Seminary Sunday
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What a joy and honor to be the first church in our movement to celebrate Seminary Sunday and I look forward to repeating it next year. We were blessed to have own seminary students to provide the leadership for our Sunday morning services on June 27.
Attached is the questionnaire that Unity Institute asked me (Rev. Pat) to provide and I wanted to share this with our congregation.
1. Please provide a brief background about your church.
Unity Christ Church of Golden Valley just recently celebrated 90 years as a New Thought Church. It was founded in 1919 by Mrs. Lila Rainey who served as the spiritual leader/ minister for 40 years. Because of growth, the congregation moved several times before settling in Golden Valley. It moved into its current building on New Years Eve of 1974. And ten years later under the direction of Rev. Donald W. Clark, Unity Christ Church dedicated a new 320 seat auditorium.
Unity Christ Church is considered the “Mother Church,” of Minnesota, and was instrumental in seeding, or assisting other satellite congregations, such as Unity South, Unity of St. Paul, Unity of Rochester, Unity of St. Cloud, Unity of Eau Claire, WI, Unity East and Unity North.
With an average attendance of 350 beautiful souls, we continue to manifest our mission: We are an inclusive and welcoming spiritual community, transforming lives as we celebrate, honor and affirm the divine presence in every person.
2. What led you to enter the ministry, and how long have you been a Unity Minister?
I came in Unity through a 12 step program. I had experienced a spiritual awaking because of a 12 program, and the principles of both, meshed together, as my spiritual awakening and spiritual growth continued. I answered the call to ministry because of this awakening. I was ordained with the wonderful class of 1994, sixteen years ago, and have served in field ministry churches since that time.
3. What are some of the most surprising, challenging and rewarding aspects of ministry for you?
I think one of the most surprising aspects of ministry was to discover first hand how many hurting, wounded people there are, and my willingness to be a presence to that pain and hurt.
The most challenging aspects have been to learn to deal with the variety of personalities within a ministry, and to continue to set clear boundaries for myself. For me ministry is a way of life, and not just a job. It can be all consuming if you allow it to. Because of my love for this work, I have to use extreme self care, so that I may continue being a presence in my ministry.
My most rewarding aspects are my own personal growth, and seeing lives transformed by our teachings. And I love the diverse skill set that is required for ministry. Before coming into ministry I spent 19 years in the retail industry which was fast and exciting. Ministry is the same for me.
4. Why did you decide to participate in Seminary Sunday?
I wanted to participate for several reasons, but the main reason was to begin the educational process for our congregation concerning Unity Institute. Of course I want our church to assist in the financial support of the Institute. And my experience has been that when a program such as Seminary Sunday, begins in a church it becomes a process of educating and enrolling our congregation to participate. This cannot be a one time thing for our community, but in order for it to be successful, I believe that it must be repeated on an annual basis. I also believe that if we want our congregations to support the Institute that we the ministers and other leaders must visibly support the Institute with their financial gifts as well.
5. What was the reaction/feedback from the congregation?
I received positive feedback from the entire service. Ray Nelson and Shawna Todd did the service. Ray and Shawna are both students in the Institute and both are from our community. Also the video clip was worked into the service and the congregation appreciated the educational piece. We had a special table set up for contributions to the Institute and Ray and Shawna were there to answer any questions about the program. Ray was the first candidate to enter Unity Seminary within the last 20 years from Unity Christ Church, and this has been so exciting our congregation and then when Shawna was called and accepted into the Seminary it was a double blessing.
6. What would you say to people who may be considering entering the ministry?
To quote a friend of mine, “Be sure that you are called to ministry. This work is much too hard, unless you have been called to do it. “ And the second piece: Just be you. No one can ever do ministry the way you do.
7. Do you have comments to share with Unity Institute?
Yes, a big thank you to the staff and everyone connected to the Institute. Thank you too for attracting younger students, and for continuing to look at the best ways to serve our churches / centers and the entire Unity Movement.
8. Is there anything I did not ask that needs to be included in the feature?
I love the requirement for the candidates of doing an internship within the churches. Thank you.
Special Services
Although we know that our Sunday and Wednesday services are always special, we also know that there are other services that you may require. That's why we offer a wide range of customized services! We offer special services for weddings, christenings, and memorials.
Unity Christ Church is an inclusive and welcoming spiritual community, transforming lives as we celebrate, honor, and affirm the divine presence in every person - regardless of your affiliation with our church or any other. That said, for congregants who are actively involved with the ministry of Unity Christ Church, we offer a 15% discount off any ceremony package. Active congregants may include official members as well as non-members. Please contact the church office for details about our discount requirements.