IMPORTANT UNITY UPDATE

To our beloved Unity community and friends:
 
In the interest of the safety of our congregation, starting this Sunday, January 16, 2022, we will be returning to livestream-only services until further notice. Please continue to join us for our Sunday services online on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/unityofthevalley (you don’t have to be a Facebook member).

Below is the new Board policy, approved on January 12, 2022:

“Unity of the Valley will temporarily suspend our regular in-person Sunday Services due to the Omicron surge currently sweeping through Lane County. Between our Shared Leadership and Team, this policy will be reviewed every two weeks in order to assess the best time and approach to resuming in-person services.”

We thank you for your patience, understanding, and support as we continue to move through these challenging times together.

If you have any questions about this, please contact
Jon West at jwest97405@gmail.com or Board President, Serenee Smith at sereneeheart@yahoo.com.

With blessings and love,

Your Unity Board of Trustees

Other links and news are posted after the message. Last Sunday’s (1/9/22)  service can be watched at  https://www.facebook.com/unityofthevalley/videos/january-9-sunday-service/1069734783875978/.

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SOME GRATITUDE AND SOME HUMOR
A message from Rev. Sherry Lady

Sometimes things come to me that I can’t resist sharing. Even if heard or read before, they bring something to the now moment. These two things were sent to me last week and sharing them with you brings a smile to the heart. Hope you feel it, too.

Gratitude – A blessing for each of you. (From a traditional 15th century Celtic blessing.)

May the blessing of light be upon you, light on the outside and on the inside.

May your heart glow with warmth like a home fire that welcomes friends and strangers.

May the Light of God shine from your eyes like a candle in the window that welcomes a weary traveler.

May the blessing of God’s soft rain be on you, falling gently on your head, refreshing your soul.

May the strength of the winds of heaven bless you, carrying rain to wash your spirit clean, sparkling after, in the sunlight.

May the blessing of the earth be on you and as you walk the roads, may you always hear a kind word from those you meet as you greet in kind.

May you understand the strength and power of God in the thunderstorm, in the quiet beauty of creation and the calm of a summer sunset.

May you come to realize that insignificant as you may feel in this great universe, YOU ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CREATOR’S PLAN.

May God watch over you and keep you safe.

Humor – (Found in various publications. No author mentioned)

In the Christian tradition, the acronym WWJD has stood for: “What would Jesus do.” However, some folks have decided it could also stand for “What would Jesus drive?” This made me laugh and smile about the latter. At least that’s how I feel about it all (and there is certainly plenty of “all” going around).

One theory is that Jesus would tool around in an old Plymouth because the Bible says God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden in a Fury.

But in Psalm 83 the Almighty clearly owns a Pontiac and a Geo. The passage urges the Lord to “pursue your enemies with your Tempest and terrify them with your Storm.”

Perhaps God favors pickups, because Moses followers were warned not to go up a mountain “until the ram’s horn sounded a long blast.”

Some scholars insist that Jesus drove a Honda but didn’t like to talk about it. As proof they cite a verse in St. John’s gospel where Jesus tells the crowd, “For I did not speak of my own Accord…”

Meanwhile Moses rode an old British motorcycle, as evidence by a Bible passage declaring that “the roar of Moses’ Triumph is heard in the hills.”

Joshua drove a Triumph sports car with a hole in the muffler: “Joshua’s Triumph was heard throughout the land.”

And following the Master’s lead, the Apostles carpooled in a Honda. “The Apostles were in one Accord.”

So there you have it. The word according to the modern-day translation of scriptures by practical people. Folks like you and me, trying to find ways to apply spiritual principles to all the changes going on in our lives. Changes for which we sometimes feel less than well equipped. Yet we choose not to give up. We choose to continue to do what needs to be done by us, and to find the Joy, Laughter and Love anywhere we can as folks who care about this life, each other, and the world in which we all live.

Wherever you are today and whatever you are doing, re-read the Blessings part above and know they were meant for you, and continue to shine your Light. Then find something humorous to read or listen to every day. And share it with a friend.

Flying on the wings of my Mercury. 

Love,
Sherry

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THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 16

10:30 a.m. Livestream Service – Jon West will lead us in an exploration of some time-tested ways to get our inner motor running in “Time’s A-Wastin’! Simple Steps to Self-Motivation."

NEXT SUNDAY, JANUARY 23

10:30 a.m. Livestream Service – Rev. Inge Tarantola will share how we can use our imagination and ingenuity to take our lives to the next level of fulfillment in “Expand Your Horizons Wherever You are!"

UNITY GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP FORMING

A second Unity Grief Support Group co-facilitated by Rev. Inge Tarantola and Nancy Morrow is currently being formed for those who would like to participate. (Date and time to be determined.) It is a safe place to share feelings and experience positive change. The loss can be recent or unresolved from years past. Meetings will be held via Zoom for now. Confidentiality observed. For more information, contact Rev. Inge Tarantola at 541-968-5540 or ingetar@pacinfo.com.

YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRY NEWS

Uniteens (grades 6-8) meet on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. . For more information and to make arrangements for virtual attendance, please contact Doris Hicks at dlhlibrary@aol.com or telephone (no texts) 458-205-8570, or Alice Sparks (call or text) 971-254-7564.  There will be no live attendace due to Omnicron surge. (See message at top of page).

Youth of Unity, aka Y.O.U. (grades 9-12) regular program is currently on hiatus until further notice. Teens are welcome to email Pam Gutierrez directly to set up time for prayer support, spiritual direction, or to let her know that you would like to have a class. Pam can be reached at totalharmonyayurveda@gmail.com.

To find out what’s happening with our Unity Community, check out our January Bulletin at http://unityofthevalley.org/pdfs/January2022.pdf.

Unity of the Valley’s Simple Giving Program is an easy, automatic means by which you can give gifts or tithes to the church in the amount you specify at the frequency you select. To sign up and for more information, click http://www.unityofthevalley.org/pdfs/simplegivingform.pdf.
If you have any questions, contact our Administrator, Géna, at 541-345-9913, ext. 11.

UNITY COMMUNITY CONNECTION VIA ZOOM

WEDNESDAYS (2:00-3:00 p.m.) - Community Connect moderated by Rev. Dick Everts. This is a one hour, drop in, chatting session for discussing topics of spiritual interest, personal growth, etc. There is a new topic each Wednesday. To take part, send an email request to Rev. Dick at richard.everts@comcast.net.

SACRED WEDNESDAY MORNING YOGA with Donna O’Neil (10:00-11:15 a.m.) – Level 1 mindful yoga practices for strength, balance, and flexibility. Classes are on Zoom. For cost and more details, go to https://yogawithdonna.com/classes-and-schedule. Contact Donna at yogawithdonna@gmail.com or text to 541-632-0105. Let her know you are coming at least 15 minutes before the start of class so you can get the Zoom link. 

SATURDAYS (9:45 a.m.) - Spiritual Kundalini Meditation & Triple-Gong-Relaxation. Sign up for a "First Class Free" Live on Zoom with Sunny & Vicky Hills, at https://www.sunnyhillsmeditation.com or watch several free full-length class videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQzQzujz_jdq0dnkaypT3g

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Your Prayer Team is Here for You!
Do you have a prayer request? Email Rev. Inge Tarantola your name and prayer request at ingetar@pacinfo.com.

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Unity’s Christmas Singalong video can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/unityofthevalley/videos/unitys-christmas-singalong-2021/1292699857820934.  

Unity of the Valley’s Music Releases can be found at
https://www.facebook.com/unityofthevalley/videos/368369060857899/.

Our final "Connecting from the Heart" video can be viewed at
https://www.facebook.com/unityofthevalley/videos/794071654589784 .

We also post Unity videos, when possible, at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqUL3d7-JjO_45Bo3vLfrWQ/videos

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OUR SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT FUND
The Unity Board has approved the creation of Our Spiritual Community Support Fund. This fund was inspired by a Unity member who offered her government stimulus funds to assist individuals in our spiritual community who need it most. 

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY

 Send a check to Unity of the Valley, 3912 Dillard Rd., Eugene, OR 97405 with a note designating if it’s for OSCSF or general Unity finances.

Send a donation through PayPal using the yellow DONATE button below.

This can be a one-time donation, repeated as often as you wish for different amounts, or a monthly recurring donation for a set amount. Make sure you designate whether you want your donation to be applied to OSCSF or to general Unity finances.

Send an email to unityval@riousa.com stating that you wish to pledge a certain amount, possibly from your government stimulus check to the OSCSF or to general Unity finances. Give your phone number so Géna can contact you to arrange how and when you wish to donate.

 You can write a letter stating you wish to join our Simple Giving Fund to contribute a set amount (state the amount) on a regular basis (state how often) with your bank account routing and account number. Just designate what portion should be used for OSCSF or general Unity finances. Géna, our Office Administrator, opens all our mail in private. So, it is safe to include your account information in a letter, but not in an email.

IF YOU NEED MONETARY ASSISTANCE
To request monetary help, you can write a letter or an email (unityval@riousa.com) directed to the Ministerial Team. Please include the following information:
1. Your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address.
2. Your association with Unity of the Valley.
3. Name of reference at Unity of the Valley (someone who knows you).
4. Brief description of your financial need.
5. How much you are requesting.
6. Do you think your financial needs will require monthly support? 

Requests for monetary help will be reviewed by our Ministerial Team. If a request is approved, the amount granted will be dependent on how many requests we receive and how much money is available in the OSCSF.

Thank you all for being an integral part of our loving and supportive community.

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