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October 2007 “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose…” Proverbs 16:3-4 Beloved Friends, 40. Forty is an important number for many of us. How many see this as an age when life takes on a different meaning? Forty is an even more important number in the Bible. We see it in over one hundred passages. Metaphysically, forty represents “as long as it takes.” It does not necessarily literally refer to a set period of time. It means the time in which it takes to come to the full realization of that which we need to see, know or understand. It rained for forty days and nights when Noah was in the Ark. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah; Esau was forty years old when he married Judith. Ancient Hebrews took forty days to embalm Israel, the father of Joseph, the man with the coat of many colors. The Israelites spent forty years wandering, looking for the Promised Land, and eating manna. Moses went to the top of the mountain for forty days and nights. Jesus fasted forty days and nights before his temptations. Stephen received his revelation in his fortieth year from a burning bush and spoke the words of Truth as God directed him. So why all of this Biblical talk about forty? We have an excellent bid from Herring Construction, which we will be voting on at our Annual Membership Meeting on October 14, 2007. We are $40,000 short of completing the interior remodel in the way we envisioned – which would best serve our church community. We can remove items from the bid package, or open ourselves to the prospering power of God! Our church has always demonstrated prosperity. Money has never been an issue. We have always paid our bills on time, and actively supported people in need and projects in the community. Why? We have a prosperity consciousness in which we tithe every month a tenth of all income. We post our financials and where we tithe in the Gathering Room for all to see the financial status of the church. God is our Source! I know we can raise $45,000 in the next month (yes, we tithe on everything). Let us set an intention to complete this project in the way that we intended, without deletions or substitutions or delays. I personally will donate $1000 to help accomplish this goal, because this is my church, too! I invite you to join me in helping our dream come alive for the interior remodel. Search your heart. What can you give over and above your regular financial offering to the church to help us to achieve this goal of completion of the interior of the church? And always remember, God is God ~ All the Time! In Spirit and in Truth, Mark’s Musings This is my last newsletter article as President of the Board of Trustees of UCBA. It's been a long, blessed thousand-plus days. I think back over the many steps, changes and transformations that have taken place as we have moved into creating our own church home. In Ecclesiastes 3 we read, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” Truly, together we have experienced everything this beautiful passage speaks of – planting new ideas, harvesting them; weeping and laughing; healing and growing. Some have stayed, and some have left. I am so proud of those who stayed and embraced and lived our mission and vision statements. We have drawn to us new people with our energy of love. We created our mission and vision during a weekend workshop led by Reverend Diana Hughes, who came to us at Reverend Steve’s suggestion. This created the foundation for us to move forward to really see what we wanted to create as a church family. Our Building Fund grew to $200,000. We hosted a Leadership Training Weekend with Barbara O’Hearne to help us create enrolled leaders and a new structure of leadership in the church. We began and are still moving more towards a team-empowered ministry and less of a minister-driven ministry. We are well on the way to seeing this come into fullness. We shifted when property values escalated beyond our funds and opened ourselves to the guidance of Spirit. We were led to an incredible possibility, our new church home! I truly appreciate Reverend Steve and several other congregants who held the vision for us of converting a bar into a church. It has been easy to see the hand of God at work in this process. People came together to ready our new home to be usable until we could raise the funds to complete the interior remodel. It was beautiful to watch. And now, at the upcoming Annual Meeting, the Board and Build-Out Committee will present a contractor and bid for your vote so that we can begin to remodel the interior! I thank each of you for your support of me personally as your Board member and President. But more importantly, I thank each of you for your support of the church I love as you do, UCBA. It has been my humble privilege to serve God and you. Sincerely, Youth & Family Ministry It is amazing to me as I listen to our children explain things quite simply that most adults (especially me!) seem to complicate or intellectualize. They accept and understand simple Truth with complete faith and trust. I sometimes catch myself listening to their words and some annoying part of me wants to respond with “Yes, but…” Someone once told me that anytime you use the word ‘but’, you negate all that you said previously. And my mind thinks, “Yes, but….uh-oh…here I go again!” I still have much to learn from our children and they are still patiently teaching me in our classroom. We might think that our younger children don’t understand more adult material, that they do not grasp “mature” things. One of our parents shared a special story with me about a surprising response from their young child. The family saw the movie Evan Almighty. It was a bit late and the child seemed sleepy. The parent wondered just how much attention was paid to the movie. When asked on the way home what they thought of the movie, the sleepy child replied, “A man changed the world because God is magic.” WOW! I love that the response was automatic, without hesitation, from a knowing and understanding that only a child can see through the innocent eyes of God. Do we as adults fully know that God is magic? We have longer and more elaborate ways of describing God – yet this wonderfully simple understanding is quite complete. In more than one of the gospels, Jesus clarifies the same point: Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." ~ Mark 10:27 So when I become confused due to thoughts of lack or limiting beliefs, or when I forget that I AM a beloved, lovable and loving child of God – I will just try to remember that God is magic! If you want the opportunity to learn from our children or have a special story to share about your children, please call me at 281-339-2096 or leave me a message at the church office. Youthful Blessings! TREASURER’S REPORT for AUGUST 2007 General Fund Income $ 19,891.50 Expenses - 22,750.72 Net General Fund Income - 2,859.22 Building Fund Income + 1,495.00 Total Income $ - 1,364.22 Building Fund $ 119,647.00 Unity Church of the Bay Area's tithe for June was $1,850.00. It was blessed and $462.50 each was sent to the Association of Unity Churches and Unity School of Christianity. $462.50 each was sent to Unity Church, Wimberley, TX (Reverend Rudy England) and to Unity Church of Christianity, San Angelo, TX (Reverend Janie Kelley) in support of two sister ministries and their new ministers. May each grow and prosper under their guidance! Your continued financial support allows our church to grow and flourish and carry the message of positive, practical Christianity in the Bay area. Thank you, and thank you God! ***Our annual expenses for insurance all are paid during the month of September. We pay flood and wind in full; property insurance is paid in quarterly installments. Our September financial report will reflect these expenses. REMEMBER, we now post the financials for the previous month on the bulletin board in the Gathering Room for everyone to review.ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGOur Annual Membership Meeting will be held on October 14, 2007 at approximately 12:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary. We will review the past fiscal year and elect two Board members to replace the two who are completing their three-year terms on the Board. This year’s meeting will be especially important, as we will be presenting to the church membership the bid package proposed by Herring Construction for the interior remodel of the church. The Board of Trustees and the Build-Out Committee are in agreement that this proposal is sound and financially affordable. The church membership must vote on all financial matters over $25,000 per our By-Laws. Open discussion will be provided. All are invited to attend the meeting, but only church members may vote on business matters. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. A letter will be sent to all church members prior to the meeting with further information and the list of candidates for the Board of Trustees for your prayerful review. Sincerely, MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Unity Church of the Bay Area is Eleven Years Young! We will be having a special Luncheon Celebration on Sunday, November 4, 2007. It will commemorate our eleven years as a church and be the birthday celebration of our first year in our own church home! Isn’t it the BEST! The Luncheon will be at South Shore Harbour Resort in the scenic Marina Plaza. Plan to arrive by 12:30 p.m. after the last church service, with lunch to be served at 12:45 p.m. Adult luncheons will be priced at $25, with children at $15. Menu options and reservations will be available at church. Plan to join in the festivities!Bayou Wildlife Park On Saturday afternoon, October 20th join the Activities Team at the Bayou Wildlife Park on Hwy.517 in Alvin to take a guided tram tour to see over 400 animals, visit a petting zoo, ride a pony and share a picnic lunch under a covered area. Sign up in the Gathering Room.
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