prominent place on your home page list your service dates and times. Also list any upcoming events.

❏ Have a section that shares your ministry’s mission, vision, and values (or your purpose for being) as well as some biographical information about your minister(s) and staff and how they can be contacted.

❏ Include a section with historical information about the Unity movement. Be sure to include links to the association website, Unity School’s website, and Daily Word.

❏ Have a page (or more) that lists your small groups and key volunteer teams that help people fi nd ways to get involved. Make sure there is a brief description of the group or team and contact information for the group/team leader or staff person overseeing these areas.

❏ Review all content for typos, spelling and grammatical errors, etc.


Layout and Design:

Questions to Consider:Is your navigation friendly, making it easy to fi nd information on your site? The opening page should tell visitors, at a glance, who you are, what you do, and how to fi nd what they’re looking for. From there your visitors should be able to follow a logical path to learn more about various aspects of your ministry. Does the feel or quality of the website refl ect the feel and quality of your ministry? Does it enhance your ministry’s image and brand? Do your graphics contribute to or detract from your website? Does your site load quickly enough in the viewer’s browser? Will your website display correctly for most people regardless of their computer hardware, operating system, browser and monitor resolution?

Looking GoodA website with no graphics would be uninteresting, but a site with too many graphics, animations, and different fonts is overwhelming and distracts from your message. You might try using a single stunning photograph as the key image.

Layout & Design Checklist:❏ Use key topic areas for your main navigation links.

❏ Check all images to make sure you have used only great photos.

❏ Remove extra and/or blurred, poor quality photos.

❏ Check to make sure you do not have too much text on one page. It is better to use several pages and encourage the reader to click to the next section.

❏ Use bullet points to keep your information short and to the point.

❏ Choose two harmonizing colors as the main colors of the website. A third color can be used for accent or for text links.

❏ Keep text in black or another very dark color on light backgrounds.

❏ Choose an easy to read, web-friendly font (like verdana or ariel). Use larger letters and bold or color in text only for headings.

❏ For longer articles save them in pdf format and link to them so people can print and read more easily.

❏ Check your load times for each page. The “Eight Second Rule” is a good rule of thumb.


After eight seconds the viewer may give up and go elsewhere.

❏ Check your website appearance in multiple browsers, especially Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

❏ Check the website on both a PC and Mac.

❏ Ask three to fi ve people you know who are unfamiliar with your site to visit it and give you feedback. Give them items to fi nd, such as your address and service times, phone number, your vision, what is Unity and upcoming events. Ask them to rate the ease of fi nding these basic items.

A good resource is Building Websites: All in One Desk Reference for Dummies, by Mark L. Chambers ©2008.

If possible, consider a Content Management System (CMS) for your website. This allows you to make edits to your website in a user-friendly editor—no HTML coding skills needed. See www.webempoweredchurch.com for an example of one such service.

Maintenance:

Questions to Consider:Do you need to update the text on your site? Have you added services, expanded what you offer, reached out to new groups, or highlighted upcoming Sunday talks or events?

Checklist:❏ Consider how you will regularly add information to your website as part of your

ongoing event/ministry planning process.

❏ Add new programs and upcoming events in a timely manner so that visitors have enough time to choose to participate.

❏ Schedule a daily or weekly review time for your website.

❏ Remove old event information within 24 hours of the event.

❏ Remove staff or volunteer names with 24 hours of their departure.

❏ Periodically check any links that go to other websites to make sure the site the link goes to is still available.


Hosting:

Checklist:❏ Choose a domain name that is or closely matches your church name (i.e: www.

unityinthewoods.com). You can also use your city in your domain name such as: www.unityanytown.com.

❏ Make sure your email addresses are served from your website. When you do, your website address appears as part of the email address allowing people to fi nd your website: [email protected]. Using a free or home-based email like: [email protected] or [email protected] are not as professional or polished.

For more information, the following sites are also helpful: www.4creatingawebsite.com www.createafreewebsite.net www.htmlgoodies.com—tips, guides, and references for developing a website. www.greatchurchwebsites.org—gives tips and ideas for churches. www.gaptechsolutions.com provides content manageable websites for churches. www.webempoweredchurch.org—supplies church website technology. www.wikipedia.com has defi nitions of most things if you get lost in technical terms.


Website Sample Layout:


Websites for Ministriesby David Durksen

A website is about being present to those you serve and wish to serve when they cannot be physically present with you. It is a way of drawing the circle larger to bring in those who will allow you to express your mission and vision to change our world for the better.

Websites for churches are now easy to set up and a very cost-effective way for both staying in touch with your current members and for reaching out to those you would like to serve. Most sites now allow for regular updating by individuals who have only basic typing and computer skills, so it is now easy for a ministry to have an excellent web presence.

The keys to an effective web presence: Knowing whom you are trying to reachThe answer involves a clear, concise statement of who you are and how you make a difference in our world. This statement reminds those you already serve why they are a part of your ministry and how their support transforms our world into the world we all desire to live in.

Knowing what you want to tell those you reachThe answer to this statement lets you know how simple or complex your site will be. [A quick diversion—your website will be a group of pages linked together. At any one moment you must limit the information to what can be placed on a half sheet of paper (5½ X 8½ inches). Web sites work best when they contain pearls of information on each screen rather than tomes of verbiage.] If your only goal is to let people know your services and activities, with instructions on how to nd you, this may be offered on a single page. However, you likely have a diverse spectrum of interests represented by both those you currently serve and those you desire to reach. This will involve creating a template that will have a central screen for reading the pearls with outer borders that allow the viewer to select items or topics of interest that will then appear in the central screen. You can present a large volume of information in a user-friendly environment that allows the viewer the security of always knowing where he/she is on your website.

Knowing how you will measure the effectiveness of your siteTime, nances, and energy are all precious resources. If the efforts placed into a website, or any endeavor, do not move you toward your goals and objectives, you are far better off doing something else. Therefore, you will want to have ways of monitoring the effectiveness of your web site. You may include: forms on your site to be lled in; documents and audio/video les that may be downloaded; host-monitored or open discussion, and much more.

David Durksen began working with the Internet in the early 1990’s while serving Unity Church of Victoria. David now works with Unity Internet Ministry to assist ministries—ministers, boards and congregations—to create the dynamic spiritual communities for the 21st Century that will fulfi ll Charles Fillmore’s dream that Unity become the reincarnation of the 1st century church.

June/July 2008 • www.unity.org

64—Outreach Initiative

Outreach Initiative— 65


things—family, hobbies, business practices, etc. Then others search for blogs that interest them, and post comments about what the “blogger” has written. Imagine: You touch on a topic in a Sunday service, but don’t have time to go into further detail. You say “I’ll have more about this on my blog this week. Let me know what you think.” (The address of your blog is of course printed in the Sunday bulletin everyone is holding.) Congregants go to your blog and post their thoughts and questions about what you’ve written. What a great way for congregants to connect with each other and with you, and for you to see that they are “getting” your message!

PodcastingPodcasts are pieces of audio that you can place on any webpage, including the sites listed above. People can listen to them right there on the webpage, or download them to an audio player (i-pod® or other MP3 player) and listen to them “on the go.” The advantage to podcasts is that anyone in the world can listen to your service, workshop, music, or meditation. Your congregation can grow in nitely without having to nd a bigger building. Now that is a church without walls.

Perhaps the best thing about these sites is that you can join them for free. They also work together: you can post videos from YouTube on your MySpace page, link to your blog from MySpace, and so on.

Is it Safe?Safety is a main concern people rst have about joining a social networking site. But have no fear. On all of these sites, you have complete control over what shows up on your page. You have to “approve” before someone is listed as your friend. You can also make sure that anyone else’s comment is approved by you before it is posted.

Continued on page 25

Dive In!by Rachel SimpsonJamie Sanders, at Unity of Pensacola, Florida, set up a MySpace page for his church. He shared a bit about his experience with us:

What have been the effects of having your church on MySpace?We are fi nding that we have many hits to the page and each week new people are asking to be our friends, etc. A friend of mine once said, “Exposure is exposure, baby....” The more we can share the energy and message of Unity the better—it is for all of us in the movement.

How does your church use MySpace (and has it been an effective tool)?I post pictures of our people, along with upbeat music, and I have added some inspirational videos as well. People locally have come to the service because of what they found on the MySpace page. It is another great tool for reaching out.

Was it easy to get set up? Have there been hiccups?I have found that it was pretty easy to set up.... I have to constantly log in and check who has messaged or who is sending a friend’s request, but it is always fun to see who is checking out the site and leaving messages.

Here are just a few of the Unity churches that are already on MySpace. Look at the “Friends” lists on these pages to fi nd even more Unity centers.www.myspace.com/unityofpensacolawww.myspace.com/unitychurchnacogdocheswww.myspace.com/unitycenteraustin www.myspace.com/unityofdivinelovewww.myspace.com/ingu www.myspace.com/iyouaisummit

Other sites that are doing great things with video, music, and more:www.cor.org Church of the Resurrection. Use of video appeals to different learning styles. Their teen site, rezlifekc.org, is hip and current and has parent info.

www.generationaxis.com Willow Creek’s young adult site has graphics and music that is of the generation.

www.se.nextgenerationofunity.com Southeast region’s Next Generation of Unity page. Content and calendar are current. Photos are arranged by event which draws participants to the site.


www.unity.org • June/July 2008

How do I do this?A simple “ ll in the blank” process will get you up and running on these sites. After initial setup, maintenance is minimal. Many churches already send email updates or printed newsletters—simply copy and paste this information into a blog or MySpace bulletin to keep your page updated (in fact, emailing your newsletter and/or writing a blog instead of mailing a paper newsletter is a great way to reduce your church’s carbon footprint). Keep in mind that social networking sites help people nd you. Just give people a taste of what you’re about and point them to your website to learn more.

If you still don’t feel comfortable doing these things yourself, draw on the resources you have in your congregation:

• Many congregants with families have digital video cameras. Ask if someone is willing to tape the service and download it to a computer.

• Set up a technical volunteer position with a title. Teens want this kind of experience on their college applications and this gives them a chance to get more involved in the church.

Be Not AfraidContinued from page 11


www.unity.org • June/July 2008June/July 2008 • www.unity.org

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by Cheryl Harrison

Your church is an expression of the Divine.And your church website? If it is less than wonderful, breathe ... and consider just three practical reasons to make it great:

The ways people nd Unity churches may be changing. Traditionally, 70 percent have come with friends. Today, 70 percent of people looking for a new church home look for it on the Internet. Half of all newcomers to New Life Unity Church in Tampa, Florida, have found that new church through its website, reports Virginia Walsh, the founding minister.

There’s no going back now. Just seven years ago, only one in ve Internet users visited a church or other religious website. Today, two of every three Internet users turn to the web for information about churches, religion and spirituality, according to studies funded by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

People who use the Internet for religious or spiritual purposes are in a position to provide a lot of support to the churches that attract them, the Pew Project reports. The Internet’s spiritual seekers are more likely to be middle-aged, college-educated, and relatively well-to-do ... and there are a lot of them—more than eight million in the U.S. alone.

How Do I Make My Website Great?Whatever the condition of your website—wonderful or woeful, or worse (you have none)—here are just a few tips for making it great:

• Make sure that most or all of your home page is visible when the page opens. Many visitors to your website will not scroll down, so they’ll never see the info that’s below the bottom of the opening screen.

• Welcome outsiders by using only inclusive, commonly understood language in your website copy. If you want newcomers to feel really at home, avoid terms and acronyms commonly used in New Thought but not in the mainstream press (“Truth principles,” “ACIM” for A Course in Miracles).

• Publish real people’s pictures and stories about how they found Unity (and why they love it). These vignettes will help web visitors connect ahead of time to your community. People connect to people!

• Here’s a “don’t”: Don’t use an entry page (a “splash page”) featuring a movie, music or sign-up form, to open your website. Splash pages “are intensely irritating to users,” note the experts at www.gospelcom.net. “Equally annoying are websites that automatically play music when the visitor arrives at the home page.” Many will simply leave your site, rather than click through to your home page.

Go to www.WeeklyWebTips.wordpress.com for lots of other great ideas.

Cheryl Harrison is the founding director of Friends of Ministry, Inc. She is the former marketing, events, and volunteer director for First Unity Church in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Making Your WebsiteGreat



Technology

Having a Website Is One Thing, Reaching an Audience Another

by Rob Wheeler

If we build it, they will come …Actually, when we build a website, nothing will happen until someone sees it. Your congregation may mention it to their friends, and others may visit should they happen to stumble across it, however, that doesn’t encourage repeat visits. The question becomes how do you promote your website?

Adwords (or any search engine ad at all)Google is a household name and, at the moment, the top dog of search engines. Adwords lets you create simple, effective ads and display them to people already searching online for information. However, there are many other decent search engines that will get you good traf c as well.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)SEO is very important. The whole point of online promotion is to get people to nd you and that means being on top or as high as you can be on search engines. Search engines are the #1 way people nd things on the net.

KeywordsKnow what keywords your audience will be using, and write content that conveys your message and matches those keywords. If you’re having a hard time coming up with keywords, follow this logic: If you were online and wanted to nd a website like yours, what would you do? What word

or phrase would you type into a search engine? Ask yourself that question and then ask everyone you know. You will learn what people are searching for.

Page TitlesTitles like “untitled” or “Home Page” are less likely to attract attention than “Christ Unity Church | Medford | Oregon” and every page should have its individual title which should be unique and keyword rich. Also add Meta tags with keywords and descriptions to all your pages. (From Wikipedia: “Meta elements provide information about a given webpage, most often to help search engines categorize them correctly. They are inserted into the HTML document, but are often not directly visible to a user visiting the site.”)

MeasureEvery website should measure performance. If you aren’t measuring what’s happening, you aren’t really promoting at all. Even though SEO generates “free traf c,” we all know that it’s anything but free. What you really need is a planning cycle. You start with assessing your current situation and setting some goals. You make the plan, execute it, measure the results, and go right back into another cycle. Remember, SEO is a long term process.

There are a number of ways to promote your site. The more continual, consistent effort you put in, the greater the bene ts for your website and ultimately your church attendance.

Rob Wheeler has been an Internet marketing consultant and webmaster since 1998. He is a life-long Unity Student and currently serves as the Coordinator and Administrative Director of Christ Unity Church of Medford, Oregon.

Advanced content


www.unity.org • February/March 2008

By Russell Duckworth

At Unity Church of Dallas we share two services on Sunday morning. During February of 2007 we also shared 1,964 individual “service” audio experiences on our website and podcast. By investing an extra hour on Sunday afternoon, we create a third, virtual service that increases our congregation by almost 50%.

We do it by creating a ministry that is free of the physical limitations of space and time. We reach out and share our Sunday morning experience and message with kindred spirits all around the world. Your ministry can do it, too. Right now, someone out there is searching to experience your unique and powerful energy. Are you willing to share the experience with them?

Expand the Ministry, Maximize the MessageMany ministries already capture services for their members to share on cassette and CD. It can be a simple, ve-minute process to take your service CD and convert the minister’s message into a web-friendly format that is easily linked from your website, shared as a podcast, or even linked from an electronic newsletter emailed to your virtual congregants.

Posting audio les of your services to your website is a great way to allow prospective congregants to sample your message before visiting your center or church, and podcasts are an easy, powerful, and popular tool for sharing your message with an increasingly mobile audience. Podcasts can be accessed from a web browser, using a podcasting service like Apple® iTunes. Newer versions of Microsoft® Outlook can receive podcasts directly, and there’s really nothing more slick than listening to your podcast on TiVo®.

Get in the Flow of Giving and ReceivingYour website is an important tool for providing information to those searching for your ministry. How are you reaching out to your virtual congregation?

Think about asking your members and visitors to allow you to send information

Online Sunday Service Grows Congregation By 50%

It can be a simple, ve-minute process

to take your service online.

TechnologyAdvanced content


February/March 2008 • www.unity.org

events directly to their email inbox. You might be surprised at the value of adding electronic communications.

One-to-one connections can be driven by periodic electronic newsletters featuring class or service information, special events information, or a minister’s message. Unity Church of Dallas sends about nine-thousand emails per month. About a third of that audience clicks through to view content on our website.

Gratefully accepting tithes and contributions in support of your virtual ministry is an important part of the ow of abundance.

Measuring SuccessHow do you measure success? Any combination of factors: Number of visitors to your website. Number of listeners to your podcast. Dollars contributed online. Maybe. What about the possibility that your message reaches out to that one person in a digital, divine, perfect moment and transforms his/her life? What if your message touches just one person?

Russell Duckworth is guru of all things tech-nical at Unity Church Dallas. Each week the ministers, staff, and incredible volunteers create a warm and welcoming environment for one thousand congregants and members.


February/March 2008 • www.unity.org

The God-podHow Churches Are Changing With the Times

by Jessica PodholaPodcasts, webcasts, You-Tube, Internet radio, blogs, photo blogs…what? Gone are the days when all we had to spread our messages was word of mouth. The 21st century Unitic has moved beyond notes and cassette tapes onto podcasts, CDs, webcasts and more. The costs are negligible, the know-how basic (I bet you can nd a volunteer in your congregation), the results can be priceless.

In my family-sized church, Unity of Independence (www.unityindependence.com), we have moved beyond selling cassettes, we have set up a myspace page, ickr account, and a blog. We now sell

CDs after the service. Our minister Carla McClellan is so dynamic; broadcasting her message any way we can is our goal. We want to be practical Christians—we want to be relevant to the times.

RecordingMost churches are already utilizing PowerPoint or other worship software, so going to digital recording is the next logical step. GoldWave is software that is available for download at www.goldwave.com; this software is easy to use. It comes with pre-set settings and the ability to record up to ve hours. The audio sequence is $50 and

the audio/video version is available for $60. You should have a computer with a fast processor and lots of memory for audio and video together, but smaller churches can still utilize this tool with the average home computer. You can burn discs for

Technology

Continued on page 23

your congregation for about 50 cents. Google it—there are lots of alternatives.

The most infamous webcasting site is You-Tube, but my personal favorite is God Tube at www.godtube.com. There are lots of videos and some of them don’t resonate with my Unity principles, but that’s why I can hit back on my browser. You can upload your videos for free, your members can sign up for free, and if they have to miss a Sunday, that’s okay—they can catch you online. If you have a website, you can also host videos and podcasts from your site. This is fairly common, so it is becoming less expensive to nd hosting services.

No Fear, AtmosphereNow, most of this article is assuming that your church already has microphones, an ampli er, a sound board, and a computer. No? Don’t fear. You can still get your message out. If you are starting a new church, I would suggest a blog. You can always post your talks on the web and www.blogger.com is a great free site. Members and strangers can read your message and interact with you.

“Music and technology are vital parts of a modern ministry and keep our services vibrant and fresh. In the AWE (Authentic Worship Experience) service that I offer, I use video clips, recorded ‘trance’ music, a live band, PowerPoint slides, lighting

Advanced content


www.unity.org • February/March 2008

effects, drumming, a cappella singing and Native American ute music. The possibilities are endless. These elements combine to produce an atmosphere conducive to an experience of the Divine, deliver a basic message without the need for an extended talk, and encourage active participation and involvement in the service,” says Dale Worley from Sacred Place Ministries. (Check him out online at www.asacredplace.net.)

Unity itself is on the forefront of this new technology, all you have to do is Google it!

Jessica Podhola is a prayer chaplain and a member of the staff of Unity of Independence, Missouri. She lives in Independence with her husband, two children, and three cats.

The God-podContinued from page 19



Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 4: Develop and maintain an up to date web presence.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Reviewed Contact articles Date accomplished: _____________________ Reviewed web checklist Date accomplished: _____________________

Established websites Completed review of website Date accomplished: _____________________ Edited website Date accomplished: _____________________

New websites Completed new website Date accomplished: _____________________

RESULTSPlease use the lines below to record your impressions of how achieving this benchmark has impacted your ministry:

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Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 4: Use the web to advance your spiritual development

GENERAL INFORMATION

Visit www.unity.org Date accomplished: _____________________ Listen to at least one radio program on www.Unity.fm Date accomplished: _____________________ Create a profi le on the Unity.fm community space Date accomplished: _____________________ Visit www.thrivinginunity.org Date accomplished: _____________________ Visit www.lookforthegood.org Date accomplished: _____________________ Start a blog and let us know Date accomplished: _____________________

RESULTS


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FEEDBACK

Please use the space provided on the other side of this form to record your feedback on the following questions (use additional paper if needed):



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Benchmark 5: Schedule and hold at least one guest eventThe Art & Spirit of Guest OutreachIn these transformational times, Unity’s message offers hope for a new way of living and working together as a human family. This and the two previous benchmarks have focused on assisting you in opening your ministry to the broader community. Once you have a solid welcoming practice in place, and your website is up-to-date and looking smart (or on its way), it is time to hold an event that opens your doors to the community. By calling your congregation up to this level of community engagement, you are signaling Spirit that you are opening wide your doors to welcome and embrace those who are searching for spiritual transformation.

The more you are involved with the community, the greater the opportunity for including publicity in your event. If your event is a simple friendship Sunday, there is no need to seek publicity. If your event is community service oriented, or involves a speaker or musician known to the public, you may want to include a news release and even advertising, depending on your budget. This step is entirely optional, and you will fi nd news release information on the website www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0.

Getting StartedThis benchmark will assist you in intentionally planning and implementing a signifi cant guest event. Your ministry may already hold many such events in a year. This benchmark will simply allow you to track the event from start to fi nish. We have provided some support materials and some suggestions for how to get the entire congregation involved in this guest opportunity. Please use the Benchmark 5 Tracking Sheet to record your results.

Action Steps1. Review the suggested types of guest events below.

2. Select the type of event that works best for your ministry.

3. Select a date to hold the event.

4. Do the following invitation program (only one time per year).

° Four weeks before the event give a lesson on the spirituality of hospitality (see Benchmark 3 for Bible text). Talk about the importance of greeting guests as every congregant’s responsibility.

° Hand out prayer cards during the service.

° Have congregation complete index cards during the service by writing the names of 5 people they know who are seeking spiritual support.


° Invite congregants to take these cards home and pray for their list of names. Pray for these lists in each subsequent worship service.

° Optional: Four weeks before the event, if you plan to advertise or seek publicity, research advertising rates, compile email addresses for community calendars and appropriate editors. Check the customizable ads available from the association at www.unity.org/promotion.

° Two weeks before the event, pass out invitation cards and postcards. Encourage congregants to send them to those they listed on their cards. Pray for the event during the service. Invitations and postcards on website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0, Resource Materials under Benchmark 5.

° Optional: Two weeks before the event, place advertising in local print media, i.e., neighborhood or alternative newspapers, or the daily newspaper.

° Repeat invitations and postcards one week before event. Continue to pray.

° Optional: One week before the event, email your news release about the event to your local media. A sample news release is given on the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 5.

5. Hold event and record results.

6. Complete the Benchmark 5 Tracking sheet and return it to our association’s home offi ce (attention Debbie Allen).

Suggested Guest Activities:• Special Sunday service or series (there are several suggested in this kit, which may be

used for this purpose as well). Select a topic that is of interest to those who currently don’t attend church, i.e., health and wholeness, peace, personal budget/prosperity, or relationships.

• Holiday event, such as Christmas Eve or Easter Sunday—a time when many people are open to attending church. One way to extend the power of holiday attendance is to announce and promote a series of talks on generic topics such as those listed above. During the holiday service, give information about the upcoming series and invite them to come back.

• Special class, workshop or guest speaker event, where the speaker is known by the public.

• Music event, with an artist known by the public.

• Youth event, especially involving service to local schools or other community service in partnership with another community organization.

• Spiritual Social Action event—whether it is serving those in need or otherwise contributing something to the community. Partnering with a local service organization can be a good strategy here.


Postcard Samples:

Invitation Card Samples:

Spring (Easter) World

Winter (Christmas) People

Mail side

Use these invitation cards to pass out to congregants to give to friends and family inviting them to your church.

Use these postcards to invite individuals to your church for special occasions or events.

Unity is a positive approach to Christianity that honors the universal truths in all religions and

respects each individual.



Name: ______________________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 5: Create a guest outreach event. GENERAL INFORMATION

Type of event selected: _____________________________________________ Date event was held: _______________________________________________

Number of attendees: _______________________________________________

RESULTS

Please use the lines below to record your impressions of how achieving this benchmark has impacted your ministry and congregation:

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FEEDBACK



What were your greatest success and greatest challenge in implementing this benchmark: _______________________________________________________________________

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How did the process of listing names on cards help your event’s success? What other ways did you inspire your congregants to reach out to others? Did you encounter resistance within yourself or others? If so, what did you do to overcome it?

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Name: ______________________________________________________________

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Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 5: Work with church on an outreach event or create one of your own. Enroll others on a team to help.

GENERAL INFORMATION



Number people on your team: ________________________________________

RESULTS


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Benchmarks 6 & 7Congregant

Service Opportunities

86—Congregant Service Opportunities

Congregant Service Opportunities

A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm. —Henrik Ibsen

In most religious institutions, ministry takes the form of the “Pastor-Flock” model where the pastor or minister is responsible for just about every aspect of the ministry. The community may fl ounder if the minister is unable to provide detailed direction. Boards may be inclined to simply “rubber stamp” the minister’s wishes. Some ministers have the experience of congregants viewing them in a parent role. While there may be times when having a congregation without opinions might seem favorable, this type of ministry can manifest serious diffi culties such as:

• Minister burnout• Lack of congregation ownership• Drama and a high tolerance for dysfunction• Susceptibility to fi nancial instability

The Thriving Ministry Model™ calls upon ministries to move into a community-centric paradigm. This type of ministry is fi lled with lay leaders on all levels who have a sense of ownership and responsibility for the health and well-being of the ministry. They support the ministry through their tithes and through their time. They are committed to what the ministry is called to be. They take on leadership roles and offer their prayer consciousness to the ministry. They create an environment where the minister feels supported and in true partnership with the congregation in co-creating a spiritual community that will outlast any particular person. Community-centric ministries tend to experience these positives:

• Greater stability during times of ministerial transitions• Greater organizational and relational health• Increased ownership demonstrated by increased contributions of time and money

It takes time to cultivate a culture where there is shared ownership and shared leadership. It takes a genuine invitation to volunteers to stretch into leadership roles. It takes meaningful mission-driven activities that call congregants up to a higher purpose. And it takes a maturity of spirit where egos are in service to the power of that higher purpose.

The following two benchmarks represent two small steps toward a community-centric model of ministry allowing your ministry’s spiritual capacity to develop more fully. The greater a congregation’s spiritual capacity, the more capable it is of partnering with its minister to co-create a thriving ministry.

Congregant Service Opportunities— 87

Benchmark 6: Identify and train a ministry champion and begin implementing a Chaplaincy program

The Art & Spirit of ChaplaincyProviding pastoral care is a critical component of any ministry. The Thriving Ministry Model™ invites ministers and spiritual leaders to widen the role of pastoral care provision to include lay people. As congregants enroll in supporting each other, bonds are formed, the sense of community is strengthened, and individuals experience the transformative power of serving. Partnering with others in prayer is a meaningful fi rst step in expanding the type and availability of spiritual support your ministry provides. This benchmark encourages you to take your fi rst steps toward implementing a prayer chaplaincy program if you do not already have one in place.

Getting StartedUnity minister Lei Lanni Burt has developed an outstanding prayer chaplaincy program that is currently in practice in many Unity churches and centers. The following pages offer detailed information on this program and how you can enroll a representative from your ministry. To get credit for this benchmark, you must either have a prayer chaplain program in place or send someone form your ministry to be trained on how to set one up. There is no requirement to get the program up and running although it is strongly recommended that you follow through and begin that process. Please use the Benchmark 6 Tracking Sheet to record your results.

Action Steps1. Read the following pages to learn about the chaplaincy program.

2. Identify a qualifi ed person to serve as the champion for this program:

° Minister

° Licensed Unity Teacher

° Board Member

° Key Volunteer

3. Enroll the champion in an upcoming training course or schedule a training course at your ministry.

4. Complete the training and consider how and when you might begin the program at your ministry.

5. Complete the Benchmark Tracking sheet and return it to our association home offi ce (attention Debbie Allen).


About the Prayer Chaplain ProgramLight & Love Ministries supports you and your congregation in creating effective and innovative pastoral care programs that will empower and motivate you and the lay people in your ministry. For more information on this ministry, see www.lightandloveministries.org.

What is a Prayer Chaplain Program? A Prayer Chaplain Program is a service opportunity for congregants who desire to take the next step in the development of their spiritual maturity and level of commitment in their spiritual growth. It is a unique service that differs from many of the other volunteer opportunities in terms of commitment–level and responsibilities. Prayer Chaplains make a one-year commitment in fulfi lling their duties. These duties include (but are not limited to):

• Monthly on-duty services (available for one-on-one prayer with congregants following services)

• Monthly wellness calling session

• In-service monthly Prayer Chaplain meeting

• Attend annual Prayer Chaplain training

Have you been looking for new ways to create community within your ministry? Are you looking for a way to extend your heart, hands and feet in order to do all your pastoral care? This Prayer Chaplain Program will accomplish all this while helping the people in your ministry to feel “connected” and in relationship with one another.

What is a Prayer Chaplain? A Prayer Chaplain completes 50 hours of annual training and makes the commitment to serve his or her church community for one year. “Being” a chaplain is transformative soul work as it deepens one’s spiritual path through prayer and service. No prior experience in prayer or praying with others is required to serve as a Prayer Chaplain.

Unlike hospital, hospice, or military chaplains, Prayer Chaplains are not ordained, are not board certifi ed by any nationally known organization and are not trained to counsel people. Prayer Chaplains are not trained to go out and “minister” to the community-at-large but are trained as a lay resource to help meet the pastoral care needs within your own church community. Prayer Chaplains are trained to do three things only: hold spiritual space, listen, and pray. They serve as an extension of your ministry team making personal connections with your congregation.


Hosting a Prayer Chaplain Trainers WorkshopHosting a Prayer Chaplin Trainers Workshop is both an honor and a blessing as hosting opportunities are presented on a very limited basis each year. Of the hundreds of qualifi ed church ministries interested in hosting a Prayer Chaplain Trainers Workshop, only six will be selected this year for this honor.

Host Ministry Benefi tsHost ministries will be rewarded with:

• Increased Unity movement visibility and recognition

• Increased attendance in weekend church services

• Prominent recognition within Light & Love Ministry’s publications including print and web-based materials

• A reduced Prayer Chaplain Trainers Workshop registration fee for host ministry’s members

To host, see www.lightandloveministries.org/wkshps/HostRequirements07.pdf

For workshop details and to register visit www.lightandloveministries.org/calendar/cal.htm.



Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 6: Identify and train a ministry champion and begin implementing a Chaplaincy program

GENERAL INFORMATION

We already have a prayer chaplain program with ________ chaplains serving.

We sent a champion to be trained. Name: ____________________________________

Date / location of training attended: _____________________________________

Do you plan to implement a chaplaincy program? Yes _____ No _____

Date for enrollment of volunteers into prayer chaplain program: _________________

RESULTS

Please record your impressions of how achieving this benchmark has impacted your ministry (if you have a program already please tell us how the program is going):

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What were your greatest success and your greatest challenge in implementing this benchmark (or program)? _______________________________________________________________________

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How do you feel this benchmark (or program) spiritually stretched you, your ministry’s leadership, volunteers, and congregants?

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Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 6: Become a chaplain, join a MasterMind prayer group, or start a new prayer group

GENERAL INFORMATION

Check at least one to receive credit for this benchmark.

I am already a prayer chaplain in a program with ________ chaplains serving.

I attended Prayer Chaplain training. Date / location of training: _________________________________________

I am a member of a MasterMind group or other prayer group with ________members.

I started a MasterMind group Date of fi rst meeting: ________________________

RESULTS

Please record your impressions of how achieving this benchmark has impacted you (if you have a program already please tell us how the program is going):

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Benchmark 7: Plan at least one ministry-wide Spiritual Social Action eventThe Art and Spirit of Spiritual Social Action (SSA)As the fi fth and fi nal of Unity’s basic teachings tells us: it is not enough to know Unity principles, we must live them. Spiritual Social Action is a way for us to put our principles into practice. In addition, research shows that thriving ministries are active in making a difference in their communities and beyond. By putting feet on our faith, we serve the world, evolve our own consciousness, and provide an example that inspires our community. What better way to attract to our ministry those who are searching for a spiritual community that makes a difference in the world?

Getting StartedThe Golden Rule is found in some form in all faiths. The New Thought version could be phrased: “Whatever you put out into the universe returns to you, multiplied.” What we do to another we do to ourselves. World events have a role to play in our awakening, helping us to become present. Imagine if the key to awakening was rooted in acting with love and compassion in response to world events.

What is SSA?Engaging in humanitarian compassionate service is different from the kind of charity we may have been taught to give. Just as we learn that tithing is different from charitable giving, true spiritual social action moves us out of the role of “benevolent giver handing down to a needy receiver” to “two hearts sharing the same space.” This is a reciprocal action, a mutually benefi cial exchange. In SSA we set up programs that invite recipients/participants to do their part, to offer what they can, and to feel part of making their lives transform. This work empowers rather than invites dependency.

Knowing that the Christ Presence is within all, we do not do “charity work” for those who are “unfortunate souls,” rather we honor each, knowing no matter what the outer circumstances may look like, every person has something of value to give. This benchmark will assist you and your congregation in taking part in a Spiritual Social Action event or cause. Please use the Benchmark 7 Tracking Sheet to record your results.

Action Steps 1. Review the list of suggested activities.

2. Select an activity that best suits your ministry.

3. Consider how you can invite the broader community to participate (such as the general public, your neighborhood, a neighboring school, or a local business).


4. Plan and execute the chosen activity.

5. Optional: See Benchmark 4 for information on how to publicize your event. A sample press release is on the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 7 as well as tips for using them.

6. Celebrate your success!

7. Complete and send in the Benchmark Tracking Sheet to the association home offi ce (attention Debbie Allen).

Spiritual Social Action Activities: Choose at least one to receive credit for this benchmark. Check the website at www.unity.org/thrive for updates and/or new options for this benchmark.

Hold an Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream SymposiumWhere on earth are we going and what can we do about it? These are two of the questions that are at the heart of the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium. The Symposium is a profound inquiry into a bold vision: to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfi lling, and socially just human presence on earth. If you are ready to explore what this vision means for you (and your ministry), and explore the opportunity to create an inspiring future, visit www.awakeningthedreamer.org/11daysofunity for more information and to schedule a workshop.

Create your own “11 Days of Global Unity” Beginning with Unity World Day of Prayer and continuing through to the UN International Day of Peace, Unity is inviting participation in events for celebrating oneness and healing our world. For eleven days, through workshops, inspirational talks, interfaith prayer ceremonies, concerts, special events, dances and discussions, Unity will expand the possibilities of what we can do, by partnering with like-minded organizations to affi rm, create and celebrate the dawning of a new era of global peace, transformational healing and sustainable living. See the following pages for additional information on creating 11 Days of Global Unity at your ministry or visit www.11daysofunity.org. Hold a minimum of three activities within the 11 days to get credit for this choice.

Offer prosperity to a family affected by AIDS Heifer International provides livestock such as bulls for plowing fi elds, cows which produce milk that can be sold, and much more. Recipients also receive training that can make the difference between a farming family living in hunger and poverty, and that same family having plenty to eat and being able to help others. You and your congregation can raise funds to purchase livestock and training for impoverished African families stricken with AIDS or orphans of AIDS. The offspring of the animals are given to other families in need in the village, passing on prosperity to others. The economic impact within the community grows


exponentially. Visit www.heifer.org for more information. You will fi nd videos of recipients sharing their stories (which you can share at your Sunday service) as well as a list of ways Heifer International helps families become self-suffi cient. See the detailed information on page 105 on three ways you can bring your congregation together. For sums as little as $20 (fl ock of geese) to $500 (heifer) to $5,000 (The Ark) you can set up a family for long-term health and well-being.

Participate in Habitat for HumanityHabitat for Humanity International is a nonprofi t, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. HFHI seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need. Habitat has built more than 250,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1 million people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter. HFHI was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller along with his wife, Linda. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profi t and fi nanced with affordable loans. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses. Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor—sweat equity—into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. For more information visit www.habitatforhumanity.org.


11 Days of Global UnitySo you want to plan your own 11-Day celebration? Below is a list of activities you might consider participating in and/or planning for your own church community. This is NOT meant to communicate that all activities should be done, but rather you can pick any of the bulleted items under each day to create your own plan.

Not every event listed has resources on www.11daysofunity.com. The items in bold blue are available for download at www.11daysofunity.org. We have provided this list to help support you in being creative in your own community. While the possibilities are endless, we hope this helps jumpstart your involvement. Read carefully through each day, as some items are duplicated on multiple days to show a variety of options of when you might plan an event. This list is NOT exhaustive by any means!

At the end of this list are more ideas for your church. Start planning now! Get connected with the wider community through an interfaith council, other churches, and secular peace organizations. Finally, let us know if we can be of help in any way. Thank you for getting involved in creating a world that works for all. Below is s a calendar for the 11 days.

Sunday• Sunday Service: Peace Theme

• Youth Education: 11 Days Curriculum at Youth and Family Ministry section online, it contains three Sunday lessons, starting the Sunday before World Day of Prayer. Also online are the activities that are described in the curriculum document.

• Play “Fine Line” song by Richard Mekdeci, in multimedia section of resources.

• Make Prayer/Peace Flags to hang outside at church for the coming week through the 11 days.

Thursday – World Day of Prayer, Celebrating Oneness, Healing the World

• 24-hour prayer vigil, in concert with Unity Village prayer vigil.

• Listen to WDOP 2007 – Interfaith Prayers from Multimedia section of resources.

• Have congregation join at church to watch live streaming of Gregg Braden, keynote speaker for WDOP

• Play Fine Line song by Richard Mekdeci, in Multimedia section of resources.

• Begin 11 days of peace prayers, use the brochure online Print section of resources of 11 Days of Peace Prayers. Use at church each day, with staff, volunteers, etc. and/or encourage people use it at home every day. Begin with Unity prayer in brochure.


• Ask participants to hand out 11 Day Peace Cards “Make Peace Your Business.” Encourage community, staff, volunteers, etc. to use at church and affi rm each day, and/or at home with families and friends. Use the affi rmation cards for longer than the 11 days.

• Begin book study of The Intention Experiment by Lynne McTaggart. Download from Print Materials section of Resource page 11 Days Power of Prayer to create your own intention “experiment” at your church or for yourself.

Friday• Continue 24-hour prayer vigil, in concert with Unity Village prayer vigil

• Continue with Day 2 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure

• Nonviolent Communication Workshop (www.cnvc.org )


Saturday• Play Fine Line song by Richard Mekdeci, in Multimedia section of resources.

• Awakening the Dreamer Symposium, watch the video in the Multimedia section on the Resource page. Contact Pachamama Alliance (www.pachamama.org) to set up a presentation (you will want to advertise this symposium far ahead of time in order for people to plan to attend).


• Nonviolent Communication Workshop

• Greening Your Church workshop

• Earthdance, for more information visit www.earthdance.org.


• Youth Education: 11 Days Curriculum at Youth and Family Ministry section online, it contains 3 Sunday lessons, starting the Sunday before World Day of Prayer. Also online are the activities that are described in the curriculum document.



• Invite a local Interfaith group or people from various religious traditions, see Multimedia resources: 11 Days Web Links Doc. Also see 11 Day Interfaith Celebration under Print Materials section of resources online.

• Make Prayer/Peace Flags to hang outside at church for the coming week.



Monday• 11am prayer service, in concert with Silent Unity 11am service.


• Begin series of classes:

• Small Group Peace Book Study

• Peace Film Series with discussions

• Exploration of World Religions

Tuesday• 11am prayer service, in concert with Silent Unity 11am service.


• Continue series of classes that started on Monday.

• Diversity Celebration: Break into small groups and tell a short history of your family’s diversity in dyads. Then share in small groups then in large group. May share ethnic food, music, dance, dress.

Wednesday• 11am prayer service, in concert with Silent Unity 11am service.

• Invite a local Interfaith group or people from various religious traditions, see Multimedia resources: 11 Days Web Links Doc.

• Create a mid-week Interfaith Worship Service, see 11 Day Interfaith Celebration under Print Materials section of the resources online.



Thursday• 11am prayer service, in concert with Silent Unity 11am service.



Friday• Continue with Day 9 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure




• Greening Your Church workshop

• With Interfaith or Ecumenical Partners:

- Create an 11-Day Peace Film Festival, or show one transformational fi lm this evening

- Carry out a Spiritual Social Action activity

- Gather for a “Peace Music Concert.”

Saturday• Continue with Day 10 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure

• Awakening the Dreamer Symposium, watch the video in the Multimedia section on the Resource page. Contact Pachamama Alliance (www.pachamama.org) to set up a presentation (you will want to advertise this symposium far ahead of time in order for people to plan to attend).

• With Interfaith or Ecumenical Partners:

° Create an 11-Day Peace Film Festival, or show one transformational fi lm this evening

° Carry out a Spiritual Social Action activity

° Gather for a “Peace Music Concert.”

• Create an Abraham Walk, visit www.agnt.org, for more information.


• Youth Education: 11 Days Curriculum at Youth and Family Ministry section online, it contains 3 Sunday lessons, starting the Sunday before World Day of Prayer. Also online are the activities that are described in the curriculum document.



• Invite a local Interfaith group or people from various religious traditions, see Multimedia resources: 11 Days Web Links Doc.

• Make Prayer/Peace Flags to commemorate International Day of Peace.


Ask a local non-Christian group if your congregation could attend a service or prayer time with them or invite them to share about their religion with you.

• It is the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan so they may invite you to celebrate prayers and breaking of the fast with them some evening.

• You might want to experience a Jewish Sabbath Service on Friday Evening.

• Check with local Hindu, Buddhist, CaoDai, Baha’i, Sikh, etc. communities for ways to interact.


Connect with your local Christian community to plan joint “Peace” events: Mennonites, Quakers, Church of the Brethren, Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Congregational, United Church of Christ, Lutherans and Disciples of Christ Churches, Religious Science, Divine Science and Catholic Pax Christi leaders.

Read through the 11 Days Secular from the Resource page, Print Materials section online, it gives wonderful ideas of how to connect with the larger secular community to plan events throughout the 11 days.

Invite your local Neighborhood Watch Group or Neighbors to a Neighborhood and Pet Blessing some Saturday or to an Ice Cream Social to build peaceful relationships.

Present your City Council with a Proclamation to sign for “11 Days of Global Unity: A Season of Interfaith Celebration.” Download the Declaration of Interdependence from the Print Materials section.

Promote involvement of government agencies and private companies in focusing on peace in various ways in their workplaces through the connections in your congregation.

Read through the 11 Days Interfaith Possibilities from the Resource section online, it gives wonderful ideas of how to connect with the larger community to plan interfaith events throughout the 11 days.

Distribute 11 Day Peace Cards throughout your city.

Promote Peace Creative Expression through music, art, skits throughout your city, include youth organizations.

Promote Community-wide Diversity Celebrations such as cultural fairs with food, costumes, music, dance and stories or parades with fl ags from many countries and prayers for each country as recommended by the United Nations. See Declaration of Interdependence in Print Materials section.

See 11 Days Press Release Doc in Print Materials section to help promote the events you plan.


Choosing Heifer International

The purpose of this benchmark is to bring your congregation together around an event or cause that raises awareness and provides an experience of Spiritual Social Action. Simply collecting money one Sunday would not allow your congregation to have an active experience of Spiritual Social Action. Therefore please select from one of these three options offered by Heifer International (www.heifer.org) in order to fully satisfy this benchmark.

Go Crackers for Heifer!People of all ages will be challenged by Animal Crackers, an exciting educational and fundraising program featuring fi ve sessions for each age group on the topics of

• Hunger and the Bible

• Animals

• People and their Needs

• Land and the Environment

• Passing on the Gift

Designed to enhance your vacation Bible school, church school or other educational program, Animal Crackers allows students to raise money to send a heifer, sheep, goat, water buffalo, fl ock of chicks or other animals to a struggling family. A free guidebook includes learning sessions, world hunger facts, animal fact sheets and activities, Bible passages and games. Call 1-800-422-0474 or download online by searching for “Animal Crackers” at www.heifer.org.

Please give yourself adequate time to order and review these materials as they may need to be revised to align with Unity principles.

Fill the ArkAs you and your family fi ll your ark-shaped bank with coins, you’ll meet the animals in Heifer’s Ark: alpaca, bee, camel, chicken, cow, donkey, duck, fi sh, goose, guinea pig, horse, llama, pig, rabbit, sheep, water buffalo and the wonderful yak. Together, you’ll learn how these animals help families through wool, honey and milk and in dozens of other ways. You’ll also learn more about the environmental benefi ts of using animals wisely on a small farm.

Each participating family in your ministry will receive one ark bank and one four-week calendar. An accompanying Leader’s Guide, targeted to congregations, is also available, containing sermon notes, children’s activities and creative worship ideas.


As a nonprofi t, Heifer International provides ministries with resource materials free of charge for use in your home, church and community. As good stewards, we ask that you use these tools to help children, youth and adults deepen their understanding of how people can end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. If you wish to receive fundraising program materials, please call Heifer International at 1.800.422.0474

Please give yourself adequate time to order and review these materials as they may need to be revised to align with Unity principles.

Living Gift Market: An Alternative Giving EventOn the website www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0 included in this kit, you will fi nd a booklet with all you need to create a Living Gift Market event. At these markets, shoppers honor friends and family by “buying” gifts of animals for families in need all around the world. The event can be as simple as setting up a table in your fellowship hall for several Sundays or as elaborate as planning a special evening event with the entire fellowship hall done up as a market.

Here is some information excerpted from the booklet:

Many people are fi rst drawn to Living Gift Markets because they’re such a clever solution to buying gifts for people who “have it all.” For your mother who has enough sweaters, for your clients who have more holiday food than they can eat, for your children who will just lose another toy in the shuffl e. Living Gift Markets are wonderful ways to get out of a gift-giving rut that has lost its meaning. But Living Gift Markets also serve a loftier purpose as well. A Living Gift Market is a chance for your group to reach out to people in need, both near and far. You can change the lives of people you will never meet but who dream under the same stars you do. They dream of enough food, of a chance to support their families. Meanwhile, you dream of less hustle and bustle and a meaningful way to share your abundance.

So organize a Living Gift Market and sell a fl ock of chickens.Give your favorite aunt a share of a water buffalo or treat your grandchild to a llama. You will be setting off a chain of events you may never have anticipated—and perhaps not just in the lives of project partners who receive the animals. Living Gift Markets can transform groups, faith congregations, even communities as the spirit of kindness—and fun!—takes hold and pulls people together.

If you choose this option please print and read the entire booklet from the website www.thrivinginunity.org, TIU 1.0, Resource Materials under Benchmark 7 LivingGiftMarket.pdf.



Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 7: Plan and hold at least one ministry-wide Spiritual Social Action event.

GENERAL INFORMATION



RESULTS

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Name: ______________________________________________________________

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Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 7: Attend and work at least one ministry-wide Spiritual Social Action event or hold your own SSA event. Enroll others on a team to help.

GENERAL INFORMATION



Number of people on your team: _____________________________________

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Benchmarks 8 & 9Congregant

Spiritual Development

110—Congregant Spiritual Development

Congregant Spiritual DevelopmentFor many Unity ministries today, Sunday worship services are the main reason for being. But at the beginning of Unity the main attractions were spiritual education and the experience of the divine presence within through a daily practice of prayer and meditation. Sunday worship was almost an afterthought. In the beginning, being a Truth student required more than listening to a twenty minute talk once per week.

No matter how powerful a talk is, no matter how moving, or how profound the insights it offers, it cannot offer the same type of transformative experience as an interactive, self-directed course of study on a spiritual principle. And it is most often through smaller groups of congregants coming together for the purpose of spiritual education and supportive prayer that bonds are created, friendships are formed, and lasting transformation occurs.

Combining the opportunity to delve deeper into spiritual law and opportunity to get to know others on the path may be one of the most effective ways to serve your congregants and strengthen your ministry. The following two benchmarks offer you several choices for providing transformational experiences in smaller group settings.

Congregant Spiritual Development— 111

Benchmark 8: Hold a book study on one of the two recommended books: Loving What Is, by Byron Katie or A New Earth, by Ekhart Tolle

The Art & Spirit of Spiritual DevelopmentWhile Sunday lessons and Sunday services are powerful opportunities for congregants to hear transformational messages, classes and book studies often allow congregants to go deeper into core concepts which may challenge their current thinking. Spiritual transformation is the foundation of the Thriving Ministry Model™ and is an intentional outcome of every thriving ministry’s program offerings.

Getting StartedThis benchmark will introduce themes such as taking full responsibility for one’s life, deeply embracing the teaching that we live in a benevolent universe, opening to the notion that by transforming ourselves, we transform our world, and engaging in practical ways to go about the business of personal transformation. Please use the Benchmark 8 Tracking Sheet to record your results.

Action Steps1. Read through the summary and study guides provided for each of the book titles.

2. Determine which book will best support your ministry.

3. Schedule a time and facilitator for the class. Promote it in your newsletter and Sunday bulletins.

4. Include the following components to meet this benchmark:

° Facilitator offers 3-5 lessons on the book’s content.

° Participants receive study questions or homework of some type to encourage personal refl ection on the book’s content.

° Participants are given an opportunity to discuss the homework and the book’s content in small groups/circles.

5. Complete the Benchmark Tracking Sheet and send it to the association home offi ce (attention Debbie Allen).

Please note that the course materials provided are for your convenience. Please feel free to change or edit them as you feel led, or to prepare your own material for your course. Some may be available on the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 8 as MS Word documents for easy editing.


Loving What Isby Byron Katie

SummaryOut of nowhere, like a fresh breeze in a marketplace crowded with advice on what to think and believe, comes Byron Katie and what she calls “The Work.” In the midst of a normal life, Katie became increasingly depressed and desperate. Then one morning, she woke up in state of absolute joy, fi lled with the realization of how her own

suffering had ended. The freedom of that realization has never left her, and now in Loving What Is you can discover the same freedom through The Work.

The Work is simply four questions that, when applied to a specifi c problem, enable you to see what is troubling you in an entirely different light. As Katie says, “It’s not the problem that causes our suffering; it’s our thinking about the problem.” Contrary to popular belief, trying to let go of a painful thought never works; instead, once we have done The Work, the thought lets go of us. At that point, we can truly love what is, just as it is. Loving What Is: Four Questions that Change Your Life will show you step by step, through clear and vivid examples, exactly how to use this revolutionary process by yourself. You’ll see people do The Work with Katie on a broad range of human problems, in their relationships, at work, and on their deepest anxieties and fears. Once they have done The Work, they experience a sense of lasting peace and fi nd the clarity and energy to act, even in situations that had previously seemed impossible.

Support MaterialsBeginning on page 116 you will fi nd worksheets and supplemental materials to assist you in teaching a class on this book and facilitating the process of “The Work.” In addition, ministries may request up to 100 complementary copies of sample audio CDs (two titles: Loving What Is and Love & Appreciation) and up to 100 complementary Little Books (condensed version of Loving What Is) for your use. Simply send an email to [email protected] and include your request (list the materials you want) and your full mailing address. Be sure to include that you are a Unity ministry and a non-profi t organization.

The worksheets and a pdf version of the Little Book are also available on the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 8 Loving What Is folder in this package. (Offered with permission by Byron Katie.)

Stretch Goal: In addition to the book study, you may wish to schedule a companion workshop with Byron Katie at your ministry by emailing her at [email protected].


A New Earthby Eckhart Tolle

SummaryA New Earth is the highly anticipated follow-up to bestselling inspirational book, The Power of Now.

With his bestselling spiritual guide The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle inspired millions of readers to discover the freedom and joy of a life lived “in the now.” In A New Earth, Tolle expands on these powerful

ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending confl ict and suffering throughout the world. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfi lling existence.

The Power of Now was a question-and-answer handbook. A New Earth has been written as a traditional narrative, offering anecdotes and philosophies in a way that is accessible to all. Illuminating, enlightening, and uplifting, A New Earth is a profoundly spiritual manifesto for a better way of life and for building a better world.

Study GuideTo assist you in preparing the book study we have assembled the study guide found on page 117. It contains refl ection questions for each chapter which participants can answer before class and then dialog about in class, as well as an invitation to “get active” and experience the concepts in their daily lives. You may wish to invite participants to share about their “get active” experiences. You can also fi nd this guide on the website www.unity.org/thrive under Thriving in Unity 1.0 in Benchmark 8, A New Earth folder, anewearthguide.doc.

Special thanks to the Reverend David Ridge of Living Water Unity Church in Arvada, Colorado, for his contribution of the questions for this study guide. The “get active” portion of the study guide came from A New Earth Awakening Exercises on www.oprah.com.

Loving What IsWorksheet and Supplement Materials

Byron Katie’s


©2008 Byron Katie International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.thework.com

FACILITATION GUIDE

FOR THE WORK OF BYRON KATIE

The Four Questions, Sub-Questions, and Turnarounds

Use the following four questions and sub-questions, only when appropriate, with the

concept you’re Working. While answering the questions close your eyes, be still, go

deeply as you contemplate. The Work stops working in the moment you stop answering

the questions.

1. Is it true? • The answer is a “yes” or a “no.”

• If your answer is no, continue to question #3.

2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?

Even if the answer is “yes,” gently move to question #3.

3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? • Describe the feelings that happen physically when you believe that thought.

• Describe how much of your body these feelings take over.

• Does that thought bring peace or stress into your life?

• How do you treat that person, yourself, and others when you believe that thought?

• What addictions/obsessions begin to manifest when you think that thought? (Do you reach for alcohol,

credit cards, food, the TV remote, when you think that thought?)

• Where does your mind travel (into the past and/or future) when you believe that thought? Describe the

images.

• Whose business are you in when you think that thought?

• What do you get for holding on to that belief? Describe the pain, if any.

• What do you fear would happen if you didn’t believe that thought? (Later, take this list of fears to

inquiry)

• Where and when did that thought first occur to you?

4. Who would you be without the thought? • Close your eyes. Describe life without that thought.

• Who would you be without your story?

• Drop the story just for a moment, and describe what you see.

Turn the thought around.

Statements can be turned around to yourself, to the other, to the opposite, and occasionally there are other

variations as well. When dealing with an object, replace the object with “my thinking” or “my thoughts,” when

it rings true for you. Find a minimum of three genuine examples where the turnaround is as true as or truer than

your original statement.

Do you see any other turnarounds that are as true or truer?

www.thework.com


Instructions for Doing The Work Do you really want to know the truth? Investigate each of your statements using the four questions and the turnaround below. Leave out “but”, “because”, or “and”. Take only one negative judgment at a time through the process. Often you will have several negative judgments about one person. Take each judgment separately through the inquiry process The Work is a meditation. It’s about awareness; it’s not about trying to change your mind. Let the mind ask the questions, then contemplate. Take your time, go inside, and wait for the deeper answers to surface.

The Four Questions 1. Is it true? 2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true? 3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? 4. Who would you be without the thought? Here’s an example of how the four questions might be applied to the statement, “Paul should understand me.” 1. Is it true? Is it true that he should understand you? Be still. Wait for the heart’s response.

2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true? Ultimately, can you really know what he should or shouldn’t understand? Can you absolutely know what’s in his best interest to understand?

3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? What happens when you believe “Paul should understand me” and he doesn’t? Do you experience anger, stress, frustration? Do you give him “the look”? Do you try to change him in any way? How do these reactions feel? Does that thought bring stress or peace into your life? Be still as you listen.

4. Who would you be without the thought? Close your eyes. Picture yourself in the presence of the person you want to understand you. Now imagine looking at that person, just for a moment, without the thought, “I want him to understand.” What do you see? What would your life look like without that thought?

The Turnaround Next, turn your statement around. The turnarounds are an opportunity to consider the opposite of what you believe to be true. You may find several turnarounds. For example, “Paul should understand me” turns around to:

• Paul shouldn’t understand me. (Isn’t that reality sometimes?) • I should understand me. (It’s my job, not his.) • I should understand Paul. (Can I understand that he doesn’t understand me?)

Let yourself fully experience the turnarounds. For each one, ask yourself, “Is that as true or truer?” Can you find specific examples in your life where the turnaround is as true or truer? This is not about blaming yourself or feeling guilty. It’s about discovering alternatives that can bring you peace.

The Turnaround for Number 6 The turnaround for statement number 6 is a little different: “I don’t ever want to experience an argument with Paul again” turns around to: I am willing to experience an argument with Paul again, and I look forward to experiencing an argument with Paul again. Number 6 is about welcoming all your thoughts and experiences with open arms as it shows you where you are still at war with reality. If you feel any resistance to a thought, your Work is not done. When you can honestly look forward to experiences that have been uncomfortable, there is no longer anything to fear in life—you see everything as a gift that can bring you self-realization.

©2008 Byron Katie, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.thework.com + 1 815-664-4209 / 1-800-98-KATIE


©2008 Byron Katie International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.thework.com 1-800-98-KATIE

Judge-Your-Neighbor Worksheet

Judge your neighbor • Write it down • Ask four questions • Turn it around

Fill in the blanks below, writing about someone (dead or alive) you haven’t yet forgiven one hundred percent. Use short, simple sentences. Don’t censor yourself—try to fully experience the anger or pain as if the situation were occurring right now. Take this opportunity to express your judgments on paper.

1. Who angers, frustrates, or confuses you, and why? I am at because (name)

(Example: I am angry at Paul because he doesn’t listen to me, he doesn’t appreciate me, he argues with everything I say.)

2. How do you want them to change? What do you want them to do?

I want to (name)

(Example: I want Paul to see that he is wrong. I want him to apologize.

3. What is it that they should or shouldn’t do, be, think or feel? What advice could you offer?

should/shouldn’t (name)

(Example: Paul should take better care of himself. He shouldn’t argue with me.)

4. What do they need to do in order for you to be happy?

I need to (name)

(Example: I need Paul to hear me and respect me.)

5. What do you think of them? Make a list.

is (name)

(Example: Paul is unfair, arrogant, loud, dishonest, way out of line, and unconscious.)

6. What is it that you don’t want to experience with that person again?

I don’t ever want to

(Example: I don’t ever want to feel unappreciated by Paul again. I don’t ever want to see him smoking and ruining his health again.)

The four questions:

1. Is it true?

2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?

3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?

4. Who would you be without the thought?

Turn it around.

(Find three genuine examples of how each turnaround is true in your life.)


©2006-2008 Byron Katie, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.thework.com Rev. 5/08

THE ONE-BELIEF-AT-A-TIME WORKSHEET THE WORK – A WRITTEN MEDITATION

Enter a stressful concept on the line below and then question it in writing (on blank

paper as needed) using the following questions and turnarounds. While answering

the questions close your eyes, be still, go deeply as you contemplate. The Work stops working in the moment you stop answering the questions.

Belief: ______________________________________________________________________________

1. Is it true? _______________________________________________________________________

• The answer is a “yes” or a “no”.

• If your answer is no, continue to question #3.

2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true? _________________________________________

Even if your answer is “yes,” gently move to question #3.

3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

If the following questions apply, please answer in writing. Before you answer, close your

eyes, be still as you contemplate your answer:

a) Describe the feelings that happen physically when you believe that thought. b) Describe how much of your body these feelings take over.

c) Where and when did that thought first occur to you?

d) Who were you before that thought first occurred to you?

e) Does that thought bring peace or stress into your life?

f) How do you treat that person, yourself, and others when you believe that thought? g) What addictions/obsessions begin to manifest when you think that thought? (Do

you reach for alcohol, credit cards, food, the TV remote, when you think that

thought?)

h) Where does your mind travel (into the past and/or future) when you believe that

thought? Describe the images. i) Whose business are you in when you think that thought?

j) What do you get for holding on to that belief? Describe the pain, if any.

k) What do you fear would happen if you didn’t believe that thought? (Later, take this

list of fears to inquiry.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Continued on back…


©2006-2008 Byron Katie, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.thework.com Rev. 5/08

Belief you are working on: ____________________________________________________________

4. Who would you be without the thought? ___________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Possible follow-ups:

a) Close your eyes. Describe life without that thought. b) Who would you be without your story?

c) Drop the story just for a moment, and describe what you see.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Turn the thought around. (Example of a statement: He hurt me.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Turn it around to yourself (Our example: I hurt me.):

_____________________________________________________________________________________

How is your turnaround as true or truer? (For “I hurt me,” how have you hurt you in

this situation?) Give examples: _______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Turn it around to the other (I hurt him.): ____________________________________________

How is this turnaround as true or truer? (For “I hurt him,” how have you hurt him in

this situation?) Give examples: ______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Turn it around to the opposite (He didn’t hurt me.): ________________________________

(For “He didn’t hurt me, or he helped me,” how did he not hurt you? How has he helped

you?) Give examples: ________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Turn it around to “my thinking” where appropriate (My thinking hurt me.):

How is this turnaround as true or truer? (For “My thinking hurt me,” how has your

thinking hurt you?) Give examples: __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

A New EarthWorksheet and Supplement Materials

Eckhart Tolle’s


A New Earth Study GuideWeek 1

The consciousness that says ‘I am’ is not the consciousness that thinks. —Jean-Paul Sartre

Affi rmation:"Through the guidance and wisdom of Spirit, I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind. All obstacles and emotions are stepping stones to the realization and appreciation of my sacred humanness."

Study Questions – A New Earth (Review chapters 1 & 2, pp 1-58)

Chapter 1: The Flowering of Human Consciousness Refl ect:Eckhart Tolle uses the image of the fi rst fl ower to begin his discussion of the transformation of consciousness. In your transformation, is this symbolism important to you? Describe.

The two core insights of early religion are: 1) the normal state of human consciousness is dysfunctional (the Hindu call it maya – the veil of delusion) and 2) the opportunity for transformation is also in human consciousness (the Hindu call this enlightenment) (p. 8-9). What in your recent experience points to each of these insights?

“To recognize one’s own insanity is, of course, the arising of sanity, the beginning of healing and transcendence” (p. 14). To what extent and in what circumstances (that you’re willing to discuss) does this statement apply to you?

Religion is derived from the Latin word religare, meaning “to bind.” What, in your religious experience, have you been bound to? Stretching your imagination a bit, what could the word have pointed to in its original context?

Spirit is derived from the Latin word spiritus, breath, and spirare, to blow. Aside from the allusion to hot air, how does this word pertain to your transformation? Do you consider yourself to be “spiritual” or “religious”? What examples of practices or beliefs can you give to illustrate?

How does this passage from Revelation 21:1-4 relate to your transformation? Tease out as much of the symbolism as you can.


“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the fi rst heaven and the fi rst earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the fi rst things have passed away.”

Get ActiveSpend some time in the presence of something you consider beautiful—a fl ower, a gem, a piece of artwork, etc. As you look at the object, try to see it without naming it mentally. When we appreciate beauty in this manner, a window opens into the formless, and into a state of gratitude. See if you can experience that.

Choose one or two activities you do routinely and bring your attention to them. Here are three examples.

° Every time you walk up and down the stairs in your house or place of work, pay close attention to every step, every movement…even your breathing. Be totally present.

° When you wash your hands, pay attention to all the sensory perceptions associated with the activity: the sound and feel of the water, the movement of your hands, the scent of the soap and so on.

° When you get into your car, after you close the door, pause for a few seconds and observe the fl ow of your breath. Become aware of a silent but powerful sense of presence.

Chapter 2: Ego: The Current State of Humanity

Refl ectIn his discussion of the ego, Tolle refers to the use of words and labels as a means of disguising the miracles with which we are continually blessed (p. 26). What experiences have you had that illustrate this idea?

Tolle asserts that the ego’s conditioning is completely in the past and is composed of content and structure (p. 34). Why is this distinction relevant?

The egoic mind arises in its identifi cation with form. Thought is considered essential to the ego’s continuance. If we are to let go of the ego, is it essential to let go of thought as well? Is there anything to take the place of thought?


Toole declares, “Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness” (p. 41). Are you inclined to agree with that statement? Can you illustrate with a personal example where that seemed to be the case? Where it did not seem to be the case?

Several tools of the ego ensures its continuance:• making yourself right and others wrong

• stimulating your appetite for “more”

• identifying with the body

What behaviors/activities can you practice/perform to reduce or eliminate the effect of the ego’s use of these tools?

“Descartes’ error” refers to his oft-quoted dictum, “I think, therefore I am.” Why is this an error? How does the acceptance or belief of this statement keep us in the state of maya?How does tragic loss lead us to the realization of “the peace that passes all understanding” (p. 56)?

Get ActiveA few times a day, listen quietly for the voice in your head, the stream of continuous self-talk. Then ponder the following questions. Just be with the questions. Don't necessarily try to answer them.

• Am I the thoughts that are going through my head? or

• Am I the one who is aware that these thoughts are going through my head?

Pay attention to the gap between your thoughts—when one thought subsides and before another arises. In this way, you draw consciousness away from mind activity and create a gap of no-mind in which you are highly alert and aware but not thinking. When these gaps occur, you disidentify from your mind and feel a certain stillness and peace inside you. This is the essence of meditation and the single most vital step on your journey toward enlightenment.

Next Week: Read chapters 3 & 4.



The Truth is inseparable from who you are. —Eckhart Tolle

Affi rmation: "I AM as God created me."


Chapter 3: The Core of the Ego Refl ect“Egos only differ on the surface. Deep down they are all the same…. They live on identifi cation and separation.” (p. 60) What examples do you have of your ego living on identifi cation and separation? How has that proved “useful” to the development of your relationships?

“To forgive is to overlook, or rather to look through.” (p. 63) Compare and contrast this concept of forgiveness to that which is taught at Living Water Unity: “Forgiveness is the process of giving love to the moment, without constraint, without limitation, without condition. Forgiveness is not an action after the fact but an attitude with which we enter each moment.”

Tolle identifi es tools of the ego to include: complaints and resentment (p. 61), reactivity and grievances (p. 64), and being right and making wrong (p. 66). Aside from the obvious effect of these “ego tools” reinforcing the perception of separation from others, describe how you have used (abused?) these to make yourself feel “special”. What is the bodily feeling that arises when you use these tools? Y. Haveli is quoted as having suggested the opportunity of “accommodating a competitive narrative” (p. 72). What does that mean to you and why do you think it is important in the transformation from egocentric to God-centric consciousness?

“Fighting unconsciousness will draw you into unconsciousness yourself. Unconsciousness, dysfunctional egoic behavior, can never be defeated by attacking it.” (p. 75) When have you tried to do this and what was the result? Identify several instances.

“The underlying emotion that governs all activity of the ego is fear.” (p. 80) Tolle states that this is so because the ego arises by identifying with form – and it knows no form is permanent. This and other references in A New Earth ascribe a motivation to this entity known as the ego as if it were separate from you. If all is one, then the ego cannot, in truth, be separate. How do you resolve this seeming paradox?


Get ActiveAre you so busy getting to the future that the present is reduced to a means of getting there? There are simple things you can do to bring your attention to the here and now. You can measure your success in this practice by the degree of peace that you feel within.

Try ThisBe patient. It is not easy at fi rst to be there as the witnessing Presence, especially when the ego is in survival mode, but once you have had a taste of it, you will grow in Presence power, and the ego will lose its grip on you. The ultimate purpose of human existence, which is to say, your purpose, is to bring that power into the world.

Become aware of your breathing. Feel the air fl owing in and out of your body. Feel your inner energy fi eld. All that you ever have to deal with, cope with, in real life—as opposed to imaginary mind projections—is this moment. Ask yourself what "problem" you have right now, not next year, tomorrow, or fi ve minutes from now. What is wrong with this moment?

Give up waiting as a state of mind. When you catch yourself slipping into waiting…snap out of it. Come into the present moment. Just be, and enjoy being. If you are present, there is never any need for you to wait for anything. So, next time somebody says, "Sorry to have kept you waiting." You can reply: "That's all right, I wasn't waiting. I was just standing here enjoying myself."

Chapter 4: Role Playing: The many faces of egoRefl ect“Behind every positive self-concept is the hidden fear of not being good enough. Behind every negative self-concept is the hidden desire of being the greatest or better than others.” (p. 86) Can you remember holding both a positive self-concept and the fear of not being good enough – or the converse, holding a negative self-concept and a desire to be better than others? How has that affected your relationships?

Think back to the last time you “fell in love.” Tolle says, “‘falling in love’ is in most cases an intensifi cation of egoic wanting and needing.” (p. 88) Without judging the “rightness” of that act, consider your experience and how it may have been a refl ection of the ego’s “wanting and needing.”

If one were to analyze our personal interactions, we might conclude that we use roles as a means of quickly stating to a new acquaintance our interests, talents and perceived position in society. We might also infer, based upon the self-proclaimed role of another, a panoply of personal characteristics, attributes and beliefs without ever exploring these with the other


person (does the problem with “assume” come to mind?). How do roles limit interpersonal communication? How do roles limit our exploration of our (and others’) true nature?

“If there is unhappiness in you, fi rst you need to acknowledge that it is there.” (p. 95) Does this confl ict with Unity’s teaching of the importance of using affi rmations to shift consciousness? If so, how do you resolve these two approaches?

“If you think you are so enlightened, go and spend a week with your parents.” (p. 100) Ram Das illuminates how egoic behaviors are embedded in our relationships. If we are going to transform, our relationships must also transform. From this reading, what means do we have to reform our relationships? Who is responsible for the transforming?

On page 102, Tolle states that suffering is caused by identifi cation with form (also the cause of the arising of the ego). A universal balm for suffering is forgiveness. Using Living Water Unity’s teaching on forgiveness (stated above), explain how it heals the suffering. “Anybody one with what he or she does is building the new earth.” (p. 122) How does this, or how does this not, resonate with you?

Get ActiveRecurring negative emotions do sometimes contain a message. Any changes that you make, whether they have to do with your work, your relationships or your surroundings, are ultimately only cosmetic unless they arise out of a change in your level of consciousness. When you reach a certain degree of presence, you won't need negativity anymore to tell you what is needed in your life situation. But as long as negativity is there, use it. Use it as a kind of signal that reminds you to be more present.

Try ThisWhenever you feel negativity arising within you, whether caused by an external factor, a thought or even nothing in particular that you are aware of, look on it as a voice saying, "Attention. Here and now. Wake up. Get out of your mind. Be present."

Feel yourself becoming transparent, without the solidity of a material body. Now allow whatever you are reacting negatively to—the noise of the car alarm, the dog barking, the traffi c jam—to pass right through you. It is no longer hitting a solid "wall" inside you.

Become like a deep lake. The outer situation of your life, whatever happens there is like the surface of the lake—sometimes calm, sometimes windy and rough. Deep down, however, the lake is always undisturbed. You are the whole lake, not just the surface. Practice being in touch with your own depth, which remains absolutely still.





Affi rmation: "My joy replaces any pain I might experience."


Chapter 5: The Pain BodyRefl ect “This is not to say that all thinking and all emotion are of the ego. They turn into ego only when you identify with them and … they become ‘I’.” (p. 131-132) What examples of thoughts and emotions have you had with which you have identifi ed? … with which you have NOT identifi ed?

“Although the body is very intelligent, it cannot tell the difference between an actual situation and a thought.” (p. 134) Speculate as to why this is so. What personal examples illustrate this concept? How is this principle used by the ego to ensure its perpetuation?

“We can learn not to keep situations or events alive in our minds, but to return our attention continuously to the pristine, timeless present moment rather than be caught up in mental movie-making.” (p. 141) In what “movie-making” have you recently engaged? How can the practice of forgiveness as taught here (“giving love to the moment”) help you avoid “movie-making”?

What distinguishes a “happy, positive thought” from an “unhappy, negative thought”? Is the effect of each more than just on your emotional well-being? Consider the ramifi cations of holding each type of thought on your present consciousness, on the development of your consciousness and on the development of your relationships.

Tolle seems to ascribe a motivation to the pain-body as an “entity” of consciousness separate from but similar to the ego. Consider the pain-body as a “tool” of the ego rather than as a separate “entity”. In this context, how can the pain-body be used by the ego to ensure its perpetuation? How can it be used to escape the grip of the ego?

Tolle refers to the “collective pain-body” as one would refer to the “collective consciousness” or “shared consciousness”. Does this idea resonate with you or do you understand the “collective pain-body” to be something other than “shared”? Discuss.


Get ActiveThe pain-body doesn't want you to observe it directly. The moment you observe the pain-body, feel its energy fi eld within you and take your attention into it, the identifi cation is broken. A higher dimension of consciousness comes in. It is called Presence. You are now the witness or the watcher of the pain-body.

Here are three ways to observe and dissolve the pain-body:

° Watch out for any sign of unhappiness in yourself in whatever form—it may be the awakening pain-body. This can take the form of irritation, impatience, a somber mood, a desire to hurt, anger, rage, depression, a need to have some drama in your relationship and so on. Catch the pain-body the moment it awakens from its dormant stage.

° Observe the resistance within yourself. Observe the attachment to your pain. Be very alert. Observe the peculiar pleasure you derive from being unhappy. Observe the compulsion to talk or think about it. The resistance will cease if you make it conscious.

° Focus attention on the negative feeling inside you. Know that it is the pain-body. Accept that it is there. Don't think about it—don't let the feeling turn into thinking. Don't judge yourself out of it. Stay present, and continue to be the observer of what is happening inside you.

Chapter 6: Breaking FreeRefl ect Chapter 6 begins with the fi rst two steps required to free yourself from your pain-body: 1) realize you have a pain-body, and 2) notice the pain-body is the source of negative emotion. What benefi ts can you see of being free of your pain-body? Do you anticipate that this is a “permanent” freedom?

“The energy that was trapped in the pain-body then changes its vibrational frequency and is transmuted into Presence.” (p. 162) How would you describe this process of transmutation? Describe a situation where you have experienced this. What effect did you experience?

Tolle’s defi nition of the ego is the identifi cation with thought or form. When we identify with the pain-body, we are reinforcing the ego. Illustrate with personal examples when this has happened, how this ego-perpetuation occurs and what effects it has.


According to Tolle, each of us has a pain-body. It often shows up in adults as the source of spontaneous, “negative” responses to otherwise benign stimuli – such as one weeping in response to someone’s criticism of some task just completed. Can you identify an early “addition” to your pain-body (something that occurred early in your life)? How has that affected you in your life?

“It requires a high degree of Presence to avoid reacting when confronted by someone with such an active pain-body. If you are able to stay present, it sometimes happens that your Presence enables the other person to dis-identify from his/her own pain-body and thus experience the miracle of a sudden awakening.” (p. 174-175) Describe a situation where you have experienced this (either as the one maintaining Presence or the one awakened). Speculate as to how this might happen.

Chapter six ends with the third step to freeing yourself from the pain-body: accepting the “isness” of the experience by allowing yourself to feel whatever it is you are feeling at the moment. (p. 184) Speculate as to why this “allowing” is important to your dis-identifi cation with the emotion of the pain-body.

Get ActiveDon't try to become free. Don't look for peace. Don't look for any other state than the one you are in now; otherwise, you will set up inner confl ict and unconscious resistance. Instead, try these three exercises the next time you feel the arising pain-body:

° The moment you completely accept your nonpeace, your nonpeace becomes transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there, will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender.

° When you accept what is, every moment is the best moment. That is enlightenment.

° You don't need to deceive yourself and say that there is nothing wrong with a particular unpleasant or undesirable life situation. It may be time for you to get out of it. If so, you can recognize fully that you want to get out of it. Then, narrow your attention down to the present moment without mentally labeling it in any way. No judgment, no resistance, no emotional negativity. Just the "isness" of this moment. Then you take action and do all that you can to get out of the situation.





Affi rmation: "I am."


Chapter 7: Finding Who You Truly Are Refl ect“Your sense of who you are determines what you perceive as your needs and what matters to you in life – and whatever matters to you will have the power to upset and disturb you.” (p. 186) When we attempt to better understand ourselves, we are often blinded by our assumptions and beliefs. Today we have the opportunity to make use of the collective insight of the group. Identify those two or three things that have the most power to disturb you. What does this tell you about whom you think you are? Based upon those two or three things, what insight do others have about who you think you are? Take turns within the group discussing each other’s “things” (ok, let’s all chuckle together and get it over with).

“Who you are requires no belief. In fact, every belief is an obstacle.” (p. 189) What insights arise in considering this statement?

“Whatever people are withholding from you – praise, appreciation, assistance, loving care, and so on – give it to them…. You cannot receive what you don’t give.” (p. 191) Thoughts?

“Nothing you can fi nd out about yourself is you. Nothing you can know about you is you.” (p. 192) Comments?

What obstacles arise when we label people, things, circumstances or situations as “good” or “bad”? (pp. 195-198) What effects do these obstacles have on the realization of who we are?

“The most important, the primordial relationship in your life is your relationship with the Now,…(with) what is or what happens.” Why do you think that is so?

“There are three ways the ego will treat the present moment: as a means to an end, as an obstacle, or as an enemy.” How has this idea shown up for you? What experiences have you had when the present moment has been 1) as a means to an end (“I gotta’ do this before I can do that”), 2) as an obstacle (“I’ll grit my teeth through this”), or 3) as an enemy (“why me?”)?


“The elimination of time from your consciousness is the elimination of the ego. I is the only true spiritual practice.” (p. 207) Elaborate upon why you agree or disagree with this statement.

“A powerful spiritual practice is consciously to allow the diminishment of ego when it happens without attempting to restore it.” (p. 215) How has this felt when you have tried to do this? How did it affect the circumstances in which you experienced the diminishment of the ego? Would you willingly do it again?

Get ActiveThe elimination of time from your consciousness is the elimination of ego. It is the only true spiritual practice. Here are three exercises to help you eliminate time.

° Step out of the time dimension as much as possible in everyday life. Become friendly toward the present moment. Make it your practice to withdraw attention from past and future whenever they are not needed.

° Be present as the watcher of your mind—of your thoughts and emotions as well as your reactions in various situations. Be at least as interested in your reactions as in the situation or person that causes you to react.

° Use your senses fully. Be where you are. Look around. Just look, don't interpret. Be aware of the silent presence of each thing. Be aware of the space that allows everything to be. Listen to the sounds; don't judge them. Listen to the silence beneath the sounds. Touch something—anything—and feel and acknowledge its Being. Allow the "isness" of all things. Move deeply into the Now.

Chapter 8: The Discovery of Inner Space Refl ect“This, too, will pass.” (p. 224) What does this mean to you? How have you applied this idea in your life? What has been the tangible effect of its use? If you were seeking, as the king in the parable sought, an inner peace that could not be disturbed – and this was offered to you as a solution by a reknowned wise person – would you honor the gift by always applying the idea? Then why do you have episodes of lack of inner peace?

“Can you feel your own Presence?” (p. 228) How would you describe your experience of your own Presence? Was its experience intentional or unintentional? How would you regain that experience?


“Consciousness, the traditional word for which is spirit, cannot be known in the nromal sense of the word, and seeking it is futile.” How does Tolle explain this statement? What do you understand this statement to mean? If consciousness cannot be known, then what’s the point of our spiritual practice?

“In the fi rst moment of seeing something or hearing a sound – and more so if it is unfamiliar – before the mind names or interprets what you see or hear, there is usually a gap of alert attention in which perception occurs. That is inner space.” (p. 253) Have you had that experience of inner space? How would you describe that gap that occurs before the “naming” or “interpreting”? How is the awareness of that gap relevant to your knowing who you are?

Get ActiveBecause breath has no form as such, it has since ancient times been equated with spirit—the formless one Life. It is an excellent meditation object precisely because it is not an object, has no shape or form. Whenever you are conscious of the breath, you are absolutely present. Use these breath exercises to become aware of inner space.

° Be aware of your breathing. Notice the sensation of the breath. Feel the air moving in and out of your body. Notice how the chest and abdomen expand and contract slightly with the in- and out-breath. One conscious breath is enough to make some space where before there was the uninterrupted succession of one thought after another.

° Breathing isn't really something that you do but something that you witness as it happens. Breathing happens by itself. The intelligence within the body is doing it. All you have to do is watch it happening. There is no strain or effort involved.

° Take two or three conscious breaths. Now see if you can detect a subtle sense of aliveness that pervades your entire inner body. Can you feel your body from within, so to speak? Sense briefl y specifi c parts of your body. Feel your hands, then your arms, feet and legs. Can you feel your abdomen, chest, neck and head? What about your lips? Is there life in them? Then become aware again of the inner body as a whole




The Truth is inseparable from who you are.—Eckhart Tolle

Affi rmation: "God Is."


Chapter 9: Your Inner Purpose Refl ect“Your inner purpose is to awaken. It is as simple as that. You share that purpose with every other person on the planet – because it is the purpose of humanity” (p. 258) At this stage of the study of Tolle’s work, what does that mean to you? Speculate as to why we were “designed” that way.

“Only the fi rst awakening, the fi rst glimpse of consciousness without thought, happens by grace, without any doing on your part.” (p. 260) If you have had this experience, describe the circumstances in which it happened. If you have not yet had this experience, are you willing to accept Tolle’s assertion that there’s nothing you can do to precipitate the experience? If not, why not?

“The separation of thinking and awareness, which lies at the core of your primary purpose, happens through the negation of time.” (p. 265) What does Tolle mean by “the negation of time”? He goes on to state in the next paragraph, “When you look upon what you do or where you are as the main purpose in your life, you negate time.” Do these statements seem inconsistent to you? If so, how would you rewrite the second statement to be more clear and consistent with the fi rst?

“When doing becomes infused with the timeless quality of Being, that is success.” (p. 271-272) Describe an experience that you have had in which this statement is illustrated.


Get ActiveTo help you stay connected to your inner purpose, you can use these simple practices.

° Ask yourself: "Is there joy, ease and lightness in what I am doing?" If there isn't, then time is covering up the present moment, and life is perceived as a burden or a struggle.

° If there is no joy, ease or lightness in what you are doing, it does not necessarily mean you need to change what you are doing. It may be suffi cient to change the how. "How" is always more important than "what." See if you can give much more attention to the doing than to the result you want to achieve through it.

° Give your fullest attention to whatever the moment presents. This implies that you also completely accept what is because you cannot give your full attention to something and resist it at the same time.

Chapter 10: A New Earth Refl ectElaborate upon Tolle’s assertion that the ego, when identifying with the return movement, develops a hardened shell. (p 287)

“Awakened doing is the alignment of your outer purpose – what you do – with your inner purpose – awakening and staying awake.” (p. 294). “The modalities of awakened doing are acceptance, enjoyment and enthusiasm.” (p. 295) Describe when you have engaged in one or more of these modalities. What distinguished these experiences? I.e., how was that experience different than other “focused doing” (i.e. being so focused in what you’re doing that you lose a sense of time)?

“The fourteenth-century Persian poet and Sufi master Hafi z expresses this truth beautifully: ‘I am a hole in the fl ute that the Christ’s breath moves through. Listen to this music.” (p. 301) Describe an experience that you have had in which you felt like a hole in the fl ute of Christ.


Get ActiveThe new earth arises as more and more people discover that their main purpose is to bring the light of consciousness into this world and so use whatever they do as a vehicle for consciousness. Here are three ways of practicing "awakened doing."

° Knowing that what is cannot be undone—because it already is—you say yes to what is or accept what isn't. Then, you do what you have to do, whatever the situation requires.

° Stay alert, stay present—present with your whole Being, with every cell of your body. As you do so, you are bringing a light into the darkness. This is the fl ame of your consciousness.

° Abide in this state of acceptance for longer and longer periods each day. In this state, you create no more negativity, no more suffering, no more unhappiness. You then live in a state of nonresistance, a state of grace and lightness, free of struggle. When your doing arises from this state, your Being is a gift to the world.



Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 8: Hold a book study on one of the two recommended books: Loving What Is by Byron Katie or A New Earth by Elkhart Tolle. (You may receive credit for previous work if you completed a book study on either of these books since January 2008.) GENERAL INFORMATION

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Name: ______________________________________________________________

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Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 8: Attend a book study on one of the two recommended books: Loving What Is by Byron Katie or A New Earth by Elkhart Tolle. (You may receive credit for previous work if you completed a book study on either of these books since January 2008.)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Book chosen: ____________________________________________________ I joined a book study at my church Date: _____________________________

I facilitated a book study for others Date: _____________________________

I studied the book on my own Date: _____________________________

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Benchmark 9: Hold peacemaking skills or non-violent communication class or workshop.The Art & Spirit of PeacemakingAs your ministry becomes ever more intentional about creating organizational congruence, and thriving in unity, it is inevitable that both leaders and congregants will fi nd themselves challenged to grow and transform. Transformation means we have to integrate new ideas. We must embrace new ways of relating and craft new relationships, often with people we already know.

When people and organizations begin the process of transformation, a certain level of discomfort can appear. Human nature can lead us to manage this discomfort by looking outside ourselves for the cause, rather than looking inward for what we need to shift. This can derail our change process and strain our relationships. This benchmark offers ministries two options for consciously and intentionally developing the type of viewpoint and communication skills that allow people to move through the process of transformation with a greater degree of grace and ease.

Getting StartedThe intention is to create healthier and more resilient relationships within congregations and among congregational leaders, improving people’s capacity to manage disagreement through healthy, direct communication and to take responsibility without blame. Please use the Benchmark 9 Tracking Sheet to record your results.

Action Steps1. Review the two class and workshop choices on the following pages.

2. Select the option that works best for your ministry.

3. Order the requisite materials and/or schedule a workshop with a trained presenter.

4. Complete the Benchmark Tracking Sheet and send it to Unity Worldwide Ministries’ home offi ce staff (attention Debbie Allen).


Choice #1:

The I of the Storm, Embracing Confl ict, Creating Peace by Dr. Gary Simmons

SummaryWhat if everything in your life—every judgment, every failure, every obstacle, every confl ict, illness, and loss was really about exposing your capacity to make the difference—grist for the millstone of your own becoming?

And, what if you really knew the difference between you and your experiences, that you are not your experiences? You have experiences, but experiences don’t have to have you. What difference would you make when your way of relating was inspired by who you are, who you have come here to be, instead of what’s happening to you?

Participants will learn how to:• Recover from judgment and criticism.• Dismantle the belief that someone or something is against them.• Gain relevant skills for dealing with stressful situations.

To order the eight-week program with all teaching materials, go to www.unity.org or call 1-866-236-3571.

• Teacher’s Guide and Lesson Plans• Day by Day Reconciliation Journal• The I of the Storm• The I of the Strom for Teens

Gary Simmons serves as a consultant to Unity Worldwide Ministries where he promotes the implementation of an integral approach to church growth and development for Unity, Religious Science, and New Thought communities. Gary is the author of The I of the Storm: Embracing Confl ict, Creating Peace, a Unity bestseller, now in its tenth printing, the Day-By-Day Reconciliation Journal: A 21 Day Spiritual Practice and Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain-Spiritual Confl ict Management, published by Unity House, plus numerous articles and papers on the subject of peacemaking, church growth, and creating healthy ministries. He co-authored The I of the Storm course curriculum with his wife Jane Simmons, a Unity minister.


Choice #2:

Be Peace

“Before directing the lightning in the sky, we must fi rst harness the storms in our own hearts.”from the poem Rasur by Roberto Brenes Mesen

In a ten-year search for the best social and emotional methodology for maintaining a creative state of personal and interpersonal peace, Rita Marie Johnson discovered that the synergistic combination of HeartMath for “feeling peace” and Nonviolent Communication (NVC) for “speaking peace.” was most effective. The practice of this combination of methodologies was named BePeace.

BePeace has high impact as a peace skills practice because it merges heart-brain coherence and connection with self and others. HeartMath teaches us how to achieve physiological coherence between the heart and the brain which leads to a feeling of peace, transformation of stress, and enhancement of our intelligence. Nonviolent Communication teaches us how to connect more consciously with our feelings and needs and those of other individuals so that life can be enriched and confl icts resolved more easily.

The Rasur Foundation, located in Costa Rica, with its main project, the Academy for Peace, is the center for BePeace training. Among 79 projects from 32 countries, BePeace received fi rst prize for the Changemakers Innovation Award: Building a More Ethical Society given by the Ashoka Foundation. BePeace is already being taught in Central America, Europe, Japan, Canada, the USA and at the UN University for Peace. Recently BePeace USA was formally organized and is in the process of getting its legal status.

A church can begin to engage in BePeace practice as follows:

Step 1: Offer an 8 week course (or two 4 week courses) covering an introductory class on Nonviolent Communication and HeartMath

Part 1: Present Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg, founder of the Center for Nonviolent Communication (www.cnvc.org). This part of the course gives participants basic NVC skills for expressing empathy and honesty through the four steps of observation, feeling, need and request.


Part 2: Present The HeartMath Solution by Doc Childre, founder of the Institute of HeartMath (www.heartmath.org) and Howard Martin. This part of the class offers a reliable method for achieving peak mental and intuitive performance through tapping the intelligence of the heart. HeartMath tools assist individuals in maintaining emotional clarity in the midst of chaos.

Step 2: Send one or more leaders to a 40-hour BePeace Course (step 1 or similar study is a suggested prerequisite). Experience in teaching BePeace has shown that immersing individuals in it for signifi cant periods of time is the most effi cient way to learn it and then pass it on. During the course, the leaders learn how to integrate HeartMath and NVC, which brings the practice of BePeace alive. These leaders become the ministry champions of BePeace as they teach this practice in a dynamic, easy-to-learn manner. See www.bepeaceusa.org for information on training dates, including the BePeace courses offered at Unity Village.

After achieving step 2, your BePeace champions can:• offer 4-hour BePeace workshops to the congregants and to the greater community

• lead BePeace Empowerment Circles so that individuals have an opportunity to practice

• lead BePeace mediations to resolve confl icts

For further support in immersing the church in BePeace practice, contact Dennis Breed, Executive Director of BePeace USA, [email protected].



Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 9: Hold peacemaking skills or non-violent communication course.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Check at least one item for full benchmark credit.

We completed the 8-week I of the Storm Course Dates: _______________________ Number of participants: ______________ We completed the 8-week (or two 4-week) BePeace Course Dates: _______________________ Number of participants: ______________


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GENERAL INFORMATION

Workshop selected: ____________________________________________________ Date workshop held: ___________________________________________________

Number of participants: _________________________________________________

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Benchmarks 10Ministry Prosperity

152—Ministry Prosperity

Ministry ProsperityToo often when we think of prosperity we think of it in terms of what we have or don’t have or by what we can or cannot do. This causes us to measure our abundance by external circumstances. When we look at abundance as something that occurs outside of ourselves, we will forever fi nd ourselves chasing an illusion of prosperity that simply does not exist.

Rather than focusing on what we have or what we wish to do, we can shift our focus on what we choose to be. Placing our focus on “being that which we have come to be” allows us to connect deeply and powerfully with our divine purpose. When we are on purpose and in the fl ow, everything we need to accomplish that purpose is brought forth to us.

This benchmark offers you a four-week prosperity program that aims to support your ministry in opening fully to divine abundance. With both a board component and a congregational component, your ministry can step fully into demonstrating prosperity laws in action.

Ministry Prosperity— 153

Benchmark 10: Implement the Practice of Thriving ProgramThe Art & Spirit of ProsperityWhen our abundance is in the context of what we have and don’t have we are always driven by external conditions. The Thriving Ministry Model™ is about linking our abundance to who we are and what we have come here to be. The fi rst step in that process is remembering that God is our Source. Our prosperity comes only from Source—not our paycheck, not our congregation, not our job, not anything but Source. Scripture tells us that by returning to God the fi rst 10 percent of our income, we will be forever blessed with the abundant fl ow of divine prosperity. Yet tithing continues to feel like a taboo subject rather than the gift that it is.

Getting StartedWhen your words and actions are aligned with spiritual law, abundance is sure to follow. Included on the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 10 is an entire prosperity program for your ministry entitled The Practice of Thriving. The program is based on master prosperity teacher Edwene Gaines’ book The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity. This benchmark offers a simple, yet effective, way to introduce powerful keys to experiencing prosperity. It will stretch you, your board, and your congregation into prosperity. Please use the Benchmark 10 Tracking Sheet to record your results.

Action Steps1. Review Contact article on pages 154-155.

2. Print and review the course materials for the Practice of Thriving prosperity program based on the book The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity located on the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 10 (see cover and table of contents on pages 156-157 for a list of materials).

3. Determine dates for your board’s participation in the program. You may also wish to offer it to your staff. Staff participation is optional, board participation is not.

4. Determine when you will offer the four-week course to your congregation. You may also wish to do a Sunday series on the book. The Sunday series is optional, the four-week course is not.

5. Complete the Benchmark 10 Tracking Sheet and return it to the association home offi ce (attention Debbie Allen).


22 www.unity.org • April/May 2007

In Theory

A Problem to SolveRev. Joe and his board noticed a gradual decline in nancial support beginning with the summer months. It seemed logical not to burden the congregation with alarm about the trend. After dipping into reserves and coming uncomfortably close to not meeting payroll, Rev. Joe and his board president, Emily, met privately. Emily tactfully communicated to Rev. Joe the board’s concern over the church’s nancial situation. She wondered out loud whether Rev. Joe was doing everything he could to stay in touch with members. She asked him to call on people who left the church, keep track of his visitations, of ce hours, counseling sessions, and to teach more prosperity principles from the pulpit.

Rev. Joe shared Emily’s concern over the nances, but resented the implication that

it had anything to do with him. While he initially agreed to her requests, he quietly re ected on how the board had fallen short of his expectations.

As the situation grew worse, the board considered releasing the of ce manager and cutting back on expenses for special music. They thought it would be wise for Rev. Joe to consider a reduction in his salary insofar as this expense was the biggest line item in their budget.

When Not Enough is Abundance

by Gary Simmons, [email protected]

If you ever had not enough of anything, you know how dif cult it is not to focus on what you don’t have. Not enough can bring you to the edge of your resourcefulness and become a mirror unto your own sense of insuf ciency.

As with individuals, the difference between thriving and surviving churches often lies in how the experience of “not enough” is managed. Here are two stories of how two churches and their leaders dealt with the experience of not enough. Both stories illustrate a foundational principle underlying the creative process: as above, so below.

The rst story is about a minister and board who dealt with not enough as a problem to solve. The second is a story about a minister and board who understood and responded to their nancial decline as feedback to their

creative process. While these stories are ctional, you will likely nd in them a

re ection of your own relationship to the experience of not enough.


23April/May 2007 • www.unity.org

Convinced that the underlying issue was Rev. Joe’ leadership, the board quietly released the minister. Not surprisingly, the congregation was appalled by the board’s action and how they were never made aware of the problems from the beginning.

Feedback to the Creative ProcessRev. Susan’s church fell into the same predicament. Declining funds created anxiety between her and the board. But unlike Rev. Joe and Emily, Rev. Susan met with her president, Thomas, and together they wondered how the decline was feedback to the way the leadership was modeling how to be in ownership of the church. They met and discussed how dif cult it can be, not to project their discomfort over nancial issues onto each other. They made a commitment to stay connected and supportive of one another as they each explored their relationship to money and issues of lack.

With the congregation, the board revisited their mission and vision using an Appreciative Inquiry process. Rather than attempting to determine why people had left or how the congregation felt about programs and services, they focused on what people valued most about their relationship to the church. Having acknowledged a pattern of losing past ministers during periods of decline, the church agreed that it was time to change the church culture. Looking at issues of congruence and organizational integrity, they found that the church had not been tithing regularly, that the minister and board were also not tithing regularly. They saw how the leadership of the church was not being a model for a thriving ministry.

Immediately, the minister and board made a commitment to tithe and established a special group of church elders who were also tithers to hold them accountable to their responsibility for modeling Unity principles. Those on the board who were unable to make the commitment resigned and others stepped forward. Tithing circles began to form within the congregation in support of the board. In less than a month, the nances of the church were back on track.

Applying the LearningUnfortunately, Rev. Susan’s story is the exception rather than the norm in times of nancial decline. Here is a review of the action steps to take when you experience not enough in your church:

• Partner with the congregation. Share your feelings and concerns over the discomfort of being in an experience of not enough.

• Stay connected in the minister/board relationship. Don’t project your discomfort onto each other.

• Live within your means, not out of lack, but out of integrity. Don’t make any changes without rst partnering with the congregation.

• Revisit your mission and vision. Stop being all things to all people. Just do two or three things with quality and excellence.

• Most importantly, don’t make lack into an enemy. How is it a mirror unto your own congruence as leaders?

• Finally, as leaders, model the principles you want your members to embody. Tithe, show up, stay connected, stay Spirit-led.


TheFour Spiritual Laws of Prosperity

Practice of ThrivingOpening to Divine Abundance Everywhere

Based on the book by Edwene Gaines

1.0


This is a complete list of items needed for this benchmark. They are located on the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 10. Please print and review all items.

Practice of Thriving Program• Overview of Program

• Tracking Sheet for Ministries

• Tracking Sheet for Individuals

• Sample Timeline for Program

Four Laws Workbook—Board• Program Instructions

• Ministry Prosperity Assessment

• Course Workbook for Boards

Four Laws Workbook—Congregation• Program Instructions

• Sunday Lesson Materials (Optional)

• Course Workbook for Congregations

Power of Prosperity• Power of Prosperity Messages

Practice of ThrivingOpening to Divine Abundance Everywhere 1.0



Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 10: Implement the Practice of Thriving Program.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Board completed in 4 week course Date completed: ______________________ Congregation Course held: Date completed: ______________________

Number of participants: Board: ______________ Congregation: ____________

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Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 10: Implement the Practice of Thriving Program.

GENERAL INFORMATION

I completed “The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity” in a _______ week course.

What was your participation Attend Taught or hosted

Date completed: __________________________

I read “The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity” and completed the study guide on my own.

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Benchmarks 11 & 12Best Practices

164—Best Practices

Best PracticesOne important way that the profession of ministry can benefi t from business practices is in the area of using measurements and metrics (data) for making decision. A metric is a type of data-driven information tool that captures the activities of a ministry, often in terms of numbers or anecdotal evidence.

Having objective information that we capture regularly allows us to avoid making decisions out of emotion or based on a few comments from more vocal sources (usually those who complain the loudest). Metrics can also provide us with an objective way to assess a situation and begin the process of focusing our attention on crafting a new outcome.

In service to spiritual transformation, tracking and metrics become transformed from a business tool into a sharing of our story and celebration of it.

Best Practices— 165

Benchmark 11: Conduct a Green Facilities Assessment

The Art & Spirit of Living GreenWhat does conducting a green facilities audit have to do with becoming a thriving church? As we have shared, one key component of thriving is being congruent and coherent. That is, to be in integrity in how we live our values. Do we simply pay lip service to the idea that all life is a sacred expression of the divine, or do we live in a way that demonstrates that we really believe it?

Getting StartedSo many times in life our commitment to being authentic and living from our true nature is not easy. In fact it can be down right inconvenient! But as a movement and as spiritual leaders, we are called to model a life of principle in practice.

How we interact with our environment speaks volumes about our commitment to doing our part in co-creating a world that works for all. There is no “they” out there who will solve the moral issues facing our world today. We are the ones we have been waiting for. “If it is to be, it’s up to me.”

This green facilities audit is a fi rst step toward bringing our behavior into alignment with our values. We are the stewards of our earth home and knowing how we are impacting it can help us to contemplate new choices as warranted. Please use the Benchmark 9 Tracking Sheet to record your results.

Action Steps1. Print and review a copy of the green facilities audit. Please print the 24-page audit

form provided on the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 11. More resources are also available at www.unity.org/bethechange.

2. Identify a team with 3-4 individuals who will oversee the audit process (could be your board or a board sub-committee and may also include any key building maintenance staff).

3. The team conducts the audit and reports its fi ndings to the ministry leadership.

4. Complete the benchmark tracking sheet and return it to the association home offi ce (attention Debbie Allen).

5. No further action is required for this benchmark, however you are encouraged to fi nd at least some small ways you can begin moving toward greener facilities.


Additional ResourcesTo support our member churches in becoming proactive in this area, Unity Worldwide Ministries’ home offi ce has developed the Unity Churches International EarthCare (UEI) Team. The team focuses on fostering the awareness of our spiritual oneness with our Earth home and promoting active care of creation. This is a vital opportunity for us to “walk the talk” as ministries and as

individuals. You can explore more about this team and its initiatives on our association’s website at www.unity.org/bethechange.

Stretch Goal:Use the materials provided by the Unity Churches International EarthCare Team to begin your own EarthCare Congregation Program. You can ease into the program beginning slowly or make the full commitment to become certifi ed as an EarthCare Congregation. See the following pages for more information on EarthCare initiatives or www.unity.org/bethechange. The EarthCare Congregational brochure is also available on the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 11.


June 2008

A Ministry Team of

Unity Churches International

EarthCare Congregation ProgramOverview

The EarthCare Team, a ministry team of the Association of Unity Churches International, has designed the EarthCareCongregation Program to assist congregations in integrating an earth-oriented spirituality into their ministry.

The program consists of three components:

EarthCare Covenant

EarthCare Commitment Program

EarthCare Congregation Certification

Congregations may choose any of the three components. The components are designed with increasing levels ofcommitment and activities, from setting an intention with the Covenant, accomplishing some meaningful actions in theCommitment Program, to expressing EarthCare in all aspects of the ministry by becoming an EarthCareCongregation.

Regardless of the option chosen, it is important that the ministry leadership be included in discerning EarthCareactions that are appropriate for the ministry.

We welcome questions, suggestions, and feedback for improving the EarthCare Congregation Program. Pleasecontact us at [email protected].

EarthCare Covenant

An EarthCare Covenant is a sacred trust between the congregation and Spirit. A covenant expresses a consciousawareness of our oneness with creation and a commitment by the congregation to care for the earth as a significantcomponent of the ministry.

Congregations may choose to adopt the provided EarthCare Covenant (below and Form 1) or create their own.Writing their own covenant can be extremely meaningful for the congregation as they develop their vision for the work.We suggest the covenant be presented and signed at a ceremony involving the entire community, and posted in theministry as a declaration of their sacred trust.

Our consciousness reveals that all of creation is connected as one. The story of creation reveals thatwe are to be good caregivers of the creation. As a people of faith, we commit to a renewed reverence forlife and respect for the interdependent web of all existence. We honor our spiritual commitment to the care,support and defense of the balance between our individual needs and those of nature. We envision a world inwhich everything has intrinsic value and where all beings are assured a secure and meaningful life that isecologically responsible and sustainable. We agree to transform our individual and congregational lives intoacts of moral witness, discarding harmful habits for new behaviors that demonstrate our respect for thisharmony and interconnectedness.

We declare our covenant with God to walk upon the Earth for the greatest good of all creation.

After the Covenant has been approved, the Notice of Intention (Form 2) may be submitted to the EarthCare Team.While this notification is voluntary, doing so allows the EarthCare Team to support congregations that are interested inEarthCare with email newsletters and networking opportunities.

(continued on back page)

The EarthCare Team, a ministry team of Unity Worldwide Ministries, has designed the EarthCare Congregation Program to assist congregations in integrating an earth-oriented spirituality into their ministry.


The Path to EarthCare1

A conscious strategy can help us achieve success in anyundertaking. This seven-step Path is recommendedbecause it recognizes spiritual commitment and visioningas essential parts of reaching our goals. It is anticipatedthat ministries pursuing a commitment to EarthCare wouldlikely cycle through these steps many times as theyproceed along their path.

PrayOur consciousness of God opens the way for ideas,inspiration, and guidance. To begin EarthCare in aministry, first create a consciousness for the work throughprayer. Prayer guides the ministry to its own uniqueexpressions of caring for creation.

VisionOnce a ministry discerns, through prayer, a call to adoptEarthCare, they should create a vision for the work withthe ministry leadership. This may take the form of a visionstatement, a mission statement or covenant to care forcreation.

A covenant is a sacred trust. It expresses theministry’s vision for care of creation and an intention totake actions that express the vision. It should beconsidered a pact between the congregation andSpirit.

A vision statement is an affirmation that concentrateson the future, is a source of inspiration and providesclear decision making criteria. A vision statement setsthe direction for future planning.

A mission statement defines the purpose, criticalprocesses and goals of the EarthCare program.

When developing a vision for EarthCare, the congregationmay hold a prayerful dialogue by asking questions suchas: “How do we perceive God?” “What is our relationshipto God’s creation?” “How can we be good stewards ofEarth?”

We also encourage ministries to create a brief ActionPlan. The action plan outlines the ways the leadershipand congregation intend to express an earth careconsciousness in the life of the ministry.

1 Based on the “Path to Earth Care” developed in theNorthwest Region of the Association of Unity ChurchesInternational, 2004, revised 2007.

Take

To express loving care for the earth requires a commitmentof time, energy, and money. The specific actions taken willdepend on the needs and vision of the community. Theactivities may be simple or complex, contained solely withinthe ministry or reach out into the broader community.

Energy/Environmental Audit

Conduct an audit of building, grounds, and operations toassist the ministry in becoming a better caregiver of theenvironment through environmental conservation. Contactlocal utilities for further information. Statistics show that faithorganizations that adopt energy efficient practices save anaverage of 33% on their operational costs.

Through an audit, congregation members are encouraged tolearn how personal lifestyle choices affect the environmentand what alternative choices are available to minimize thatimpact. Ministry programs can expand to include EarthCareissues that members see as important to their faith, anddemonstrate ways to live their lives in spiritual harmony withthe environment. Members are proud to belong to a ministrythat cares about our Earth and is committed to protectingthe environment.

Energy Conservation

Perhaps the single greatest human activity affecting globalclimate change is the production of carbon dioxide throughthe extensive use of fossil fuels. Reducing our rate of use ofthese traditional energy sources will conserve theseresources, lower utility bills, and help preserve ecologicalsystems as well as human cultures.

TRY: implement recommendations of energy audits toreduce heat and electric bills; sell CFL or LED light bulbs;promote car-pooling, walking/bicycling, or using publictransit.

Recycling

A recycling program or connecting with existing programs isan easy way for congregations to take meaningfulenvironmental action on a limited budget.

TRY: recycle cans, bottles, newspaper, cardboard,magazines and junk mail; prepare a recycling guide for thecongregation.

Waste Minimization

Over-consumption contributes to pollution and to ourlandfills. What we purchase and consume are votes forthose goods and services. Decisions to "reduce" and"reuse" are powerful spiritual statements of environmentalresponsibility, both for ourselves and the larger community.

TRY: use washable cups, plates, and utensils for Sundayhospitality; install low-flow toilets, a timer for the hot waterheater; make thermostat adjustments.

Northwest Region of Unity Worldwide Ministries, 2004, revised 2007.


Action

We encourage EarthCare Congregations to express theirvision and creativity by adopting sustainable lifestylepractices. The actions of the ministry can be a model andencourage individuals to make changes in their personallives as well.

Water Conservation and Landscaping

Water pollution is one of the leading consumption-relatedenvironmental problems facing the world today. TRY:

Adopt a water budget.

Catch storm drain runoff systems.

Select new plantings that are native or other low-water plants.

Practice ”Grass Recycling.”

Limit the use of gas-powered mowers. Lawnmaintenance contractors should be required to mowearly in the morning or late in the afternoon. Setlawnmower blade one notch higher as longer grassmeans less evaporation.

Water: make sure sprinklers do not water non-greenareas; place a layer of mulch around plants andtrees to reduce evaporation; water early in themorning or late in the day. More than half the waterapplied to lawns and gardens can be lost throughevaporation or run-off because of overwatering.

Use organic or natural lawn, shrub, and treefertilizers.

Harvest rainwater from drainpipes and installunderground distribution lines to lawn areas.

Stewardship of Natural Resources

One of the greatest satisfactions of life is to explore, enjoy,and care for natural spaces, both in our backyards andglobally. Through these activities we promote theresponsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources.

TRY: “adopt a spot” (park, neighborhood, street, highway,cemetery, beach, or trail); attend hikes and conservationwork projects (such as tree planting and trail maintenance)sponsored by conservation organizations.

Promote Awareness of the Interdependence of Creation

We are called to a renewed reverence for life and respectfor the interdependent web of creation. Through anexpansion and re-centering of our awareness to include thewhole planetary ecosystem, we will come into deeperalignment with the oneness of the universe and guide theuse of our collective culture for the common good.

TRY: promote food cooperatives to buy locally or organicallygrown food products; respond to climate change; advocatefor a healthful human environment.

InspireWith inspiration, our prayers and vision begin to move intoouter expression. Ministries can inspire care of the earthby including an earth focus in their activities, such asSunday services, prayers, songs, and special ceremonies.The Truth that God is everywhere present in Creation thenbecomes alive in people’s minds and hearts, andtranslates into daily action.

LearnIt is important to gather information and resources toeducate ourselves in preparation for future action.Further, sponsoring educational activities in our ministriesopens a space for individuals--and the community--toexplore, pray and discern greater understanding aboutcomplex environmental topics. Such experiences maybring into ministries the challenging issues of life on earthand create spiritual connection with them. Educatingpeople to pray first and act upon guidance fosters unityand God-centered action. Obvious avenues forcommunication include the ministry newsletter, Sundaybulletin, and displays.

ShareSharing our ideas and successes, through word-of-mouth,presentations, and news media, is important for fosteringthe work within our congregations and the largercommunity. Networking with other groups and programsreminds us that we are not alone in the task of caring forcreation. Unity ministries may network with localconservation groups, interfaith creation care centers, andspiritual centers of other denominations with creation careprograms. As we become aware of the work within Unityand elsewhere, our common ground—Earth—becomes asacred home for unity. By raising awareness of ourcommon cause, we can unite our actions to care forhumanity and the planet that sustains us.

RenewEvery work has its seasons. There are ebbs and flows inEarthCare work. However, even during a “winter” seasonof low energy for projects, we can maintain sacred spacefor creation through Sunday services and specialceremonies. Prayer and visioning anew, perhaps annually,allows the ministry to re-assess where to focus its efforts.


Unity Churches International EarthCare June 2008

EarthCare Commitment Program

In this program, the congregation and ministry leadership are invited to create a vision for EarthCare and then takeactions that demonstrate a commitment to caring for creation.

Congregations may choose any three of the seven steps of the Path to EarthCare (see center of this leaflet) andidentify actions for those steps that are appropriate for the ministry.

There are many easy ways to begin to care for creation. Some examples are:

hold a special service for Earth Day Sunday include prayers for creation in each Sunday service recycle office paper replace/sell incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs minimize waste by using washable dinnerware for hospitality show a documentary film on an EarthCare topic hold a study group on sustainable living or voluntary simplicity participate in activities already planned by other organizations, such as local stream/neighborhood/park or

roadway cleanup days, EPA’s Change a light, Change the World campaign, or The Nature Conservancy’sPlant a Billion Trees campaign.

Sample activities are listed for each of the Path steps in the next section and on the Certification Checklist (Form 4).Excellent websites and books, with more suggestions and resources, are listed in the Bibliography of SuggestedResources compiled by the EarthCare Team. The possibilities are limited only by your creativity!

Once a congregation decides to begin the Commitment program, they are invited to submit the Notice of Intention(Form 2) to the EarthCare Team. While this notification is voluntary, doing so allows the EarthCare Team to supportcongregations that are interested in EarthCare with email newsletters and networking opportunities.

EarthCare Congregation Certification

Some congregations may decide to complete the entire EarthCare Congregation Program as described in this leafletand outlined in the Certification Checklist (Form 4), and then become certified as an EarthCare Congregation. TheCongregation Program is a guide to active fulfillment of the ministry’s vision for EarthCare.

Based on the Path to EarthCare (see center of this leaflet), the EarthCare Congregation Program is a comprehensiveapproach to an earth-oriented spirituality that touches the entire life of the ministry. The program is centered oncultivating a consciousness for EarthCare that includes both spiritual and practical actions. It is our experience that, byfollowing this program, EarthCare can be integrated into the life of the ministry that is sustainable over time.

Sample activities are listed for each step of the Path. Excellent websites and books, with more suggestions andresources, are listed in the Bibliography of Suggested Resources compiled by the EarthCare Team.

Certification:

Should a ministry wish to be recognized as an EarthCare Congregation, the ministry is requested to submit the Noticeof Intention (Form 2) as they begin the program. This allows the EarthCare Team to provide support and resourcesto the ministry, including email newsletters and networking opportunities.

Upon completion of the program, the ministry should submit the Notice of Completion (Form 3) and CertificationChecklist (Form 4), along with a brief description of the actions taken for each step of the path. All forms should besubmitted to the EarthCare Team.

Upon receipt and review of the Notice of Completion and Checklist forms, the ministry will receive an EarthCareCongregation Certificate of Completion (see Form 5 for sample).

Certified EarthCare Congregations will be listed on the Association of Unity Churches International website.Certified congregations receive support and resources from the EarthCare Team, including email newsletters andnetworking opportunities. In return, the congregation may be asked to answer questions, provide information, orprovide mentorship to new ministries interested in becoming EarthCare Congregations.

will be listed on Unity Worldwide Ministries’ website.



Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 11: Conduct a Green Facilities Assessment.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Identifi ed person/team to conduct assessment

Assessment completed Date completed: __________________________ Report presented to board Date presented: _______________________________

RESULTS

Please use the lines below to record your impressions of how achieving this benchmark has impacted your ministry: _______________________________________________________________________

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Name: _______________________________________________________________

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Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 11: Conduct a Green Personal Facilities Assessment and track your green behaviors.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Which of these green practices did you regularly do from September to April? Recycling Buying energy effi cient appliances Buying organic foods Driving less / owning a fuel effi cient car Replacing light bulbs Keeping thermostat higher/lower Planting trees/shrubs Purchasing eco-friendly products Other: _______________________________________________________________

RESULTS


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How do you feel this benchmark stretched your awareness? Was knowing you would be tracking your activity helpful in keeping your commitment to taking green action? Why or why not?

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Benchmark 12: Track weekly worship service and class attendanceThe Art & Spirit of MeasuringThriving churches use metrics such as these to acquire accurate data for program evaluation and decision making. Principle teaches us that whatever we give energy to is enhanced, or to put it another way, what we focus on grows. By measuring our weekly attendance we gain information about our ministry. Many ministries would like to see increased regular attendance by congregants as well as new faces at Sunday services, events, and classes. We have the intention to expand our reach and to share the Unity message with more in our community. This benchmark is designed to help us place our attention on this intention by simply noticing what Spirit is providing in the way of attendance.

Getting StartedTracking attendance is as simple as asking your ushers to count heads during the lesson or meditation time. Why during the lesson? This is the time when late-comers have arrived and early leavers are still present. The length of the lesson also gives ushers plenty of time to walk inconspicuously along the side of the sanctuary and count. Many churches prefer to use the meditation time to count because congregant’s eyes are usually closed. This allows the ushers to move a bit more freely without disturbing people.

TIP 1: Train ushers to count silently and avoid pointing or motioning toward congregants as they count.

TIP 2: If you have individual seats rather than pews, it may be helpful to know the number of seats you have per row. Sometimes counting empty seats and subtracting that number from the total number of available seats is faster.

Action Steps1. Create an usher team if you don’t already have one.

2. Train ushers when and how to count.

3. Provide them with a form to record their counts (this could be broken up into sections if you have a larger sanctuary).

4. Enter the totals for each Sunday as well as for your weekly activities into the worksheet we have provided or in one that you have created (see page 169 or the website www.unity.org/thrive, Thriving in Unity 1.0 under Benchmark 12).

5. Complete the Benchmark 12 Tracking Sheet and return it along with your attendance spreadsheet to the home offi ce as instructed.




Ministry Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 12: Track weekly worship service and class attendance.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Write the total worship service and class attendance for each month:

Month Services Classes Month Services ClassesSeptember JanuaryOctober FebruaryNovember MarchDecember April

Total Service Attendance for September-April: _______________________________

Total Class Attendance for September-April: _______________________________


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How do you feel having this metric helps your ministry’s leadership?

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Name: _______________________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________

Please complete the following information to meet Benchmark 12: Attend weekly worship service and class.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Please list the number of services and classes you attended from September-April.

Total number of worship services attended: ___________________________________

Total number of classes and workshops attended: _______________________________

RESULTS


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FEEDBACK



What were your greatest success and greatest challenge in implementing this benchmark: _______________________________________________________________________

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How do you think tracking this information assisted you on your journey? Did you fi nd yourself making different decisions, knowing you would be tracking your attendance? Why or why not?

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What other ways can you track your activities to bring increased consciousness to them?_______________________________________________________________________

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Notes:

Documents

T hriving - Unity Worldwide Ministries