To “Imagine Unity! 2014,” we participated in a process of renewal called “Appreciative Inquiry.” A.I. is based on the idea that by being positive, by acknowledging The Unity Center’s past successes and by focusing on its present strengths, we can bring about change. As Truth students, we know that what we focus on becomes our reality.

 

Ruby Greene, a member of Unity’s Board of Trustees and an organizational expert and consultant, led us through the four-part process. The first phase of A.I. was “Discovery,” where, by pairing up and interviewing one another, we learned what had brought each of us to Unity and identified what keeps us coming back. We then drew up a list of common appreciative themes, what Ruby called The Center’s “best practices.”

We began the “Dream Phase” with a guided meditation. Ruby encouraged us to “see,” in our mind’s eye, a clear and distinct picture of The Center in 2014. She urged us to “claim” our vision, and encouraged us to “feel” what The Center will be like. Feelings, as we know, are essential to demonstrating dreams. From our individual visions we created a list of shared visions and strategies for The Center in 2014. 

 

The “Design Phase” was the crucial phase, according to Ruby. The one where we “put rubber to the road.” We took the list of shared visions and strategies created in the previous session and grouped them into themes, then identified the three most important to The Center’s identity. They were: our Sunday “Worth-ship” Service, our Prayer Ministry, and Small Group Ministries. (The last was created to serve the Truth needs and interests of the whole Unity Community: children and adolescents, young adults, single parents and families.) For these three themes we wrote “Action Plans.” These included “provocative propositions,” which are like “mission statements,” and bridge the gap between how we see The Center now, and our vision of it in 2014.

 

In the “Destiny Phase” each of us picked one of the three themes to focus on more fully. Working in teams, we fine-tuned our “provocative propositions.” We jotted down the specific steps and strategies and listed the actions needed to achieve them. We, then, divided the steps into those that we can undertake immediately and those that require more preparation or resources. As the session ended, each of us identified a key goal and committed to taking a concrete action that will bring our shared vision of Unity 2014 one step closer.

 

The A.I. process is over. But the real work of making “Imagine Unity! 2014” a reality remains. We invite everyone to participate in demonstrating that vision. There are many ways to participate in The Center’s renewal process: Join a team. Take part in the re-design of our Sunday “Worth-ship” Service. Help grow and develop our Prayer Ministry program. Get involved in the newly created Small Group Ministries.

 

Or instead of joining a team, perhaps you have special skills, talents, or areas of expertise that could serve our vision for The Center in some other way. Let us know.

 

If you have questions, suggestions, or want to be part of this exciting, on-going process, email us at: