First Unity Church
of
St. Louis
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Minister's Corner
SO WHAT? NOW WHAT?
After a long, snowy winter, most of us were grateful for the arrival of spring-bringing longer days, sunshine, and the first daffodils bravely pushing their heads through the cold earth. An old myth says that on the spring equinox, the day when light and darkness are equal in length, it is possible to balance an egg on end.
The egg, a universal symbol of fertility and rebirth, has long been associated with the beginning of spring.
Appropriately, this is the time when Christians throughout the world celebrate Easter. During Lent, I drove by a nearby church with a huge sign in front reading, “CHRIST IS CRUCIFIED.” Every time I passed by, I thought to myself, “That’s not the end of the story.” Long after the chocolate chicks are stale and only a few undiscovered Easter eggs remain in the yard, we look at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus and ask ourselves, “So what? Now what?”
In Unity we sometimes say we don’t
just
believe in Jesus; we believe Jesus. Jesus told us, “You are the light of the world.” He taught that the kingdom of heaven is within, and that the things he did, so we could also do. Jesus did not say, “Worship me.” He said, “Follow me.” Jesus fully expressed the eternal Christ, the individualized Godness in us all. Resurrection follows cruxifiction, and resurrection symbolizes the reawakening of the eternal Christ consciousness. The “now what” is the call for each one of us to accept and live from our Divine identity.
I remember my third grade teacher who -- when she was displeased with us (actually that was most of the time) -- used to put her hand on her hip in that triangle of power, glare down over her glasses, and scream, “Just who do you think you are?” Trust me, “I am a Divine being” was not the answer she was seeking! Still, it’s a compelling question.
Who do we think we are?
When we understand that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, we see the problems and challenges of this world differently. We turn within to all the powers of the Christ and live our lives in a consciousness of oneness. We focus on our Divine inheritance of innate wholeness, and our lives become more joyful. We realize we were born in
original goodness,
and we draw ourselves to ever-unfolding good. We see the goodness even when it is not immediately apparent. Our lives become richer, fuller, and more meaningful because
as within, so without.
As Linda Martella-Whitsett writes in the book
Divine Audacity, “We recognize the Infinite Self by its effects: our inner peacefulness, joyfulness, and well-being; our broader perspective of oneness existing beyond time and space; and giving ourselves fully into life.”
And so it is! And guess what? Snopes.com reports that standing an egg on its end is something just about anyone can do
any
day of the year; the feat simply takes the right egg and a little practice. Imagine that. So what? Now what?
Happy Spring!
Rev. Jan
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First Unity Church of
St. Louis Newsletter
May/June 2019
In This Issue:
Minister’s Corner
Report from the Board
of Trustees
Planning Your Next Trip
Ladies Night Out
Community Service & Outreach
First Unity Book Club
Unity’s Core Values
Humor
Calendar
Photographs
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Report from the Board of Trustees
Thank God for our many blessings!!
First Unity Church has achieved enormous progress and success.
A lot of our success has been due to our amazing minister, Reverend Jan Mourning. She is now fully licensed!
Under her direction we have established 14 new Sacred Service Ministries. These ministries have greatly improved the church operations in numerous ways.
The manse has been completely rehabbed and it is now under lease and already generating revenue for our church!
The church has established vision, mission, and core values and has sponsored an impressive number of spiritual and social activities.
Recently, we adopted new ByLaws, initiated a newsletter, and launched a new website.
It has been my honor to serve as your President. I would like to thank each and every one of you for attending and supporting First Unity Church.
God Bless You,
Paul Henley
President, Board of Trustees
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Planning your next trip?
Here is a way to earn money for the church when booking it at no cost to you!
It is so simple. I just booked a hotel in Cincinnati for 2 days and earned $7.60 for the church!! And, I still will get my hotel award points. Follow these simple steps.
1.
Enroll with IGive. Go to
IGive.com
and complete the form. Search for “First Unity Church of St. Louis” when asked for your school or nonprofit.
2.
Install the IGive button on your browser. This will ensure the church gets credit for all future purchases.
3.
Search for your hotel and rental car, book, and earn money for the church.
Just about every major hotel, rental car chain and discount travel sites are in the IGive network. Best approach is to determine your trip needs, then go to IGive.com and enter your hotel and rental car choices. For example, we always use Hilton so we enter Hilton Hotel and Resorts in the Search Box. The website provides a list of options and how much they will contribute to our church. Pick one and it will take you to their website where you can sign in if you are a member and proceed to book your trip and earn money for our church!! This also works for all online shopping. Just about every online store is part of the IGive network. But always check the “Details” because some stores and hotel chains have exceptions.
Also, don’t forget about using EScrip (
EScrip.com
) when shopping at Schnucks or dining at certain restaurants. My wife loves the dining out option; “It’s a win/win; I don’t have to cook and my church benefits!”
More info on IGive and Escrip in church lobby or contact
Rick Emnett at 314.478.5830
if you need assistance.
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Minister, Jan Mourning
Board of Trustees
Hope Dodson
Rick Emnett
Betty Jean Kofron
Betty Ponzar
Mary Tumminello
John Young
Prayer Chaplains
Lance Baugh
Hope Dodson
Linda Harr
Anne Hartupee
Paul Henley
Lynn Mark
Betty Ponzar
Mary Tumminello
Platform Assistants
Hope Dodson
Linda Harr
Mary Tumminello
Bookstore Manager
Jane Vondruska
Webmaster
Carol Ellerman
Office Manager
Sara DeWitt
Music
Anne Hartupee, Music Director
Dean Wiegert, Soloist
Youth Ministry Team
Denise Halbert-Reggio, Director
Glenda Gibhardt
Cindy Gibb
Newsletter Editor
Patricia Riess
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Ladies Night Out
Calling All Ladies
Whether you are a first time visitor or a long time member, you are welcome to join us for Ladies Night Out...
Want to meet friendly ladies? Get to know more people in the church? Sample restaurants in the St.
Louis area while talking to interesting and fun-loving women (and boy can we talk and laugh about anything!!)?
Come join the camaraderie and make new friends.
We pick a new restaurant every month chosen by the ladies. Put your favorite restaurant in our restaurant box and we will be happy to put it on our calendar when we draw your suggestions. We are always looking for
new places.
We visit a new restaurant every Third Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m. If you think that is a little early for you, come a little later and we will still be there.
We would love to meet you and know more about you. Contact
Mary Tumminello at 314.814.4530
with any additional questions.
Hope to see you there!
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Community Service & Outreach
The purpose of this ministry is to identify and coordinate meaningful community service projects in alignment with First Unity Vision, Mission and Core Values, and to participate in Unity Worldwide Ministries Outreach Program.
The ministry’s kick-off meeting was held on July 10, 2018. Our purpose was to discuss and plan for a complimentary luncheon at the church to encourage support for local Community Service Agencies with which First Unity has partnered: Circle of Hope, Feed My People, All the Babies of Eastern Missouri Chapter of Newborns in Need, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Mercy Hospital, Vision for Vets, and South County 4
th
Precinct Neighborhood Resources.
Invitations were provided to congregants and to the greater community, and the luncheon was held on September 8, 2018. Approximately 40 guests attended despite inclement weather. The room was beautifully decorated, the lunch provided was tasty, and the speakers were heartfelt and touching. After the talks were completed, we had an opportunity to get to know our community partners better by visiting their individual tables, chatting with them and examining more closely the goods and materials they had brought. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and community, and we are grateful to everyone who participated.
This ministry is in need of another co-chair, and we intend to brainstorm at future meetings additional avenues for providing support through community service. For more information, please contact
CathyZehner@att.net.
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F
irst
U
nity
C
hurch
B
ook
C
lub
First Unity Book Club meets at Bread Co. across from Mercy South on the second Tuesday of the month from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Those who want to eat lunch may come early. We read a variety of books - novels, historical novels, memoirs, mysteries and spiritual books. The group as a whole agree on the books to be chosen. We have food, drinks, lively conversation and laughs. If you want to meet a group of wonderful people whom you will be happy to call your friends, come join us at the Book Club. Contact
Carol at 314.518.9598.
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One of the Core Values for First unity Church is:
SPIRIT-LED
We transcend our human identity and claim our spiritual identity by aligning with and living in awareness of Infinite Spirit.
Our Community Behaviors
- We begin all our gatherings with prayer.
- Cultivating communion with the Divine, we teach spiritual principles and practice sacred service.
- We consistently provide opportunities to deepen and expand understanding of Unity principles and how to align with them.
- Guided by Spirit, we act from our Divine Identity.
Our Individual Behaviors
- I take life’s celebrations and challenges into prayer.
- I engage in daily spiritual practices that keep me conscious of Spirit.
- I choose activities that deepen my relationship with the Divine.
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HUMOR
If I use the church's WI-FI, am I receiving God's Signal?
God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me.
I pray, not wish because I have God, not a genie.
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Minister:
Jan Mourning
Office:
314.845.8540
uPray
is a free mobile download
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