We have had many changes occur at Center of Unity in the past year. The transition of two ministers, staff cuts & payroll decreases, rewriting of the church's Bylaws, and an ongoing search for a new shepherd. We've had longtime members and friends leave us. Not many places would weather one or two of these things happening simultaneously; most would suc-cumb and go under. But not us. Not our family. Not our church home. Center of Unity is more than it's Board of Directors, it's more than it's members, it's something so much bigger than any one person. We are each our own indivisiblized aspect of God, recognizing the great I AM in each other. What power there is in that! It is a power that is mov-ing among us all, calling each of us to Christ up and be the best we can be during this struggle. This is not a time of change, this is a time of transformation.

And transformation is not easy nor is it without pain. But it is our next step to take. Imagine the caterpillar as it changes into a butterfly. Do you think that is without pain? I cannot imagine the pain that must occur within that chrysalis. But transform it must, and the world is a different place because of it. Trans-form we will and our world will be different and better In so many ways we can not yet imagine. During this Holiday Season when dreams and magic collide, I challenge you to dream your biggest dream for Center of Unity. Then take that first step to mani-fest that dream. It is your next step to take. Let's step out on faith and take that step with one anoth-er. I AM, Kenny Green, Board of Directors Treasurer

COU.FYI free of judgment, full of love

CANDLE LIGHTING SERVICE Invite your friends and family

More details inside

DECEMBER 2019

“DECEMBER, BEING THE LAST MONTH OF THE YEAR, CANNOT HELP BUT MAKE US THINK OF WHAT IS TO COME.” ― FENNEL HUDSON, A MEANINGFUL LIFE

Staff

Mary Salerno, Administrator

Amber Holland, Media/YE Director

Kenny Green, Volunteer/Facilities/ Event Coordinator

Bob Snook, Pianist

Keith Bailey, Youth Ed

Brigitte Hughes, Nursery

Volunteer Staff

Shari Pratt, Audio/Visual Technician

David Wilhite, Visual Technician

Board of Directors

Mark Morris, President

Debby Holt, Vice President

Dr. Juneria Berges, Secretary

Kenny Green, Treasurer

Jeff Holland, Member

Harry Lantvit, Member

Corked. Lay Speakers. Guest speakers. Talent. Creativity. Abundance. Music. Song. Choir. Youth Ed growing. Minister candidates. Potluck. First Sunday Lunch. Volunteers. Spiritual Education Council (SEC). Bylaws. Work-shops. Classes. Budget approval. Outreach. Board. Staff. Care Team. Book club. Abundance. Mission, Vision, Core Values. Visitors. Congregants. A/V. Teachers. All the people. All the activities. All that we’ve accomplished; what’s mentioned here, and more. We’ve not only survived, we’ve flourished, and we can’t wait to see what 2020 brings! With deep gratitude and heartfelt wishes for a happy holiday season,

The Staff

FROM THE BOARD

FROM THE STAFF

Get in the Christmas Spirit by joining Corked at the Gaylord in Grapevine, 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine. We will carpool from church to save on parking. Meet in back parking lot behind COU following the 10:30 service. Sign up at Info Center or online by Dec. 4. We will first dine at the Riverwalk Cantina. Bring a wrapped gift for a gift exchange. After-wards you may just want to take in all the Christmas décor, visit Santa or see the Ice dis-play.

Sunday, December 8 11:30 am

CORKED

A Group for Couples and Single Adults At Gaylord Texan

Sunday, December 01

Rev. Pat Moore “The Symbols of Christmas”

Sunday, December 08

GiGi Johnson “The Gift of You”

Sunday, December 15

Wing & A Prayer Chorale presents “JOY!”

A Gospel Christmas Celebration

Sunday, December 22

Rick Weaver “Born this Day”

Sunday, December 29

Sharon Crowder “Creating the Future”

10:30 AM

(weather permitting) Join us as we pick the Book Club books we will read in 2020.

THE BOOK CLUB

DEC. 14 | 10:30

BURNING

BOWL

Tuesday, December 31 | 11:00 am

This ceremony offers a sacred and powerful way to release nega-tivity and make space for new beginnings. Perfect before inten-tions are set for the New Year. For centuries, indigenous groups used smoke as a symbol of their thoughts and prayers rising to the Great Spirit. The purpose of the ceremony is to shift your consciousness. It’s about becoming still, naming what you want to release, and letting it go. When we let go and let God, we experience freedom. Letting go opens us to the power of inspiration, insight, wisdom, and love.

CONTACT KENNY AT COUKENNY@GMAIL.COM TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP!

JOY! A GOSPEL CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

Composed & Arranged by Joel Raney

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15 10:30 AM

The Wing and a Prayer Chorale: Nick Bell, Audrey Brake, Paul Caraway, Elizabeth France, Tom Hardy, Debby Holt, Becky Johnson, Harry Ledbetter, Madeline Losito, Carol Ramsey,

Dwayne Taylor, Paula Thornton, Stephen Thornton, Pam Vardaman and Carolyn Wieland

Accompanist: Bob Snook

Director: Juneria Berges, Ed.D.

D e c e m b e r 2 4 • 1 1 a m

Invite your friends and family to join us for this beautiful and inspiring ceremony. A ceremony that speaks to the way Christ’s light shines through each of us, illuminating the world around us. Each one of us is a keeper of the “Light.” Jesus said, “Let your light shine.” Each one of us is given a light to keep and to illumi-nate our world. You are a radiating center of the Christ Light. Your triumphant Spirit is a contagious influence for good; it is the greatest gift you can share with the world. Come and be swept away by the joy of the Season, and celebrate the birth of the Christ Child this Christmas Eve. Children will participate with the adults in the sanctuary. Text, call or invite a friend to join you

for our next service or class.

It’s always better when we explore and grow together.

Facilitated by: Sharon Crowder, LCSW Come and feel supported in a non-judgmental environment where you can share your story,

feel supported, and glean coping skills to use on your journey.

PAGE 4

Sunday, January 12, 2020 11:30 am

This is a time when we can get together, review where we’ve been, look at where we’re going, and vote on new Board members. Your attendance is requested, and even if you’re not a voting member you’re encouraged to attend. It’s a great way to get to know us! Childcare will be provided. See you at the Annual Meeting.

2020 board of director candidates

We are grateful to announce that we received applications from 3 members expressing a desire to serve on the Board of Directors. The nominating commit-tee, Harry Lantvit, Mark Morris, Bill Parks and N J Pyles, recently conducted in-terviews and have determined that all 3 are well qualified and each would bring a valuable perspective and contribution to the board. The congregation will vote at the annual meeting on January 12, 2020. Please give this some thought and prayer and be prepared to vote for 2 candidates of your choosing. The 3 candidates are outlined below in alphabetical order.

Sharon has been a member since 1986. She has vol-unteered in many capacities. She is a Licensed Clini-cal Social Worker and is experienced in public speak-ing. She spent the last 10 years of her career with the Veterans Administration assisting and implement-ing organizational change. Sharon describes herself as a “people person”. Sharon and Wes have a vaca-tion home in New Mexico where they spend the sum-mers. Sharon has experience in “telecommuting” and working remotely. She is confident that she could participate in meetings and serve effectively at all times.

meet sharon crowder

All of the candidates believe that this is an important time in the history of our church as we select a new minister and move forward as a congregation. The current board is thankful for their willingness to serve and ask our members to give all serious consideration. They all attend regularly. If you haven’t met them or have questions for them please take time over the next few weeks to

Maddie has been a member since 2008. She has volunteered in many capacities and is a constant presence in classes and activities. Her passions in-clude the choir and Care Team. She recently accept-ed the role of Co-Coordinator for the Care Team. She listed her strengths as being adept at perceiving needs and offering insight and ideas.

meet madeline losito

Craig has been a member since 2015. Craig has vol-unteered in several areas, particularly rewarding is leading and assisting Yoga and Meditation. Craig has HOA board experience and experience in developing and growing sales and distribution networks. He feels that his business and board experience will be valua-ble in helping our ministry move forward.

meet craig reyenga

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

YOUTH ED: Christian Anderson 13 Ryan Earll 21 Natalie Salter 23 Claudia Valle 30

ADULTS: Mike Record 06 Faye Craig 09 Caitlin Byerly 11 Kristin Kaser 11 Noelle Salter 15 Cole Hickey 19 Brian Urban 20 Dawn Morris 21 Carol Ramsey 21 Paul Caraway 22 Judy Grossman 23 David Gosse 24 Mark Williams 29 Lee Spradlin 30 Andrew Drinkard 31

Brian & Virginia Urban 20 Allan & Helen Werst 27 George & Jennifer Ross 29 Glenn & Pat Moore 31

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Celebrate

Our office will be closed from Monday, December 23 through Thursday, January 2, reopening on Monday, January 6. We wish you and your family a joyous holiday.

BOX BUILDING TEAM | 11:15 AM - 1:15 PM

Come help us pack 500,000 meals for children in Haiti. We need YOU to make this happen! Compass Church in Colleyville is hosting a Meal Marathon event, and we've signed up to help! WOW, what an impact we can have when we all work together - 500,000 meals! BOX BUILDING TEAM: Join our team to build boxes during our shift. LOCATION: Compass Center | 4201 Pool Rd, Colleyville AGE REQUIREMENT: This job is reserved for individuals ages 16 and older as we will be using box cutters. ATTIRE: Wear comfortable clothes and closed toe shoes. Come to Compass Center with as little as possible (water bottle and snack). There is NO storage for purses and bags. There are more positions needing to be filled - if you're interested in doing more, https://mycompasschurch.com/default.aspx?page=4076&event=7490

M E A L M A R AT H O N 2 019

S A T U R D A Y , D E C E M B E R 7 T H

COME PACK 500,000 MEALS FOR CHILDREN IN HAITI

Each member will receive a membership reverification card in the mail no later than the week of December 9th. These cards must be returned to the church office no later than December 22nd in order to be added to the 2020 membership roll. For your convenience, we’ll also have reverification tables set in Fellowship Hall on Sundays, December 15th and December 22nd. Please be sure to com-plete your card so that you can continue to receive the benefits of membership and vote at the annual meeting on February 9th.

• TREE OF LIFE • Fall is here and Christmas is right around the corner! A plaque on the Tree of Life is a permanent reminder of those we love, and there couldn’t be a better time to buy one now that the season of

gift-giving and expressing thanks

is at hand. There are a number of ways to pay, so be sure to talk with us to discuss what you are thinking. And bonus! There’s a 20% off sale through the end of the year! CARE TEAM PRAYER LINE | 817-251-2341

Please welcome your new Care Team coordinators, Madeline (Maddy) Losi-to and Charlotte Winton. Charlotte and Maddy are long-time members of the Care Team and have agreed to take over all the coordinating. A big thank you to these two lovely women! It is our privilege to support you through prayer, visits and whatever is need-ed by those who attend our church. We are so thankful for you in our lives and we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

• Enter the amount you want to give & hit send.

• Click the link to enter your credit card info.

• Click “Process” and your payment will process. 817-606-8768

PAGE 6

Make sure your kiddos join us for this very special Christmas curriculum! We will explore what the movie, “The Polar Express,” can teach us about life. Every Sunday in December, we will watch a movie clip, discuss it and then have a creative activity that anchors the learning.

This is a great opportunity to introduce your friends and neighbors to our church. After all, who wouldn’t love to watch “The Polar Express” and look at it in a new way? We will serve hot chocolate while we watch the movie clip.

Sundays in December | 10:30 am

Now you can read letters from Santa’s mailroom and answer the ones he can’t. Adopt one today and make a holiday wish come true.

The Finance Committee presented a balanced budget for 2020 to the board in October. After review, a vote was taken at the November meeting to approved and the budget passed. We thank everyone involved for the diligence in putting together this budget, and we thank all of you for providing the means to support it. We thank you for all you’ve done that has enabled us to pro-vide the very best programs and speakers for our spiritual fami-ly. We know 2020 will bring even greater good to our church, along with new and exciting classes and programs. We wish you a holiday season filled with love, joy, peace, and abundance!

I CAN STILL SHINE

Annual Christmas Party December 14 | 10am - 1pm

at Birdville Baptist Church | 3141 Carson St, Haltom City

We still need 8-10 volunteers to help with the kids activities. If you want to volunteer please call 817-616-3500 or email brendajackson11@aol.com We still have a few kids ages 0-12 that have not been adopted. If you would like to buy gifts for a child, or even a family, please let me know. We would like to give the gifts out by Dec 16. We also still need Gift Cards for the older kids (13-17) from Target or Walmart in $25.00 increments.

for all you do to help us, you are a huge blessing to us!

BALANCED BUDGET

READ

Look through letters and

adopt ones you love.

SHOP

Pick the per-fect gift, keep

it anonymous - it’s from Santa

after all!

WRAP

Wrap your gifts and bring them

to the YOU’ers by December 15.

SHIP

Include a shipping pay-

ment with your gift

MORE INFO WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER DEC. 4

Oct. General Fund

Income: $17,292 Expenses: ($21,532)

Total: ($4,240)

YTD General Fund

Income: $212,908 Expenses: $255,363

Total: ($42,455)

God is the Source of Center of Unity. We are lavishly prospered in all ways. Thank you, God!

Center of Unity 1650 Hughes Road, P.O. Box 667 Grapevine, TX 76051 www.centerofunity.org

Our Mission Statement: We inspire spiritual growth through prayer, education, and sacred service.

Our Vision: Centered in God, we envision a world free of judgment and filled with love.

CORE VALUE AND DEFINITION BEHAVIORS

CORE VALUE: SPIRIT-LED

DEFINITION:

We are open to guidance from Spirit and seek it in all that we do.

1. We follow the guidance gained through prayer and meditation

2.We form small, spiritual groups based on Unity principles and teaching.

CORE VALUE: SERVICE

DEFINITION:

We lovingly serve our spiritual community and the community at large

1. Our spiritual community fosters a culture that seeks, identifies, and meets the needs of others.

2. We participate in service projects

CORE VALUE: INCLUSIVE

DEFINITION:

We embrace the unique and diverse experiences of everyone

1. We promote a sense of acceptance for all who enter here by exhibiting a welcoming and non- judg-mental environment. 2. We invite spiritual leaders of other traditions to speak to us about their faiths.

CORE VALUE: JOY

DEFINITION:

We express deep and abiding feelings of peace and delight, acknowledging the Christ in each of us.

1. We promote and instill connection to our higher beliefs through spiritual teachings 2. We offer healing services throughout the year.

CORE VALUE: PROSPEROUS

DEFINITION:

This church receives and accepts abundance in all forms, including friendship, financial good, and pros-perity

1. We affirm our abundance in all we do 2. We offer a minimum of one prosperity class per year. 3. We support existing and new creative and social groups such as Artists Play and Corked.

In October, we completed a visioning workshop with Rev. Toni Boehm during which we developed our new mission, vision, and core values. A team was formed to define our core values, and to identify behaviors that support not only the values, but our mission and vision as well. Here is the end result of the work done by our entire congregation. Thanks to everyone for your part in this. It’s so good to see us pulling together as a close, spiritual family, taking the steps that lead us to our greater good! Mission of Center of Unity We inspire spiritual growth through prayer, education, and sacred service. Vision of Center of Unity Centered in God, we envision a world free of judgment and filled with love.

MISSION, VISION, CORE VALUES

Sunday, December 29 11:30 am

What goes up must come down. Many hands make for light work, so please plan to stay after church and help put away the Christmas decorations. Sign up at the Info Center.

Schedule of Events

DECEMBER 2019

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 8:30 am: Choir Practice 9:30 - 11:30 am: Communion 9:45 am: Adult Sunday School 10:30 am: Rev. Pat Moore 11:30 am: Bylaws Meeting 11:30 am: Christmas Decorating & Lunch

2 3 4 5 3:00 pm Grief Support Group

6 Office Closed

7 11:15 am - 1:15 pm Meal Marathon Box Building

8 8:30 am: Choir Practice 9:30 - 11:30 am: Communion 9:45 am: Adult Sunday School 10:30 am: “The Gift of You” with GiGi Johnson 11:30 am: Corked at Gaylord

9

10 11:30 am Metaphysical Bible Study

6:30 pm Centering Prayer

11 12 3:00 pm Grief Support Group

13 Office Closed

14 10:00 am - 1:00 pm I Can Still Shine Annual Christmas Party 10:30 am The Book Club

15 8:30 am: Choir Practice 9:30 - 11:30 am: Communion 9:45 am: Adult Sunday School 10:30 am: Wing & A Prayer Chorale Cantata Operation Santa gifts are due today!

16 17 11:30 am Metaphysical Bible Study 6:30 pm Centering Prayer

18 19 3:00 pm Grief Support Group

20 Office Closed

21

22 8:30 am: Choir Practice 9:30 - 11:30 am: Communion 9:45 am: Adult Sunday School 10:30 am: “Born this Day” with Rick Weaver

23 24 11:00 am Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

25 Office Closed Merry Christmas

26 Office Closed

27 Office Closed

28

29 Spam Sunday 8:30 am: Choir Practice 9:30 - 11:30 am: Communion 9:45 am: Adult Sunday School 10:30 am: “Creating the Future” with Sharon Crowder 11:30 am: Take Down Christmas Decorations

30

Office Closed

31 11:00 am Burning Bowl NO CLASS Metaphysical Bible Study 6:30 pm Centering Prayer