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Home UMMAS Directory:
Annual Retreat
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Minister Resources
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Board Training & Networking Attention: all Board members & ministers in the UMMAS sub-region! This is an excellent opportunity for "infilling", inspiration, ideas, and networking with other Board members in our sub-region. David Ezell and Richard Burdick will host a conference for Music Directors and music leaders in an adjacent breakout room during these same times. Music Directors and music leaders are encouraged to attend.
Unity Church of Raleigh 2008 Keynote Speaker: Rev. Dr. Gary Simmons ~ "Integral Leadership and Church Growth Strategies Seminar: Creating Thriving, Coherent, and Integral Ministries" Agenda for Board Members & Ministers:
Rev. Dr. Gary Simmons, Th.D., is director of integral operations for the Association of Unity Churches International. He is author of Unity's best seller The I of the Storm: Embracing Conflict, Creating Peace, now in its eighth printing, and numerous articles and papers on the subject of peacemaking, church growth, and creating healthy ministries. Integral Leadership is about modeling a way of relating to opportunities and challenges of ministry that inspire other to take up meaningful roles in the life of the church. Church growth is less about increasing numbers, but is about increasing ownership, raising consciousness, growing energy, and creating a culture of peacemaking. These shifts in our traditional concepts of church leadership and growth make healthy and energetic ministry possible. This seminar draws upon Spiral Dynamics, a holistic "all quadrant/all level" understanding of church ministry and Ken Wilbur's work in integral psychology. The Music Workshops
The Music Presenters Richard Burdick has served as musical director for some of the most dynamic and growing churches in the New Thought movement. Before moving south he was with the Spiritual Life Center in Sacramento, CA. At "SLC" Richard was a founding minister, the director of music and drama ministry and helped build that church to as many as 800 people on a Sunday. Under his direction the 100 voice SLC choir was twice voted the best church choir in Sacramento by Sacramento magazine. Through the efforts of the music team the Sacramento News and Review elected "SLC" the best place to hear church music. Before founding SLC, Richard served as Music Director for the Living Enrichment Center in Wilsonville, Oregon. In his six years with "LEC" Richard also created a choir of over 100 voices and a dynamic team of musicians/singers that ministered with spirit and passion to a congregation of over 1500 every week. Richard has served several Religious Science churches as music director. In each case the music ministries thrived under his leadership and a strong sense of community was built. Richard also received extensive metaphysical training while in these churches. It was this training that led him to make the decision to apply to ministerial school. Through the New Seminary, Richard was ordained as an Interfaith minister in 2004. He continues his studies through the Unity School of Christianity and plans to eventually be ordained as a Unity Minister. Richard moved to the Atlanta area to be near family and is now the Youth Minister at Unity North Atlanta in Marietta, GA. David Ezell has worked in churches and schools since 1966 to help everyday people enrich their lives by making music. In 1990 he became music director of Christ Unity of Columbia (SC), and has developed a music program that reflects the diversity of the congregation and encourages all in the church to be involved. He is a composer and arranger, and a member of the Music Ministry Team for the Association of Unity Churches International. During his 24 years as a church musician he has played a dozen different keyboard, string and woodwind instruments for services. His music has been distributed through the Sound Connections online newsletter, published by the Association, and his “Plenty of Time” is included in Seeds of Light songbook available from the Association. Unity ministers he has worked with include Rev. Lisa Thorpe and Rev. Mary Ann Finch. Later this year David plans to launch heartwindmusic.com, where anyone interested in New Thought can download audio tracks, as well as sheet music appropriate for services. Through 2006 Mr. Ezell directed instrumental groups in the schools of South Carolina. Highlights of that career include development of orchestra programs in urban communities of Columbia and Charleston, and at Benedict College. He has twice conducted high school orchestras at Carnegie Hall, and has presented student ensembles in Canada, the Bahamas, Germany and Austria. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a Master’s in Composition. Hotel information: A block of 40 rooms are being held for you and your church leaders at the Hampton Inn & Suites RDU Brier Creek, 8021 Arco Corporate Drive, Raleigh, NC 27617. The Group Code is UNI. $89 per night group rate - Reservations made by June 30th get this rate!
To make reservations, please call: (919) 484-0500 or 1-800-HAMPTON or click the link below.
Make your reservation with your minister, so that he/she can make the hotel reservations for your church. (If your church is currently without leadership, contact the host church for details.) Usually Board members will carpool together on Friday afternoon, having dinner together in the host city. Directions to Hotel:
Directions To Unity Church of
Raleigh:
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About the Board Training & Networking events: You can expect to learn about yourself, about your role in your church, and how other churches do things. You will meet ministers, licensed teachers, and Board members from many other churches, and have an opportunity to interact and network with them. Past keynote speakers have included: Barbara O'Hearne, Michael Wilkinson, Rev. Gary Simmons, Dr. Charles Arn, Rev. Carole O'Connell, Rev. Rene Pare, and others. Please plan your travel time so that you can check in to your hotel and be on time for the meetings which begin on Friday about 7pm. We meet again on Saturday morning after breakfast, break for lunch at the host church, and meet in the afternoon until 4pm. The host church & location changes, but is chosen from churches that are central to the UMMAS subregion. This event has been hosted at Charlotte NC, Atlanta GA, Fletcher (Asheville) NC, and Raleigh NC. Financial matters: This valuable resource is provided to you and to your church by UMMAS (funded by your church's tithes, and offerings at Retreat). UMMAS pays for the guest speaker/workshop leader for the event and lunch for all participants on Saturday (catered & served at the host church). A Love Offering will be taken at the event. Frequently your home church will pay for your (shared) motel room (which usually includes a complimentary breakfast). Information about a local motel will be sent by the host church. Most participants pay for their own dinner on Friday. |
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