A message from Unity Canada Board Chair, Rev. Vicki Vanderhorst.
On behalf of the Unity Canada Board, we are delighted to announce that Rhona Segarra, of White Rock B.C. has assumed the position of part-time communications coordinator, effective February 6. We had six strong applicants, all of whom were interviewed by Unity Canada Board members Rev. Roxanne Buckle and Sandy Carriere, L.U.T. The Board is blessed to take what started as an idea by the conference body in Calgary in August, establish an intention at our September strategic planning meeting and see it brought into manifestation!
Rhona brings to the position a strong track record of leadership in business and ministry, providing her with outstanding written and verbal communication skills, and experience across several communications platforms. With over 15 years in Unity, Rhona is passionate about the possibilities that this position can offer towards building a stronger Unity connection and presence in Canada. This spring, she will be applying to enter the ministerial ordination path at Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute. We bless Rhona in this newly created position and look forward to the many connections she will make across the Unity Canada movement and beyond!
Your prayer requests are welcome.
Please submit requests to Rhona: communicate@unity.org
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Hi! I'm Rhona Segarra. I am delighted to be your Unity Canada Communications Coordinator. I am excited at the idea of our Canadian Unity family growing in consciousness, community and connection with each other and with our neighbours.
Our monthly newsletter will feature information and ideas organized under the three Spirit-led pillars which support Unity Canada's mission: educational support, leadership consultancy and communication. This newsletter is open to all of our Unity community: please invite your board members, leadership team and membership to subscribe by signing up at our website: www.unitycanada.org Ideas, feedback and submissions are most welcome. I'm looking forward to this new beginning.
About me...I attend Unity of White Rock, BC. I am also a student in the Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute Ministerial and Religious studies program, (also known as UWSI M&RS program) and will be applying for admission to the ministerial path this spring. I was born in Cape Town, South Africa. Read More
My family moved to Canada in 1977. I am blessed with a wonderful family: an brilliant son David, a wonderful husband Walt, and amazing parents, brothers and sisters.
I enjoy learning more about universal Spiritual principles, the message of unconditional love that Jesus taught and the metaphorical and metaphysical insights that we may learn from scripture.
I believe that our life’s aim is to connect with the energy we call God and live in awareness that we are all expressions of God. We create our life experiences with the power of our thoughts. Let us manage this power well and choose to love ourselves despite our “flaws”, and love each other despite our differences: it is in love and service to ourselves and one another that we honour the precious beauty and joy of life. God is Love; I am Love; I am God in Expression. Life is Good, and I am grateful!
Mark your calendars for the 2017 Unity Canada Conference,
Wednesday October 25- Monday October 30, 2017
at Unity Village,
the 'mecca' of the Unity movement.
Rev. Linda Martella-Whitsettwill be our keynote presenter.
She is the author of the award-winning book
"How to Pray Without Talking to God."
We will have other special guests, tours and activities.
OUR WONDERFUL UNITY CANADA BOARD.
Chair: Rev. Vicki Vanderhorst Vice-Chair: Rev. Roxanne Buckle Secretary: Arlene Boudreau, L.U.T. Treasurer: Rev. Susan Howard Chaplain: Dr. Bill Karr, L.U.T. Member: andy Carriere, L.U.T.
Are you interested in furthering your Spiritual Education? Spiritual Education and Enrichment (SEE) Courses will be offered onsite at Unity Village in May 2017.
Registration is now open for Spring 2017 online SEE courses which run from April 17 - June 11, 2017. The courses are offered through Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute.
Did you know that students who have successfully completed SEE Credit Classes and have received acknowledged written credit from UWSI may submit a form to claim reimbursement of US tuition fee or registration fee differential, where there is an adverse US dollar exchange rate? For more information, please email Rhona Segarra.
REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE Rev. Pat Ball is the "411/911 assistance" equivalent for Canadian ministries. Pat is a resource for guidance and/or support regarding policies and procedures, ministry dynamics, board training and ministry consulting. She can be reached by email at regionalrep@unitycanada.org
IDEAS WORTH SHARING
Unity Centre of Edmonton meets after Sunday Service for a discussion circle
Unity Comox Valley invites congregants to sign up to share a "thought for the day" on Sundays
A church service that ministers can attend! Barbara Marx Hubbard offers free online "Evolutionary Church" service on Saturdays at 11 am CT.
Create a binder that consolidates your "how tos for Sundays", bylaws, contracts, forms etc. in one location.
YOU ASKED...
How long should we keep offering envelopes? (thank you to Rev. Pat Ball for providing the answer)
New Retention Requirements for Church Offering Envelopes
In July 2016 CRA published new guidelines regarding the retention period for church offering envelopes. The primary change in the guidelines requires churches, starting with the 2015 taxation year, to retain offering envelopes for a period of six years following the end of the last taxation year to which the envelope relates. Read More... CRA takes the position that an envelope is not a duplicate receipt but a source document and may be the only source document that can provide evidence that a cash donation was made and support the amounts recorded in a ledger. Where an envelope is used as a source document, which is CRA’s position with respect to cash donations, offering envelopes are to be kept for a period of six years from the end of the last taxation year to which the envelope relates in accordance with s. 230(2) and s. 230(4) of the Income Tax Act.
CRA will continue to allow the electronic retention of offering envelopes so long as the electronic copy is an intelligible reproduction in an “electronically readable” format.
