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Membership

2004 By Laws, click here 

2016 Proposed By Laws, click here 

Membership at UKV

We are excited that you are interested in becoming a member of UKV. And we want your membership with us to be a rewarding and meaningful experience!

Unity is sometimes a hard to define thing. Unity was not intended by its founders to be a separate denomination within Christianity, but rather as a educational movement seeking to put "the Jesus Christ principles of love and truth into practice."

Over the years Unity has evolved into something like a denomination, and as buildings, churches, and Unity Centers were established it seemed like a good idea to have a way to determine who would be able to vote in matters pertaining to the good of the local fellowship. 

Many Members of Unity Churches have "dual citizenship," meaning that members may retain membership in their original denomination or faith background. Unity has no creedal statements, nor is there a profession of faith.There is no need to leave or "renounce" your connections with the traditions of your heritage.

Unity respects that each individual is on their own unique journey of spiritual growth and unfolding. Our approach is summed up in the Five Basic Ideas of Unity.



Friends of UKV

Membership at UKV usually starts with someone becoming a regular attender and a Friend. Becoming a Friend simply means that you would like to be on the church mailing list and would like to be more involved in the lif of the church.



The Benefits of Membership?

Being a member at Unity of Kanawha Valley is important to many of us in at least two ways.

First, many people find that becoming a member helps focus them in the direction of deepening their spiritual journey. Unity seems to be especially good at helping us develop a positive image of a loving God, and develop a positive prayer life that supports the development of a deeper consciousness and relationship with the idea of this loving God being within you and accessible to you at all times.

There are several Unity practices which support this.
  • Developing a positive daily prayer life
    (many of us pray using The Daily Word),
  • Developing a positive consciousness about our property and use of money
    (Unity founders practiced tithing as a way to develop a prosperity consciousness),
  • Developing a positive relationship about our health and our bodies
    (Unity founders were tended to practice a reduced meat or vegetarian diet)
  • Developing positive relationships with others
    (developing a Love consciousness, recognizing that we are all One)

Second, it gives us a stake in the the direction of the organization. UKV has an Annual Membership meeting every Spring. At this meeting the membership deals with the bigger issues related to the leadership and property of the Church. The members hear reports from the Board about these issues and discuss and approve the Board's actions. If there is an issue with the property or the minister, these can be discussed and decided. The membership also votes for new Board members (two out of the six board members rotate off every year). Members may seek leadership roles at UKV, such as being on the UKV Board of Trustees.


Membership Application

According to the UKV by-laws, the Board approves all applications for membership. If you would like to become a member, please fill out a membership application and give it to the church secretary. Click here to download




New Member Sundays

New Member Sundays are a big celebration at UKV. Great music, great food afterward. We have two scheduled Sundays each year, the third Sunday of November (the Sunday before Thanksgiving), and on Palm Sunday. Other Sundays for new member receptions also happen as needed!




Listen to a recent New Member Sunday service:
http://unitymp3.nfshost.com/UKV_Unity_Lessons/9.99_UKV_2010-11-21_UKV_new_member_sunday.mp3



Youth Members

Youth members, kids in Jr and Sr High School who are in the Uni-teens' Bible Class can become Youth Members. We like to do this in a special ceremony, a sort of a Unity confirmation / bar mitzvah / coming of age ceremony. This can happen near any birthday between the 13th and 16th years, or later, at the parents and teens choosing. The ceremony happens during our regular Sunday service time, and includes prayers, songs, hymns, scriptures, and a lesson written and designed by the teen and the pastor working together. The service is followed by a celebration reception in the open stage area. Gifts for the teen are encouraged. 



For those who are feeling like membership would be a good thing:

One of the five Unity Principles is that "knowledge of spiritual principles is not enough, we must live them." To this end, I wanted to share with you some ideas on how to make the most of becoming a member of UKV. Please consider

  •  Attending UKV Sunday services on a regular basis
  •  Participating in one of our educational offerings
  •  Participating in one of our service projects
  •  Making a regular financial contribution to UKV
These forms of contribution, whether of Time, Talent, or Treasure for the abundance of what and who we are at UKV.

Our New Member Welcome Ceremonies occur in April and October of each year. If you are interested in becoming a member, I hope you will consider walking the walk with us now, as a way of preparation for your full membership!  Rev. Sky
    
UKV Service Projects are either in-house, by helping to greet or read the Daily Word, helping with Sunday School or child care, offering some sort of creative expression on Sunday (like a song or a poem), or that you get involved in one of our outreach projects.

Members of Unity of Kanawha Valley are those who have a personal stake in the life, mission, and future of our local gathering. Members contribute Time, Talent, Tithes, and Prayer, for the good of the community.