December Visioning 12/28/12
Filed under Past Community Events
We have become receptive to the Divine Wisdom and Creativity seeking to express as Unity of Berkeley with great results. Since June, in our monthly visionings we have learned to express what we truly want to be.
This month’s Visioning continues the process of seeking our true mission and vision. We will bring resources that have provided guidance to bring us to this point: the teachings, the personal experiences and the promise of an open heart and mind.
Friday, December 28, 7 – 9pm. All are Welcome!
Small Spiritual Growth Groups
Filed under Past Community Events, Past Special Events
Small groups are a great way to deepen relationships with people at Unity of Berkeley, grow spiritually, build a supportive community and have fun! These new groups are launching this fall; if you are interested in starting a small group, please contact Rev. DeeAnn.
Fill Your World with the Sound of Music
Friday or Saturday nights, Nov. 2 to Dec 14 7- 8:30pm
(no meeting the last Friday of each month)
The Home of John Sullivan – Oakland Park Blvd. near I-580
Share any kind of music that inspires, comforts and just plain turns you on via a recording, your instruments (if you play any) and/or voice. Discover the music others love that may be new to you. Nibbles and at least one short Satchmo story and song every week are guaranteed. For more info and to join us, call John Sullivan at 510-530-8592.
Breath-Centered Yoga
Thursday evenings 7-8:30pm beginning November 1.
The home of Anne Richards
Learn one form of pranayama, Ujjayi breath, which can be done anywhere, anytime. Ujjayi breath is sometimes called Ocean Breath. We will begin with a few simple yoga warm-ups to open up the torso for breathing then alternate the use of regulated pranayama breath (ujjayi) with natural breathing. We will then discuss how the quality of our breath changes from the use of ujjayi and how our bodies and minds respond to the changes in the breath. The group is limited to 6 people. To sign up send us an email.
Self-Healing Practices for Every Day
Monday afternoons @ 4pm, beginning Monday October 29th.
The home of Robyn Brent
Simple, practical, powerful self-healing techniques for headaches, backaches, knee pain and more. This interactive workshop will cover simple, practical self-healing techniques rooted in ancient practices from different cultures around the world. The notion that healing must be difficult and complicated to be effective is not proven. You will learn some of these techniques. For more information contact Robyn at 510.524.4563 or send her email.
Walking the Dogs! (Canine Optional)
Saturday Morning 9 – 10am beginning October 27
Point Isabel Dog Park, Richmond, CA
Dogs can be canine and they are also feet! If you don’t have a canine companion, you can still join the fun by bringing your feet. We can learn about sacred fellowship from our “best friends” by the way they interact with the earth, other animals, and each other. We will meet at Point Isabel to walk for about 30 minutes (more if you wish). Then we can chat at the Sit & Stay Cafe where you can get coffee/tea/water/juice and a bit of a nosh. This is a great way to get the day started by moving your dogs! To sign up send us an email.
Our First Service in the Chochmat HaLev Sanctuary
Unity of Berkeley began a new era once again on October 21, 2012 as we move from the Chochmat HaLev Community Room to the Sanctuary and its beautiful light and Darrell Hunger’s gorgeous “earth” painting. Thanks to all who contributed!
Pictures from Our 2012 Community BBQ
Filed under Our Unity Community, Past Community Events
Our annual picnic was fun, filling and great fellowship! Thanks to Steve Carter for our entrees and everyone one else who brought yummy food!
Moving forward ~ We need your help
Filed under Events, Past Community Events
If you would like to spend time packing our belongings for the move…please contact the office at office@unityberkeley.org and you will be contacted with times and dates.
The other way to contribute at this time is prayer. We know and see that all is in Divine Order for a whole and holy space ready for our spiritual community to enter in with prosperity, joy, love, and expansion.
Sunday, February 5 ~ Community Meeting to Vote in New Leadership Team
Filed under Events, Past Community Events
Time to Elect a New Leadership Team!
Community Meeting ~ February 5
after service
It is that time again! Unity of Berkeley will elect a new Leadership Team on February 5, after service. Please plan to attend as we need a quorum of Unity of Berkeley members to vote in a new team.
Four (4) current team members are stepping down.
According to the by-laws 4.04(d), “The two nominees receiving the largest number of votes will be elected to full two (2) year terms. The candidate receiving the next highest number of votes will be elected to the longest unexpired term, etc. All persons elected in such a manner will be considered to be fulfilling a term of office.”
Vote for:
3 2-year term openings
1 1-year term opening
2 alternates
Please make it a priority to attend this meeting and be a part of the forward motion of our community!
Below are our candidates and there bios:
DEE CLUTTS
My name is Dee Clutts, I have been a member of Unity of Berkeley, since Easter 2003. I ran my own business from 1993 to 2005, at which time I retired. Most recently have been employed as a nanny.
I have served several terms on the Unity of Berkeley Leadership Team between 2004 – 2011. I have a strong commitment to Unity of Berkeley – it has been my extended family. I do see a future for us and want to be a part of that. I can be a leader or I can take a back seat and support others. I like to think I have some wisdom, I’m flexible and most of the time can hear all sides of an issue, without judgment. I am the leader of the Unity of Berkeley Prayer Chaplains, I’m in Unitas, the Unity of Berkeley Choir, and have had home study groups at my home.
TIM MCGRAW
Tim McGraw was raised near Kansas City, Mo. and in 1997 joined Christ Unity Church in San Francisco. A Berkeley resident since 1996, he has been involved in Unity of Berkeley since 2002 and has previously served on the Leadership Team. Tim is a consultant specializing in business-to-business marketing and has been self-employed for most of his professional life.
ANNE RICHARDS
Anne Richards has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1976. She began reading the Daily Word in 1984 and joined Unity Christ Church in San Francisco in 1987 where she was on the Board of Directors was also a Lay Minister. She has also attended Unity of Richmond, Unity of Walnut Creek and Unity of Shepherdstown (WV). For 5 years Anne acted in the capacity of Lay Chaplain at VNA Home Hospice in Emeryville. She is an interdisciplinary social scientist in psychology and anthropology and has worked in behavior medicine and public health research since 1989.
DAVID OWEN
I have been a member of Unity of Berkeley for 3 years and have been attending services for nearly 5 years. My work background is in Engineering working on network planning for AT&T Mobility (previously Cingular Wireless). I have worked with AT&T Mobility for about 15 years and before that worked for Vodafone in Sydney, Australia, I moved to California in 1997.
My interests are restoring and working on cars, seeing plays at the Berkeley Rep, wine appreciation, cooking, jogging and dog walking/hiking.
I work with the sound and lighting team on setting up the sound for the regular services and special events, concerts , etc. I am willing to put in the time required for being on the Unity of Berkeley Leadership Team and to make a contribution to improving Unity of Berkeley.
I live in Berkeley with my wife Robyn and our cat Sneezy and dog Wolfie
Celebration of Life for Tad Toomay ~ Saturday, January 21 ~ 2pm
Filed under Past Community Events, Past Special Events
Celebrate the brilliant spirit of Tad Toomay at this memorial service on Saturday, January 21 from 2-4pm.
Tad’s powerful presence and his enduring music urged us to love and peace and celebration. His transition on November 16 struck this community a blow. Please join us as we now lift up into spirit knowing and seeing that Tad’s legacy to us is alive and brilliantly singing through our lives. Knowing that death is not an end but a putting out of the lamp to welcome the dawn.
In this YouTube, Tad and the Unity House Band sing his song “Speak Peace.”
Holiday Treasure Sale
Filed under Events, Past Community Events
Unity of Berkeley’s Second Annual Holiday Treasure Sale will be December 4 and December 11 from noon to 1:45 in the Ecumenical Center foyer. Come browse, buy and acquire new or gently used treasures. Our professional community will also be offering their services during this sale! All proceeds will be donated to Unity of Berkeley.
Community Conversation with the Transition Team
Filed under Events, Past Community Events, Past Special Events
Sunday, April 17, 12:30pm (after service)
As part of the Transition Team’s continued movement towards the growth of ourselves and our community, it has focused on:
Major Theme: HEALING
Learning to embrace conflict
We are working towards embracing and healing conflict within our church as a way to move forward and create a thriving spiritual community:
• We are participating in The I of the Storm Workshop to learn to use conflict to identify what is missing, in ourselves and in our relationship with others:
o We accept the idea that “no one is against us.” We are learning to act not from defensiveness but from the belief that no one means to harm us.
o When a storm does arise, we are learning to return to our wholeness, our God (Good) inside.
Forgiveness Practice -
Since we believe that forgiveness of ourselves and others clears the field for greater abundance, team members are engaged in one of the several options for forgiveness practice, which were presented to us by our Transitional Ministry Specialist, Jeannette Monterio:
• Journaling Exercise – forgiveness exercise;
• Writing out 70 times each day for 7 days, that which we seek to release and let go (forgive); or
• Using the Day by Day Reconciliation Journal.
Major Theme: COMPASSIONATE COMMUNICATION
Since we are committed to encouraging better communication with (and within) the congregation, we have agreed to the following actions:
• We have adopted the principles of Agreeing and Disagreeing in Love.
o As we practice the in action items, we are committed to ending the practice of “Parking Lot” conversations and agreed to speak directly to anyone with whom we have conflict and refrain from behind- the- back conversations.
o We have established several communication opportunities to hear what the congregation wants and needs.
? Tea with the Team after church each Sunday at the transition team table
? Weekly opportunity to speak with members of the team
? Publish minutes of team meetings in the bulletin and online in Topica
? Telephone outreach to members who have not been coming to church
Team members have spent many hours on this project. A Subcommittee report on findings will be submitted at the 4/13 meeting.
As we continue to move forward with our efforts to improve Communication at Unity of Berkeley:
• We are exploring the process of speaking about feelings & needs rather than engaging in “story.” (This is part of compassionate communication)
• We will decide if we will adopt the materials provided from the non-violent communication model (which includes the Feelings and Needs model) and meet with the Board to see how we can incorporate these communication practices into the congregation; and
• We intend to deepen our understanding of Deep Listening, (which is part of the Rhythms in Peace materials, Day 16) and focus our communications with one another on listening for and exploring the underlying (and sometimes not well expressed) feelings, meaning, needs and longing, rather than to evaluate, advise or fix.
Reconciliation Circle: Release and Celebration
Filed under Events, Past Community Events