Building Stronger Unity In Your Spiritual Community In this session, Rev. Kelly Kincaid and Dennis Muzzi will share ideas on how to cultivate more closeness, understanding, awareness and unity within your spiritual community and how to disagree better and become intentional agents of healing and change in the world, individually and as a group, using Unity and Braver Angels Principles.
Rev. David McArthur, Author, speaking on Heart Coherence, opening night
Jim Blake, CEO UWH;
Roxanne Graves, CEO, UWM
Rev. Valerie Mansfield, UWM Board President
Our Evolutionary Edge Emerging Vision 2 CEU's
Nina Swanson, Music
Nina Swanson has been the music director at the Unity Center of Cedar Rapids for over 35 years. She feels blessed to spread the universal message of Unity through music.
Mon. 4 PM Registration opens;
Conference begins 6—9 PM with dinner
Tues. 8 AM Prayer ; 9 AM -9 PM with breaks and dinner
Wed. 8 AM Prayer; 9—Noon Speakers
More Workshops on: Using AI / Youth Ministry /Development & Sustained Giving / Ministers & A Deeper Calling/ and More!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PLUS our beautiful venue along the Mississippi River, only $115 /night (group rate includes breakfast) at Stoney Creek Hotel. 309-743-0101 Use the QR code shown below.
I have just returned from an amazing retreat with Rev Martha Creek and 13 other ministers at Loretto, Kentucky. When that many ministers gather, there is so much to share. One subject that most everyone was interested in was the use of AI. I had just played with AI for a week and found there is a wealth of opportunities available with this tool. I asked ChatGPS to write an Easter sermon with a metaphysical interpretation and include quotes by Charles Fillmore and the Bible. In five seconds, a talk appeared. It was a really good talk. Since I never write my sermons out, I saw that I would be tempted to read it and that’s definitely not what I want to do. Then I asked it to make it in
an outline form and in five seconds, there it was. While I used a little of it, and I resorted back to my old way of doing things, I realized that there is a tool that could save me hours of research. Ric Beattie will be doing a class on the use of AI at our conference in September so be sure to book your conference for September in Moline, IL. Click here to continue reading......
(Live links here and on web calendar) Upwards of forty folks have participated in our 4 monthly support calls, each making progress with people, power, and purpose!
Thanks so much for holding the high watch for the Tech Project Campaign! I’m happy to share some benefits:
More streamlined automations - donations, events, and other registrations will accurately create email notifications, acknowledgements, reminders, follow-up resources.
Better database-accounting system integration will help us track the truly important info and utilize it to stay in touch and help grow our ministries
More productive ways to communicate among office staff, the field, and New Thought partners which will help us share and discuss pertinent information.
The Tech Project Campaign is being created alongside UWM-UWH as we work more closely together.
The GLR will tithe an additional 1% to UWM for the last three quarters of 2025.
YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRY
Ministering With Families Call
Tuesday May 27th | 6-7 PM Central
Youth directors, ministers, board members, and others who work with young people come together to share best practices and skills around ministering to and with families, and support each other in this important work. Join on zoom.
June Rally Registration Open Thru May 20th
Who: Youth Of Unity (high schoolers + recent grads) & their adult leaders
What: a 4-day retreat where participants grow spiritually, socialize & build new and meaningful friendships.
Gratitude abounds for a spiritually-rich and FUN retreat for our Region’s Uniteens (6th-8th grades)!
45 folks gathered in Elkhorn, WI (26 Uniteens, 16 adults and 3 YOU leaders).
8 ministries were represented from 4 states: IL (Des Plaines, Fox Valley & Oak Park), KY (Unity of Louisville and East Louisville), MI (Detroit Unity Temple), OH (Renaissance Unity & Westlake Spiritual Center).
The theme “Let It Go” was powerful, and Regies Alex and Joey did a phenomenal job leading the group!
This was the 1st "Uniteen-only" event since the spring of 2023. We celebrate the growth of our Regional Youth Retreats!
YFM Spotlight: Local Events from the Around Our Region
Youth-Led Service at Unity of Louisville March 30th
This service featured the Uniteens and Y.O.U.ers from music to message, including Regional Officer Joey Short! Watch the youth-led service here.
Why invite your youth to take on leading the celebration service?
It helps young people feel that sense of belonging to the wider community, as well as develop leadership skills and encourage their spiritual growth.
For the wider congregation, young people bring inspiring fresh perspectives, and wisdom drops that come from their unique takes on the world and spirituality.
Their insights infuse congregations with lively energy and can even benefit the church’s bottom line with generous love offerings.
Work with your youth (and their adult leaders) to craft a heartfelt service and unleash the energetic flow that reminds the whole community of the Divinity within each and every person, no matter their age!"
CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE: Online, November 9, 7 PM ET, Send Rev. Toni information you want featured. toni.lovenlight@gmail.com
LICENSED UNITY TEACHERS
We are a lively group as we share resources and ideas. We also have invited guest speakers from UWM and Regional LUTs who have information to share. If you are an LUT in the Region who is not getting an invite to the gatherings, please let Susan Liddell, GLUR LUT Rep know. Contact Susan Liddell for more info liddelles@aol.com
Do you just throw out old clothes instead of donating them? There is abetter place for your clothes than the landfill. Even tattered, damaged and stained clothes can be salvaged and used for insulation and other materials. Tons of textile waste are already taking up space in landfills, says Tyler Moore, author of Tidy Up Your Life. Look for a textile recycling option near you at search.earth911.com. Don't forget to donate your items in good condition to shelters or thrift stores for another life with a lucky new owner. (from an HGTV article)
Rev. Deb Hill-Davis of Ames, IA , has graciously shared the Unity Church of Ames Manual with the Region and it is on our Region's website for reference under our Menu/Resources/Ministries Tab. Thank you, Rev. Deb!
Helping Those in Need Two Unity ministers serve in our region effectively reaching the impoverished. Contact them if you want ideas, tips, to begin ministering to those living with great challenge.Rev. Kelly Cooper, Divine Life Ministries for Divine Hope: Text @586-214-0764, or email,
Also, we can bow in gratitude for Rev. Cynthia Lowe, Unity Outreach of Detroit, unityoutreachofdet.mi@gmail.com. Also on Facebook.
Post Your Job Openings for Ministers, LUT, Administrator, Online Bookkeeping assistance, and musicians. Submit to Cindi Cousineau: glurcadmin@greatlakesunity.com Find openings on our website under the MENU tab.
Scholarship Fund for Ministers
In memory of Rev. Anita Koch
There is a special scholarship fund that is designed specifically for ministerial students with the purpose of providing “filler funds” to offset miscellaneous expenses that occur while students pursue their calling on the path to ordination.
The fund was created as a collaborative effort in the spring of 2023 by the Unity Ministerial Student Association and is currently being administered in part by the Unity Urban Ministerial School Alumni Association. The scholarship has just been renamed “The Rev. Anita Koch Fund” after one of its creative influencers who made her transition in December 2024.
The importance of supporting the future of the Unity movement through its new ministers is an idea in Divine Mind and easily recognized by everyone as an aspect of aligning with the true Source of all expression. Please take some time in prayerful consideration of tithing to this fund on behalf of your faith in the forward motion of the Unity movement.
Donations can be made at– uums.org (Please indicate “Rev. Anita Koch Fund”)
Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing has some great meetings that are on Zoom: Here is the link: https://zoom.us/s/177417886
Meeting ID: 177 417 886 Passcode: 601744
For Classes, Team Meetings, Members Meetings and more
Celebrations (send us your story!)
Newsletter deadline is the 25th of the month.
Submit to kathyharwoodlong@gmail.com & glurcadmin@greatlakesunity.com
UWM-Great Lakes Region Board of Trustees
2024-25
(left to right) Rev. Kathy Harwood Long, President, Communications Liaison; Nancy Berdasco, LUT, V.P. and Treasurer; Rev. Debra Carter Williams, Secretary; Susan Liddell, LUT, LUT Liaison; Rev. Jeff Berry, Trustee; Rev. Liesa Chase, Trustee; Sandra Higgins Smith, LUT, Alternate; Thank you, all.
