Christ Church Unity of Rockford. From Our Spiritual Leader, Glennie Smith

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1 From Our Spiritual Leader, Dear spiritual family: I have a dream! Glennie Smith I have a vision for our church family and I want to share it with you. Scripture tells us that "where there is no dream, people perish. Where there is vision, there is an abundant future. Author Neil Donald Walsh tells us that "the most harmful thing we could ever tell ourselves is that we don't have the power to change our lives." We do have the power! We absolutely have the power to change our life through the power of the spoken word. First we think it, then we say it. We declare it, we envision it, and we draw our reality to us through the power of imagination. If you can imagine it, you can create it. Dr. Martin Luther King said, "I have a dream. And he spoke his dream with authority to millions of listeners on the steps of our capital. His dream continues to be realized today. We create that which we proclaim with our words. The Old Testament says: "decide upon a thing, and it will be established for you. Life is always moving and changing. The direction our lives move, is up to us. March is the month of VISION. Now is the time to imagine where we want to be as a spiritual community in the future. You have an awesome unique opportunity to be a very real part of this creative and joyful process. On Sunday, March 9, during potluck after service, we are having the biggest brainstorming session Unity of Rockford has ever had. Everyone is invited. The seven member Board of Directors will listen to your ideas for the future of Christ Church Unity of Rockford. This is a vision meeting all ideas are welcome. What can we do for you to make your spiritual experience, more joyful, more intimate, more meaningful? We will talk about the Sunday service, the youth education program, Unity class offerings, music, Church Road trips, picnics, concerts, meditation groups, yoga classes, potlucks, game nights, movie night, outreach programs, moneymakers, and much, much more. It's up to you. What do you want? How big can you dream? Put your thinking caps on and bring your ideas with you. We look forward to seeing you on March 9. And remember, with God, all things are possible. Loving you NAMASTE, Glennie Wow! We are a busy group of Unitics! VISION MEETING: Sunday, March 9, 2014, during the pot luck. We hope everyone will join us and share the vision. See Glennie s note (left). Don t forget: Sunday, March 9 at 2 AM, the clocks spring ahead. That means you have one hour less of sleep before having a vision with us! RSAC bowling fundraiser at Cherry Bowl. March 8, A bunch of Rockford Unitics have decided to go cosmic bowling...thus giving church members a great way to have fun as a group while supporting a wonderful cause. Hitting the lanes as Team Unitic gives us a way to raise awareness about Unity of Rockford, too. Registration starts at 9:30 PM; bowling starts at 10 PM. You do NOT have to pre-register you can pay at the door. We are saving a set of lanes for our church but can always get more space so we can bowl together. It s Scotch Doubles- Nine-Pin-No-Tap. Cost is $ If you want to attend but cannot afford this, PLEASE Addi, as we have an offer from a congregant to sponsor a team. By the way, you can make a donation to RSAC and not have to bowl! YES! There IS going to be a Rummage Sale! In fact, start gathering your stuff because the dates are MARCH 28 & 29, You read that right. See page three for more information. We have a short time to get a big project set in motion, so any help will be greatly appreciated. We are REALLY in need of big ticket items, so let Women of Unity know if you ve got something for the sale. Thanks! Christ Church Unity of Rockford 4831 Manchester Drive, Rockford IL (815) info@unityofrockford.com

2 Kim McKibben: Our Newest Unity of Rockford Board Member Even though many of you already know here, we asked Kim to provide us a short biography so our church members could get to know her a little better. It is exciting to have Kim on the board. She s our Vice President & is leading the Building & Grounds Committee. She s also serving as the board s Men s Group liaison. (What can we say there are no men on the Board at this moment!) Abundance Income February 2014: $5, Expenses February 2014: $4, Net Income February 2014: $1, Y-T-D Total: $ Plus, we currently have $12,955 in Savings. How awesome is that? Super awesome! Your tithing and abundance thinking keeps this church in healthy financial shape. If you would like details about church finances, please ask a Board Member or look on the bulletin board the monthly ledger is posted. During her very short tenure on the board, she has already changed out a whole slew of burnt light bulbs (with the help of Shannon, of course!), addressed ongoing thermostat woes, figured out potential weather-stripping solutions for our front doors and is seeking the best lawn service options. Heck, she even volunteered to get us more plungers for the bathrooms! Kim writes, Born July 23, 1959, in Hugaton, Kansas. I lived in Colorado until my parents divorced. My mother remarried and we moved to Texas to follow my stepfather s dreams. I was raised a southern Baptist. I met and fell in love with Shannon in 1981, we joined the Methodist church together. We moved to Kansas in It there we discovered Unity. In 1997, we made another move to Illinois. My stepfather, the most influential person in my life, taught me about setting goals, visualizing success and working hard to achieve all that we dream of. I have worked in the construction business my entire career. I believe that to be successful you have the start at the bottom and work your way up no matter what you are doing. Passions: playing golf, reading and spending time with family & friends. My favorite writer is Robert Fulghum. Most inspiring books include Customer For Life (Carl Sewell) and The Mary Kay Way (Mary Kay Ash). My favorite saying - Life is not about how many moments you have, it is about how many moments take your breath away! Welcome, Kim! We look forward to spending time with you, working with you, worshipping with you. Thanks for all you ve already done! Christ Church Unity of Rockford Terms of Service Christ Church Unity Board of Directors Kathy Kelley Service Years: ; Donna "Addi" Addison Service Years: ; Cindy Lawson Service Years: Joy Beatty Service Years: Bev Cicolello Service Years: Kim McKibben Service Year Glennie Smith, Spiritual Leader Manchester Drive, Rockford IL (815) info@unityofrockford.com

3 Unity of Rockford's 20th Annual Rummage Sale: March 28 & 29, 2014 Help raise money for the church while getting some great bargains. The Annual Spring Rummage Sale is Christ Church Unity of Rockford's biggest fundraiser of the year, bringing much-appreciated financial resource to our community. It provides opportunity to raise awareness in the community about our church, finds homes for items in search of new owners and gets you motivated to do that Spring Cleaning! THERE IS LITTLE TIME TO PREPARE so, we ask you to start bringing in your rummage sale items as soon as the Vision meeting is in the books! Items should be clean & ready to go when you drop them off. Since there will be little time to prepare, we ask that clothes be marked with sizes, washed and in good condition. Toys, Knick knacks, games, DVDs, clothes, shoes, electronics, tools, puzzles, sporting equipment, baskets, household items, furniture, cars, boats, house.you name it, we'll sell it! If you aren't sure about something, please ask volunteers for the rummage sale and they will guide you in the right direction. WE NEED BIG TICKET ITEMS!!! We are all about large furniture, that grand piano in your living room, that 65" TV that s too small for your living room and boat you're selling. We can feature your big ticket donation by photo in & on our website. Unless other arrangements are made with the Rummage Sale team, big ticket items should be brought to the church on the Thursday before the sale. We need Rummage Sale Volunteers! Everything from sorters to set up to sales personnel to clean up will be needed. No experience necessary--just follow the directions provided by our expert rummage sale leaders and it will be fine! Sign up sheets are located in the lobby of the church. There is so much to do and so few people to do it. Any amount of time and effort will be appreciated by all. UNITY OF ROCKFORD'S 20TH ANNUAL RUMMAGE SALE MARCH 28 & 29, 2014 Clothing, books, jewelry, household items, electronics, toys, many trash and treasure items. Reasonable prices, all clothes sized and clean. Located at: 4321 Manchester Drive Rockford (Behind McDonalds near Alpine & Harrison) Fri. March 28 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Sat. March 29 8:00 am to 2:00 pm Phone for information or us at info@unityofrockford.com Look for us in the internet: ww.unityofrockford.com

4 Sunday, March 9, :25am Choir Rehearsal *Potluck and VISION MEETING!!!* Lock Up Church: Glennie Smith Speaker: Glennie Smith Pulpit Assistant: Tammy Schiek Greeters: Dennis Hines & Cindy Lawson Hymn: #88 Sweet Hour of Prayer Special Music: Hospitality: Potluck Youth Education Leader: Michele Bowers Sunday, March 16, 2014 Lock Up Church: Cindy Lawson Speaker: Marge Orchard Pulpit Assistant: Cindy Lawson Greeters: Lorin & Phoebe Larson Hymn: #89 In The Garden (hymnal) Special Music: Ruth Ann Lillstrom Hospitality: Mary Kegel Youth Education Leader: Julie Thompson Sunday, March 23, :25am Unity Singers meet Lock Up Church: Joy Beatty Speaker: Glennie Smith Pulpit Assistant: Addi Greeters: Cindy Lawson & Julie Thompson Special Music: Unity Singers Hospitality: Joy & Rich Youth Education Leader: OPEN Sunday, March 30, 2014 Speaker: Kathy Brown Pulpit Assistant: Mary Kegel Greeters: Cindy Lawson & Hymn: #298 Christ The Lord Is Risen Today Special Music: Hospitality: OPEN Life is Good by Matthew E. Long is good when we focus on what is real, eternal, unlimited. Yes, unemployment is still high, housing prices are low, the stock markets, commodities are unstable. Yet the Master Teacher gave us the tools for living the good life; to be in the world but not of it. The Gospel of John reminds us, But take courage; I have conquered the world! The world is an expression of our belief in the reality of things external; a belief that we could be separate from our good, separate from God. Conquering the world, we shall know the Truth of our unity as we build a conscious awareness of the Holy Spirit-the whole Spirit of God-active within us. In that day you will know that I am in my Father & you in me, and I in you. The apostle Paul was genuinely inspired when he wrote, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds (Rom. 12:2). Jesus said it this way, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near (Mt. 4:17). Repent, from the Latin, literally means to think again. When I realize God as the Source and my consciousness of God as my supply, all I need and desire is readily provided. The job, the investments, the economy is not the source of my good, God is! The doctors, the medicines, the environment is the not the source of my good, God is! My spouse, family and friends are not the source of my good, God is! Through conscious contact with God in prayer and meditation, I link my mind with God Mind and draw forth Divine ideas for expressing health and wholeness, peace and harmony, prosperity and abundance.

5 As many of you know, Kathy K. works for a non -profit agency that promotes organic gardening Angelic Organics. Kathy explains, Here in Rockford, we have vegetable gardens and sell shares. How that works is you pay a specific amount, you get about 1-1/2 bags of fresh vegetables per week. She adds, We hire people from the projects to work the gardens and learn about how to grow their own food. We thought Unity of Rockford members might like to know a little more about this opportunity that brings so much good to our community. We thought some Unitics might be interested in buying a share, so here s what you need to know. If you have questions, please see the information below or contact Kathy. Thanks! Announcing Roots & Wings 2014 Youth Farm CSA What is Root & Wings: Roots & Wings is facilitated by Angelic Organic Learning Center (AOLC) in partnership with a coalition of communitybased organizations in Rockford, IL. The Youth Farm is part of the Roots and Wings network, launched in 2002, and coordinated by AOLC. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Shares: The Youth Farm will offer a 10- week CSA share of fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables. With a pre-season payment you purchase a share of our season vegetable harvest. What s in a share: Each week we ask that you bring a reusable shopping bag, and we will fill it with seasonal fruit, vegetables, and herbs. The share volume and weight will change from week to week based on which vegetables are available. Cost: $180 - $300 (Full Share) & $ $150 (Half Share). The sliding scale allows those members who can afford to pay more to help support others who can only pay the minimum. Also, we would accept any offers to sponsor or donate the cost of a share to help support our program. CSA available dates: June 25th through August 27th, Pick Up Location & Time: Blackhawk Courts Farm Stand, located at th Avenue from 4:00pm to 6:00pm every Tuesday, and at the Farm located at Meadow Court and 15th avenue from 12:00pm to 1:00pm on Wednesday. Contact information: Tedd Snowden (Market Manager) / (815) , 110 N. 1st Street Rockford, IL, Tedd@learngrowconnect.org And, finally...from the newsletter editor: If you received this newsletter and no longer want to be on the mailing list, please Addi at addiwp@gmail.com and she ll ensure your name is removed. If you know of someone who wants to receive the but isn t on the mailing list, please let her know! Rest assured, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A MEMBER of Unity of Rockford to receive this newsletter or any of our mailings. Member or not, please join us on Facebook our group is Unity of Rockford. Thanks!