November 2016 “A POSITIVE PATH FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING” In This Issue Notes of Joy Spiritual Power of the Month: Release/ Elimination Board of Trustee Decisions Prosperity Report In Gratitude Calendar of Activities Kindred Book Study Our Community Labyrinth We are a welcoming community dedicated to awaking Christ consciousness, nurturing transformaon and inspiring joy. Monthly Newsletter Spiritual Power of the Month Release/Elimination NOTES OF JOY Hello Friends, Our focus for this month is GIVING THANKS. I believe that every day is THANKSGIVING DAY. In fact, in every moment of each day we can find something for which to be thankful. In many families it has become tradition to go around the table at Thanksgiving dinner reciting a gratitude litany. Most of us can easily recall the big blessings in life but we often minimalize the everyday occurrences. Please know that all of life is a blessing. I believe that we should not wait until everything is perfect in our life…nor until every prayer is answered before we give thanks. We must give thanks to God for this NOW moment, however we perceive things are in our present circumstances. Giving thanks is more than a response to what is happening around us. It is a celebration of Truth, which becomes a blessing leading toward our abundance. Giving thanks to God is good for our soul because it attunes us to our good. We take a very important step toward having the kind of life we long to have simply by establishing the habit of maintaining an attitude of gratitude. Thank you God for my life and the opportunities afforded me to grow, learn and unfold. There is something about giving thanks that seems to carry our mind far beyond the region of doubt to a much clearer place of faith and trust knowing that of myself, “I can do no-thing” but with God, “all things are possible.” Give praise and gratitude to God in an ef- fort to keep the channels open through which God’s bountiful good can freely flow to you. As always, you are invited to share with us each Sunday morning as we rejoice in the many blessings that we are continually receiving. Come at 9:30 a.m. for medita- tion and the adult class and remain for out 10:45 a.m. celebration service. We look forward to seeing you this Sunday! In His Service, Rev. Joy Rev. Joy Walker Minister “But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.” Psalms 19:12 Release is letting go of anything that stands in the way of expressing the fullness of God’s good.
Transcript
November 2016
“A POSITIVE PATH FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING”
In This Issue
Notes of Joy
Spiritual Power of the Month:
Release/Elimination
Board of Trustee Decisions
Prosperity Report In Gratitude
Calendar of Activities
Kindred Book Study
Our Community Labyrinth
We are a welcoming community dedicated to awaking Christ consciousness, nurturing transformation and inspiring joy.
Monthly Newsletter
Spiritual Power of the Month
Release/Elimination
NOTES OF JOY
Hello Friends, Our focus for this month is GIVING THANKS. I believe that every day is THANKSGIVING DAY. In fact, in every moment of each day we can find something for which to be thankful. In many families it has become tradition to go around the table at Thanksgiving dinner reciting a gratitude litany. Most of us can easily recall the big blessings in life but we often minimalize the everyday occurrences. Please know that all of life is a blessing. I believe that we should not wait until everything is perfect in our life…nor until every prayer is answered before we give thanks. We must give thanks to God for this NOW moment, however we perceive things
are in our present circumstances. Giving thanks is more than a response to what is happening around us. It is a celebration of Truth, which becomes a blessing leading toward our abundance. Giving thanks to God is good for our soul because it attunes us to our good. We take a very important step toward having the kind of life we long to have simply by establishing the habit of maintaining an attitude of gratitude. Thank you God for my life and the opportunities afforded me to grow,
learn and unfold. There is something about giving thanks that seems to carry our mind far beyond the region of doubt to a much clearer place of faith and trust knowing that of myself, “I can do no-thing” but with God, “all things are possible.” Give praise and gratitude to God in an ef-fort to keep the channels open through which God’s bountiful good can freely flow to you. As always, you are invited to share with us each Sunday morning as we rejoice in the many blessings that we are continually receiving. Come at 9:30 a.m. for medita-
tion and the adult class and remain for out 10:45 a.m. celebration service. We look forward to seeing you this Sunday! In His Service, Rev. Joy
Rev. Joy Walker Minister
“But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.” Psalms 19:12
Release is letting go of
anything that stands in the way of
expressing the fullness of God’s good.
GRATITUDE For Sunday
Services
Music Ministry
Pianist - David Stanley
Coordinator - Sheri White
Diane Marie Rogers
Greeter
Kathyrn Chenoweth
Ushers
David Stanley
Wendell Smithy
Sound Techs
Mickie Matthews
Platform Assistant
Brandi Palombo
Prayer Chaplains
Sandra Rucker, Chair
Leo Stewart
Barbara Wolfe
Shirley Rappaport
Board of Trustees
Kathyrn Chenoweth
Shirley Rappapaport
Diane Marie Rogers
Leo Stewart
David Stanley
Wendell Smith
Rev. Joy Walker
BOARD OF TRUSTEES DECISIONS
Approved the 2017 plans for ministry teams as presented by the
Prosperity/Finance ministry team.
Approved the 2017 budget from the Prosperity/Finance team
based on requests from each ministry team.
Approved Outreach project presented by the Prosperity/Finance
ministry team to support THE GARTH HOUSE.
Reviewed the 2017 Calendar of Events as presented by Rev. Joy
based on ministry team plans.
Monthly Prosperity Story
On Sunday, November 6, Shirley Rappaport will share how she has utilized Truth principles in daily life.
PROSPERITY REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 2016 Income $3,663.53 Expense: $7,359.47 Net Income: ($3,695.94)
BOARD RETREAT- The Board of Trustees will be in retreat and training on Saturday, November 5 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Holy Family Retreat Center. Rev. Joy will install the new Board on Sunday, November 6 at the Celebration Service. OUTREACH - In an effort to reach out to the community-at-large, the Board approved assisting THE GARTH HOUSE. A gift card will be provided at Christmas and the congregation will be invited to participate
in the 21 Annual Penny Drive beginning Sunday, November 6. Please bring your pocket change each Sunday and place it in the money jar in the sanctuary. LET’S CLEAN THE ATTIC - A date of
Saturday, November 12 has been set by the Building and Grounds ministry team to clean our attic. You are requested to come out be-tween 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and share in determining which items to maintain, discard or give away. Your participation is respectfully requested. THANKSGIVING DINNER— Come on! Come all! The Hospitality Ministry team will be hosting Thanksgiving Dinner in the Amsden Cen-ter on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24 at 12:00 Noon. This event is lovingly provided for those individuals who will not be with families on Thanksgiving Day. Rev. Joy will provided the delicious Greenberg smoked turkey. Participants are invited to bring the trim-mings. This is a covered dish affair. In order to have a sufficient head-count, you are requested to call the office at 409-842-0271 to indicate your attendance prior to November 15, 2016.
27 9:30am Meditation 9:45am Adult Class 10:45am Celebration Service
28
29
5:30pm Tai Chi
30 11:30am Silent Unity Service 5:30pm Joyful Noise Choir Practice 7:00pm Reiki Healing Circle
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
5:30pm Tai Chi
2 3
Beginners 5:30pm Tai Chi
4 5
6 9:30am Meditation 9:45am Adult Class 10:45am Celebration Service
CommUnity Feast following
the Celebration Service
7
8
5:30pm Tai Chi
9 11:30am Silent Unity Service 5:30pm Joyful Noise Choir Practice 7:00pm Reiki Healing Circle
10
Beginners 5:30pm Tai Chi
11
11
13 9:30am Meditation 9:45am Adult Class 10:45am Celebration Service
14
15
5:30pm Tai Chi
5:30pm Board of Trustee Meeting
16 11:30am Silent Unity Service 5:30pm Joyful Noise Choir Practice 7:00pm Reiki Healing Circle
17
Beginners 5:30pm Tai Chi
18
19
20 9:30am Meditation 9:45am Adult Class 10:45am Celebration Service
21
22 5:30pm Tai Chi
23 11:30am Silent Unity Service 5:30pm Joyful Noise Choir Practice 7:00pm Reiki Healing Circle
24
25 26
HANGING OF THE GREENS - The Celebration Ministry team will lead us in decorating our facilities for the Christmas holidays on Saturday, November 26, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. You are requested to come and assist with this endeavor by lending you decorating expertise. If you have no talent, just come and be prepared to hang up an item as directed by another. ADVENT - Sunday, November 27 marks the beginning of Advent. Rev. Joy is seeking families to lead us in the lighting of the Advent Candle each of the four Sundays. If your family is willing to assist, please let her know. CHRISTMAS MUSICAL -The Celebration Ministry team is planning a delightful musical experience for Sunday, December 4. You are invited to participate if you have musical talent. Please Diane Rogers, Chair, Celebration ministry team or Sheri White, Director of Music, right away if you wish to participate in this very special event for our ministry.
EDWENE GAINS TO RETURN Rev. Edwene Gaines regretfully apologizes for her need to cancel the October 2 event. She has rescheduled her visit for Sunday, January 8, 2017. Stay tuned for more information next month.
Sallie Cave 12 Mike Barrios 27
2016
Centered in God, we celebrate oneness and wholeness in a world of diversity.
Rev. Joy Walker, Minis-ter is available for ap-pointments, special ser-vices or for counseling on a Love Offering basis.
OUR COMMUNITY LABYRINTH Open to the public from sunup to sundown, the Unity Community labyrinth is the largest labyrinth in the Southeast Texas region. It is a seven circuit triune pattern. The laby-rinth is an archetypal symbol of wholeness that invites one into a transform-ative prayer experience. Walking this mystical path is a personal pilgrimage to spiritual wholeness. The labyrinth has been used for centuries. It is a tool for bridging the known and unknown so that individuals may experience transformational growth, expansion and self-discovery. It is our purpose to bring awareness to this sacred space.
KINDRED SPIRIT BOOKS NOVEMBER, 2016
WEDNESDAY NIGHT Nov 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 & Dec 7, 14
6:30-8:00p.m. The Naked Now by Richard Rohr
Are you interested in… …(re)-awakening your desire for God? …freeing yourself from the fears that can cripple you? …connecting to the joy already within you? …transforming yourself and inspiring others? …seeing as the mystics see? …living in full awareness of the Naked Now? If you are, we’ll soon be addressing all this and more in our seven-week study of The Naked Now – Learning to See as the Mystics See. Mystic: one who has moved from mere belief systems or belonging systems to actual inner experience. In this book we will be discovering the lost tradition of Mystical Christianity. Author Richard Rohr is a revered speaker and million-selling author. He is the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, a guest on the radio show Oprah and Friends, a regular contributor to Sojourners and Tikkun, and the author of books such as Adam’s Return, The En-neagram, Everything Belongs, Simplicity, and Things Hidden. During our book study, we will learn through the Stories, Meditations, and Tested Practices contained in The Naked Now. We will read pas-sages from the book, have group discussions and learn even more by sharing with each other in dyads and tryads. You may well find yourself moved, gently prodded, provoked and inspired by this book. Do join us. It’s a journey you’ll be glad you chose. Taught by Susan Dimaline, LUT.
