There are times when I am at a loss as to what to write that will capture your attention; however, today isn’t one of those times. I have so much to tell you and I know you will be as excited as I am.
The first thing I want to say is that twelve years ago this week I accepted the position of temporary minister at Unity Center for Spiritual Growth. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I have had. I continue to be excited to grow and offer opportunities for you to grow with me. This community became my home in September of 1989 and then I left for ministerial training and other opportunities until August 1, 2011.
On Sunday we held a community meeting that was very well attended. We covered a lot of territory for which both the board and I are very grateful for the response. I will be sharing much of what was on the agenda.
We discussed the decision to pause the children’s program and will reinstitute as the need warrants. We are also releasing the Kids’ Kottage. It has some deterioration as a result of lack of use and without a children’s program it doesn’t warrant us putting resources in to make the repairs.
There was a request to bring back the 9:30 a.m. Sunday meditation, and I am in conversation with Jack Seery to take on the facilitation of Sunday morning leaders… so stay tuned.
We had a great discussion about the relevance of our message, especially for younger folks. We have held the space for a younger population without much success. We had energy from the group to form a task team to get clear messaging out via social media and other platforms. The group will be reporting back to the Board of Trustees, and you will hear the next steps.
If you had been to the labyrinth in the last month or so, you would have been hard pressed to see the path, as it was overrun with weeds. We hired to get it weeded and operational once again. Now to keep it from getting away from us going forward, the suggestion was made to adopt a portion of the labyrinth by either weeding a section on a regular basis or paying monthly for a section to be weeded. This would be through the rest of the summer and early fall. If you would be interested in either option, please let me know. We will leave the dollar amount up to you, knowing that we will be generously given what is needed to keep our property looking beautiful.
Now a drumroll, please! As I mentioned earlier, I have been associated with this community for many years. I was on the board when we bought this building and I remember the gravel parking lot. I remember mud season and the ruts we would need to get smoothed out. I was so happy when sometime in the mid 90s it got paved. We have not done any maintenance since then and quite honestly it looks tired, as well as having cracks and grass growing up. We are now hoping with your help to get it repaired and restriped with parking spaces.
Great news! Thanks to the IRS program called Employee Retention Credit, businesses and churches received a refund for employee taxes paid during COVID. We’ve received the money, and it has been immensely helpful in catching up from a deficit we were carrying. As a result, we can now contribute half of the money needed for the driveway project, which costs $11,100.
From our finances, we can put in $5,550.00, and we’d love your support for the remaining balance. You can purchase parking spaces for $66 each, and we’ll have a total of 84 parking spaces. You can contribute here by specifying your donation for the parking lot or by providing cash or check.
Our goal is to have the parking lot complete and fully paid for by October 1. We believe that together, as a team, we can achieve more, and your contribution will make a significant difference. Thank you for your support in making this project a reality!
I normally share from my talk; however, I invite you, if you haven’t already watched it, to do so here.
Next week is Myrtle Fillmore’s birthday, so we will be celebrating her. Julie Thompson will be with us as well.
Have a wonder-filled week.
You are a blessing in my life,
Rev. Patricia Bessey
Labyrinths are ancient geometric figures. One leaves one’s worries and stress at the entrance and walks meditatively to the middle. As one walks to the center she/he becomes centered within her/himself, calmer, and more grounded. 
