March 2023

NEWS FROM THE REGION

"We collaborate with and support our regional ministries and leaders in our shared spiritual awakening."

From the Regional Board

Hopefully, you saw the special announcement about the retreat for ministers, spiritual leaders, and licensed teachers coming up October 9-11 in Bend, OR. PLEASE check your calendar and get back to us this week about whether you plan to attend. There are several questions about rooms in the announcement. Please email your answers to Rev. Jane Hiatt so we can secure the block rate pricing at the hotel. We know a lot of you love to wait till the last minute and there will still be plenty of hotel space in Bend you can find if you do, but to make planning easier for us and affordable for all, pleeease plan ahead and let us know! If you missed the email or would like a refresher on what needs to be emailed to Rev. Jane, please click here.

We are celebrating Rev. Philip Zemke with our regional tithe for March to honor his 40 years as a Unity minister--all in this region! Philip is the Minister of Unity Spiritual Center of Bozeman, Montana. He is a former regional board chair, a longtime conference team member, one of the founding forces of EarthCare in our region, a keeper of an abundant trove of Fillmore stories, and a perennial playmate and mentor for the youth of our region. Congratulations, Rev. Philip on all those years of shining your light!

Unity Worldwide Ministries Monthly Support Gathering

Unity Worldwide Ministries (UWM) is initiating a monthly support gathering to answer your questions on the Power of Focused Ministry workshop, Unity Ministry Pillars, and more.

Did you attend the Power of Focused Ministry (PoFM) workshop with UWMPresident/CEO, Rev. Shad Groverland? Did it spark your interest? Are you desiring a deeper dive into what it all means, or do you have questions that remain unanswered as you develop PoFM within your ministry? Do the Unity Ministry Pillars intrigue you, but you are not sure how to implement them? Do you wonder who the staff are at UWM, what their responsibilities are, and who to call?

UWM is creating a monthly update and support system within your region to answer all of your questions and to glean what is trending in our ministries and with our ministers. Join our UWM Representative, Rev. Toni G. Boehm, on the call happening in your region, each month.

Please contact Rev. Toni at revtonib@gmail.com to get on the email list to receive more information and monthly reminders for the support calls. If you have not attended a Power of Focused Ministry workshop and want to attend these monthly UWM support gatherings, you can still email Rev. Toni and get on the list.

Music Resources by Sue Riley

When I started as a Unity Music Director I remember asking where to find music and being told that we had the Wings of Song hymnal and some show tunes that would work if we changed a couple of lyrics. I couldn’t believe it! I am happy to report that this is no longer the case. We now have a large body of music in many different genres that perfectly fits our Unity message, and requires no lyrics changes.

emPower Music & Arts has worked tirelessly to create a store where you can listen to samples of music, download mp3s, sheet music, performance tracks, and digital CDs.

• First, create a free account on our site at https://www.empowerma.com/ Your account will link to your email. (which is how the digital files find you)
• Make a note of your username and password
• When you click on the word “store” on the toolbar, you will see a search field where you can search for a specific title.

The coolest part is that there is a second level of search functions which allows you to search by product type (such as Mp3, sheet music, CD, songbook), Artist name (if you know it) and Tags. Every product in the store is tagged with numerous tags to help you find songs that fit a specific theme. You can search for topics such as healing, personal transformation, congregational, 12 Powers, 12 Steps, Easter, and many more. Let’s say you wanted to know if Karen Drucker had a song about prosperity. You would click on the purple text next to the initial search bar, and then put mp3 in the products field, Karen Drucker in the artists field, and prosperity in the tag field. Voila! Every song that Karen has in our store tagged with prosperity will appear.

• Right next to the main search field you will see purple letters that say: Click here to search the catalog using a combination of artist, category, and tag.
• When you click on that purple text you will now see three fields right by the cover art saying “filter by category”, “filter by artist”, “filter by tag”
• You can choose one filter, or all three filters.
• Don’t forget to be logged in so that the download can find you.
• You can keep track of your orders by clicking on “My Store Account” in the upper right corner. It will show you all your orders.

This is a great way to discover new artists as well. Happy listening!

Are you looking for a way to inspire and empower yourself or your Music Director?

The 18th emPower Music Festival will be held June 21-25, 2023 at beautiful Unity Village. The festival offers nightly concerts of amazing music, workshops in songwriting, building a choir, vocal practices, music ministry, copyright compliance, congregational music, and much more. Your music team will be inspired and empowered. The registration price of $450.95 includes all meals.

Since the emPower Music Festival is right before the annual Minister’s conference you might consider coming in a couple of days early and immersing yourself in music. We also offer tickets for the nightly concerts as well as single day passes. Come join us and be empowered!

Check it out here

Reminder for Annual Reports

Reminder for Ministers, Spiritual Leaders and LUTs: Annual Reports are due March 31, 2023 to Unity Worldwide Ministries. If you didn't receive a personalized email with a link to complete your report, please contact AnnualReportForms@unity.org as soon as possible! Thank you for all you do to serve!

Save the Date! SEE Week

Save the date for an online SEE Week June 5-9 at Unity Spiritual Community of Central Oregon. There will be 5 classes: The Christ, Overview of Christian Scriptures, Bible Interpretation: Acts to Revelation, History of New Thought/Unity, and Unity Prayer. Registration will open later this month.

Minister's Retreat at Unity Village

Here’s a link to the registration page

And here’s a link to the promo video

Speaker Opportunity

40 Days of Letting Go - Lent Booklet Discussion

Tuesdays, February 28 – April 4

Online via Zoom: 7:00-8:30pm PT

Facilitated by: Audrey Pitchford, LUT

"Unity and World Religions" Book Study 

Thursdays – February 16 to April 13, 2023 (Skipping March 23rd) 

5:00pm AK; 6:00pm PT; 7:00pm MT; 8:00pm CT; 9:00pm ET

Sound, Alchemy, and Your Divine Blueprint

Tuesday, March 22, 6:30 PM PST

with Joshua Inacio, Unity of Salem

Camp Cedar Ridge in Vernonia Oregon

August 21-26, Monday through Saturday.

February 2023

NEWS FROM THE REGION

"We collaborate with and support our regional ministries and leaders in our shared spiritual awakening."

From the Regional Board

Our first Regional SEE Week was a wonderful success. We had 4 ministers teaching 4 classes and 21 students taking a combination of 1, 2, or 3 classes. We plan to do another one next year, so if any of you licensed teachers or ministers want to be part of it, please contact Rev. Jane Hiatt.

We celebrate Barbara Thorp, LUT, who is retiring as Keeper of the Light for our NW Region. Seven years ago Barbara picked up the torch from Reverend Georgie who began the program many years ago as a way to foster prosperity in our region. For the last seven years Barbara has stretched her creative limits, writing beautiful messages to inspire us all and offering affirmations to hold for our individual communities and for our Region and for our Unity movement worldwide. We know that the prosperity we enjoy today has been enriched by Barbara‘s consciousness and by the consciousness of all those who have participated in this program. If you feel a call to take up the challenge of being Keeper of the Light, Barbara is happy to mentor you and we will be so appreciative. Please contact Barbara.

Our tithe this month goes to Unity Spiritual Center in Spokane to congratulate them for hiring a new minister: Rev. Bonnie Barnard. Rev. Bonnie is an author, an educator, and a seasoned minister who is currently in the program to get her Unity credentials. Our region is blessed to have her among us!

Do you know an individual or a Unity center that has something special going that would warrant choosing them for a tithe? Please let us know! 

All Northwest Region LUTs

All regional Licensed Unity Teachers (LUTs) and Teachers in Training (TnTs) are invited to the quarterly connection call on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 10-11:30am Pacific Time!  Hosted by Audrey Pitchford, LUT.

This is a chance to:

• Meet with your LUT representatives for the region
• Connect with other LUTs and TnTs from the region
• Share questions and ideas with other LUTs and TnTs
• See an example of how to complete your yearly LUT report 

Please join us if you can!

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 840 1184 1754 
Passcode: 414811 

Reminder for Annual Reports. 

Annual reports are due to Unity Worldwide Ministries (UWM) by March 31, 2023.  UWM is sending out personalized Credentialed Leader Report Forms in January and early February.  (They look like the image below).  If you have not yet received one, please check your spam, promotions, junk, and regular email folders.  If it is not there, please reach out to UWM (AnnualReportForms@unity.org) as soon as possible.  Completed forms are due back to UWM by March 31.  For details about reporting Continuing Educational Units (CEUs), please see the previous link.  Thank you for all you do to serve your communities and the Region, and to keep your details current with UWM! 

Minister's Retreat at Unity Village

Here’s a link to the registration page

And here’s a link to the promo video

Speaker Opportunity

Prosperity Now - SEE Class

Thursdays, February 2 – March 16

Online via Zoom: 5:00-7:00 PM

Facilitated by: Rev. Jane Hiatt

"Unity and World Religions" Book Study 

Thursdays – February 16 to April 13, 2023 (Skipping March 23rd) 

5:00pm AK; 6:00pm PT; 7:00pm MT; 8:00pm CT; 9:00pm ET

Sound, Alchemy, and Your Divine Blueprint

Tuesday, March 22, 6:30 PM PST

with Joshua Inacio, Unity of Salem

January 2023

NEWS FROM THE REGION

"We collaborate with and support our regional ministries and leaders in our shared spiritual awakening."

From the Regional Board

Could you use some financial relief? If you would like information on a government program which allows for employer payroll tax adjustments (refunds) for the majority of the Covid era, please write Dr. Richard Loren Held for details. Those organizations who have received PPP loans still qualify in part. Dr. Richard worked with a wonderful company in California and would be happy to refer. This blessing requires minimal effort and little cost. Thank you for helping spread the word.

Still need that Ethics CEU? Please contact Audrey Pitchford, LUT to take the class as an independent study.

Is your ministry currently without a credentialed leader? We have resources to help you and guidance for possible next steps. Please contact Rev. Rich Broderhausen to learn more!

Our January tithe goes to Unity of the Valley in Eugene for celebrating 80 years of ministry!

SEE Week is January 9-13. Consider sharing these classes with your community, even if they're not on a credentialing path. These are interesting classes! (you have all the info already) Discern your true purpose with a minister who has 30 years experience helping folks gain clarity on why they're here. Learn new ways to interpret the Bible that make it come to life. Discover your power when life's storms hit by identifying as the "I" of the storm.

Power of Focused Ministry Workshops with Rev. Shad Groverland, Executive Director of Unity Worldwide Ministries, This is an In-Person Only Workshop for Unity Leaders at Unity of the Valley (3912 Dillard Rd, 39th & Hilyard, Eugene, OR 97405) on Saturday, January 14th from 10am to 3pm and at Unity Center of Divine Love and Light (4123 E. Lincoln Rd Spokane, WA 99217) on Saturday, January 21st from 10am to 3pm.

Three Cheers

We are celebrating accomplishments of our NW Unity Ministers and Leaders over the last year, and we invite you to celebrate with us! Please download the attached file to share with your community. Together we are shining our light brighter than ever!

SEE Week!

December 2022

NEWS FROM THE REGION

"We collaborate with and support our regional ministries and leaders in our shared spiritual awakening."

From the Regional Board

Our tithe for this month goes to Unity of Yakima. They celebrated their 90th anniversary this October. Even without a minister these last few years, this plucky community is carrying on, sharing the Unity message of spiritual awakening. Congratulations!

Rev. Shad Groverland, Executive Director of Unity WorldWide Ministries, will be presenting "The Power Of Focused Ministry" at two churches in our region in January. January 14th  at Unity of The Valley in Eugene, Oregon and January 21st at Unity Center of Divine Love and Light in Spokane, Washington. Our Regional Board is grateful to the leadership of both churches for responding positively to our request to host Rev. Shad in their sub-regions.

As we enter into this sacred season of Advent, preparing for all the holidays in our centers and our homes, the NW Regional Board holds all of us in prayer. We affirm that there is only one sacred presence and power afoot, no matter what outer circumstances suggest. As the earth quiets with snow and dark skies, we enter into the silence within and find the deep radiance of creation. It restores and renews us and prepares us to nourish our communities with Truth, Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love. We give thanks for each of you who are serving so nobly and with such dedication to our Unity movement and the beautiful light within us all. Holy Blessings to you all!

For the Holidays

You've probably already noticed that Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. If you have, maybe you're wondering how to support your community without having to meet on Sunday. Or maybe you're planning to all show up in your pajamas! But if you'd like an alternative, you could revisit the beautiful music that was created by some of our Northwest Unity musicians for the first Christmas of the pandemic.

Here is the link if you would like to use the music again for an alternative Christmas offering.  

https://www.beccapalm.com/unity-nw-holiday-videos. We hope you'll also consider putting something in our regional stocking as a thank-you! (And a big thank you to Becca Palm who was the musical director for this project and reminded us that the songs were still available!) 

Remember your CEUs!  

As the calendar year closes, if you haven't yet done so, remember to please take a few minutes to ensure you have personal document of completing your Continuing Education Unit (CEU) requirements for 2022.  All tracking of CEUs is now done by individual ministers and LUTs, for reporting on your annual report (due in March, 2023).  For more information, including what documentation to keep and ways to meet CEUs, please see Unity Worldwide Ministries' internet page on All About your Continuing Education Requirement.

“A Year to Live” Book Study Group

The 4^th Tuesday of the  Month through Dec. 2022 on Zoom

First meeting: Jan. 25^th, 7:00 – 8:30 PDT

Facilitated by Rev. Sherry Schultz

Advent Meditation With Bob Kennedy

Wednesdays November 30 to December 21

8 pm to 9 pm ET/ 4 pm to 5 pm AK

SEE Week!

January 9 - 13 

• 9:00-11:00a | Overview of Hebrew Scriptures, with Rev. Jane Hiatt
• 11:30a-1:30p | Discover Your Purpose, with Rev. Susan Gumm
• 2:30-4:30p | Bible Interpretations-Hebrew Scriptures, with Rev. James Tierney
• 5:00-7:00p | I of the Storm, with Rev. Rachel Simpson

The Power of a Focused Ministry

Join Rev. Shad Groverland, Executive Director of UWM, in a timely 1-day workshop designed for ministry leaders, future leaders, and those who train these leaders at the following venues. Click the dates to learn more:

• Unity of the Valley (3912 Dillard Rd, 39th & Hilyard, Eugene, OR 97405) on  Saturday, January 14th from 10am to 3pm .
• Unity Center of Divine Love and Light (4123 E. Lincoln Rd Spokane, WA 99217) on  Saturday, January 21st from 10am to 3pm . *Note: while this workshop is designed for leaders in the ministry, Rev. Shad Groverland will be speaking at Unity Spiritual Center in Spokane on Sunday the 22nd!

Uniteens: the 6th through 8th graders in your community

Twelve Uniteens and their sponsors, parent or grandparent joined together for our November UNITREAT. We woke up to temperatures in the high 20’s, and learned how to dress warm for mornings outside! Our cabins, meeting rooms, and dining hall are all heated!! All were supported in our Challenge Course Adventures. The trimming of the Douglas Fir, by the winds of Mother Nature happened the week before we arrived to see this evidence. The Cispus Staff said they hadn’t seen a wind storm this strong in decades. Our timing was Divine. Spiritual Transformation, Everywhere Present, Understanding Power was the title of our camp. We saw Divine Power as we went through the Challenge Course, built a structure for our team then dipped and poured candles to remind us of our light, gifts & talents. Everyone went home with 2 candles, one for someone they want to honor or remind them of their gift of Light and one to remind themselves. New this year was each person could select their candle color and scent. It is all soy wax & clean ingredients.

REMINDER FOR NEXT YOUTH MINISTRY EVENT

JANUARY 27, 28, 29, Youth Team annual Conference in Gold Bar WA at Houston Conference Center with guest musician, in person MARK STANTON WELCH. See the NW Region website for registration details. All who support Youth & Family Ministry, newborns through Y.O.U. are invited.

June- At the time of this writing Summer UNITREAT will be June 18-22. I am working & praying on reserving a later date, please join me in prayer as there are several school districts that are still in school during camp. And so it is….Amen

We discussed the powerful Transformation(s) made available throughout the pandemic. We hope your Center has this In discussion. Seeing it through our spiritual eyes & heart we strive to discern how, when, where, who to connect to. I hope your return to in person Youth Ministry is put on the top banner of your weekly E-newsletter, as often as possible. It took time to adapt to Sundays at home and it will be a process to re- engage with Sunday with your Unity community.

Church-Unity communities across the USA are in similar situations, you are not alone. I attended the YFM Summit 2 weeks ago. It was 2 days of sharing our challenges, changes and tools plus connecting with others who serve. This Summit was facilitated by Diane Venzera from Unity Village. We can support one another in transforming how we serve, open to the Heart and soul of Youth & Family Ministry. Please contact me for support, sacred listening or sharing of ideas. Many of us are not in our “comfort zone” looking at possibilities within this new place. One thing I am doing is changing the parameters to participate in Summer UNITREAT. Please read these at the end of February to see how many of your Uniteens can join us.

YOUTH OF UNITY

Youth Team Conference

We're excited to announce that the Youth Team Conference will be in-person at Camp Huston January 27-29, 2023! This year's theme is "At the River's Edge" and we will be discussing how to rebuild and grow our YFM programs with Rev. Diane Venzera and enjoy the musical talents of Mark Stanton Welch. Please join us in Gold Bar, WA to immerse yourself in a loving, supportive community, vision a bright and vibrant future, and connect with others that are passionate about youth ministry.

To attend, participants must have a recent negative COVID test.

Participants can register for Youth Team Conference here 

or download a packet here.

Did you know...

The Unity Northwest Region's website is full of services and various resources available to you and your ministry. Click on the links to be directed:

• Services We Offer
• Resources Available
• Youth Ministry
• Events Calendar
• Make a Donation

Do you have something to add to this monthly newsletter or wish to share on our website? Email us here! Submissions are due by the 25th of each month.

From the Regional Board

Your NW Regional Board had our first in-person retreat since the pandemic! We were so happy to see each other in person. We spent two days focusing on strategies for our region and laughing. A lot. We were hosted by Unity in Lynwood who went out of their way to accommodate us. Rev. Dr. Richard Held even prepared the most delicious meal for us on Friday night. And everyone who needed a homestay was accommodated by the most gracious hosts--even to the point of chauffeuring us around if we needed that! We were truly blown away by the way they catered to us. Three of us also got to visit Seattle Unity's beautiful new facility. Rev. Karen Lindvig and Rev. Diane Robertson hung out on a Sunday afternoon to show us around. It is really a WOW. We encourage you to visit them and see for yourselves!

As for accomplishments, we wrangled a newly articulated "why" for our regional board: We collaborate with and support our regional ministries and leaders in our shared spiritual awakening.

We also discerned some particular focus areas that we'll be rolling out to you in the coming months.

Our tithe for this month goes to Unity of South Sound in Tacoma, celebrating them for hiring a new minister: Rev. Meghan Smith Brooks.

For the Holidays

You've probably already noticed that Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. If you have, maybe you're wondering how to support your community without having to meet on Sunday. Or maybe you're planning to all show up in your pajamas! But if you'd like an alternative, you could revisit the beautiful music that was created by some of our Northwest Unity musicians for the first Christmas of the pandemic.

Here is the link if you would like to use the music again for an alternative Christmas offering.  

https://www.beccapalm.com/unity-nw-holiday-videos. We hope you'll also consider putting something in our regional stocking as a thank-you! (And a big thank you to Becca Palm who was the musical director for this project and reminded us that the songs were still available!)

“A Year to Live” Book Study Group

The 4^th Tuesday of the month through Dec. 2022 on Zoom

7:00-8:30pm PDT

Facilitated by Rev. Sherry Schultz

Timber Hawkeye Talk & Book Discussion

November 27th, 11:30am - 1:00pm PST

Online & In-Person at UCCO

Self-Awareness SEE Class

Wednesdays in November, 2:00-5:00 PST

Online & In-Person (Orlando, FL only)

With Pamela Gutierrez, Unity Ministerial Intern from Eugene, OR

Advent Meditation With Bob Kennedy

Wednesdays November 30 to December 21

8 pm to 9 pm ET/ 4 pm to 5 pm AK

SEE Week!

January 9 - 13 

• 9:00-11:00a | Overview of Hebrew Scriptures, with Rev. Jane Hiatt
• 11:30a-1:30p | Discover Your Purpose, with Rev. Susan Gumm
• 2:30-4:30p | Bible Interpretations-Hebrew Scriptures, with Rev. James Tierney
• 5:00-7:00p | I of the Storm, with Rev. Rachel Simpson

Uniteens: the 6th through 8th graders in your community

Please stay tuned for a report of the 2022 Fall Unitreat. The theme is S.T.E.P. U.P. = Spiritual Transformation Everywhere Prest, Understanding your Power.

Rain or shine or snow we will share meditation, prayer, candles, campfire, and the low Ropes Course all to touch our inner Spiritual selves and know our strengths through this.

Please share our opening prayer by James Boughton

This is It

And I am it

And You are It

And so is That

And He is It

And She isIt

And it is It

And That is That.

O It is This

And It is Thus

And It is Them

And It is Us

And It is Now

And here It is

And Here We are

So This is It

Please see the online forms for more information and to register.

YOUTH OF UNITY

Youth of Unity Retreat

October 21-23 Youth of Unity (YOU) members from around the Northwest Region gathered outside of Seattle for their annual fall Retreat. The theme for the event was "I Align" and they explored the powers of Will, Order, and Zeal. 30 people from 8 northwest ministries co-created an event filled with love, joy, connection, and transformation. YOUers facilitated great workshops on the powers, which were enhanced through small group activities. The spring YOU Rally will be April 21-23, 2023 in Randle, WA. Thank you for your constant support of our youth and their unfoldment! 

In Love and Gratitude,

Nick Muncie-Jarvis, NW Youth of Unity Consultant

Youth Team Conference

Save the date!

The Youth Team Conference will be in-person at Camp Huston January 27-29, 2023! Please come to Gold Bar to immerse yourself in a loving, supportive community, imagine and manifest a bright and vibrant future, and connect with others that are passionate about youth ministry.

To attend, participants must have a recent negative COVID test.

Registration information coming soon.

RESOURCES

Did you know...

The Unity Northwest Region's website is full of services and various resources available to you and your ministry. Click on the links to be directed:

• Services We Offer
• Resources Available
• Youth Ministry
• Events Calendar
• Make a Donation

Do you have something to add to this monthly newsletter or wish to share on our website? Email us here! Submissions are due by the 25th of each month.