ISSUE THREE

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Issue Three - December 11 , 2011

Make an Investment in Our Ministry!

The Scriptural verse, “Where there is no vision, people perish,” is a powerful message for all of us. Having a vision is a vital part of experiencing progress and fulfilling our dreams. Unity of Phoenix has created our 10-year vision, Vision 2020, to move our ministry forward by creating the space we need to create greater fellowship and community connection, and to expand our programs and activities for youth, families and adult education.

It would be great if one person wrote a check for the $3 million we need to complete Phase 1 of our Vision 2020 plan! But I feel strongly that what would be even better is if we ALL contributed money to raise that $3 million. This is our ministry. We all create the magic in our ministry. We all help provide the services, and we all help create and contribute to this loving community. We enjoy it together, maintain it together, and are blessed by it together. And I am asking now that we all support “Building Our Dream” together.

I am asking each of you to make an investment in our ministry, in our vision, and in our future. I would like you to prayerfully consider making a commitment of 3-5% of your income each year for the next three years. This is a significant request and, in fact, may be the largest gift you make in your life. I have already made my commitment. Our Board of Trustees has made their commitment. Many congregants, as well, have already given gifts or made their three-year commitment to Building Our Dream.

I believe in our church and our affirming message that “with God all things are possible.” I know God has a plan to prosper our ministry, and I am reaching out to ask for your help and support in taking our ministry to the next level. During your decision-making process, I encourage you to prayerfully consider how much Unity of Phoenix means to you and the difference it has made in your life ... and then seek Spirit's guidance in how you are being called to personally support the vision and future of our ministry. Your gift will have a significant impact on the lives of those we currently serve, as well as the many we will serve in the future. Your gift will be a blessing to you and to our entire community.

Thank you for your support of the “Vision 2020: Building Our Dream” Campaign. And thank you for continuing to pray for the prosperity of our ministry and our Campaign!

With gratitude and blessings,

Commitment Sunday is December 18!

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
about Your Commitment to the Campaign

Question: When should I make my commitment and first payment?
Answer: December 18 is Commitment Sunday. We ask that you bring your commitment envelope to worship services on that day. If you will not be at church on December 18, you can use the envelope provided to mail your commitment card to the church, hand-deliver it to the church office, or drop it in the offertory basket the week before. Official collections for the “Building Our Dream” Campaign will begin on January 1, 2012.

Q: May I give assets instead of cash?
A: Donating appreciated stocks, bonds or property is, indeed, an option. In fact, a gift of assets may help you avoid paying capital gains and get a tax deduction. If you are interested in more information about this option, please contact your tax professional.

Q: How often do I pay on my commitment?
A: How much you give and when you give is up to you. You may pay your three-year commitment weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually or all at once. Your contribution is tax deductible (to the extent allowed by law). Be sure to indicate ”Building Our Dream” Campaign in the memo section of your check when making a payment on your commitment. If you plan to pay on your commitment in cash, be sure to write your name and phone number on the “Building Our Dream” Campaign envelopes available at church. You also have the option to pay by credit card or have your payment drawn directly from your checking account. Please use our Auto-Tithe form to take advantage of this easy, quick and reliable option.

Q: How is my Campaign commitment different from my Sunday offering?
A: Your “Building Our Dream” Campaign commitment is in addition to what you already give to Unity of Phoenix. Both gifts are essential to the life of this ministry: one to keep Unity of Phoenix moving forward, the other to fulfill our dream and vision. Unity of Phoenix is completely sustained by your weekly tithes and giving. These gifts pay for our recurring monthly expenses (i.e., staff salaries, utilities and ministry costs). We cannot deliver the current level of services without your continued commitment to this general fund Your “Building Our Dream” Campaign commitment, on the other hand, will be devoted to the implementation of Vision 2020.

Q: What if I have strong feelings about certain aspects of the Campaign?
A: Our church leadership has worked very hard to listen to the congregation and create a plan that will best serve this ministry. As such, our preference is that you make your donation to the Vision 2020 general development fund, and allow our leadership to decide how the money will be allocated. However, some of you have expressed strong preferences for either debt reduction or building/improving our grounds. In light of this, we are offering an option to personally select your preference, if you are so inclined.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Vision 2020 Plan

Question: Will there be a sign on the corner of Greenway and 16th Street?
Answer: Yes. We are working with a landscape architect to design and entry feature that will include a digital sign that can promote upcoming events and provide inspirational messages.

Q: What if I can’t give much money?
A: We feel that it is important for everyone to be involved in Vision 2020. Every gift will bring us that much closer to fulfilling our dream. Whatever you are able to give will be lovingly accepted, and will make a difference.

Q: Can we have a coffee shop in the courtyard?
A: We are looking into the possibility of this.

Q: Will there be separation between the soccer fields and the sanctuary?
A: Yes. A wall and landscaping will surround the Unity Spiritual Center (all the buildings and grounds used by the church). These will provide an aesthetic means to block traffic noise from Greenway and separate those areas used by the church from the rest of the grounds.
Q: What is going to happen to the bricks that are currently in the courtyard?
A: The bricks will be preserved and incorporated into the design.

Q: Will there be places to sit in the courtyard?
A: Yes. We planning various types of seating to encourage people to come to the campus and enjoy the courtyard not only on Sundays, but throughout the week.

Q: When are we going to begin implementing Phase 1?
A: We will be able to answer this question once we have the commitments from the congregation. Since we are not going to incur further debt for Phase 1, we will need to see how much money we raise and the timeframe in which we will collect it. We will continue to keep you updated as we move through the process. We are hoping to start some of the improvements during the first part of the year.

ISSUE TWO

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Issue Two - November 20, 2011

Access the Power of Prayer with Our December Prayer Events

The “Building Our Dream” Campaign is now in full swing, and the most powerful way to unite our community in this effort is through prayer. As such, we invite each and every one of you to join us for several special Prayer Events on Sunday, December 4 and Sunday, December 11. On those days, we will gather at the site of the proposed Chapel immediately following each morning service to envision this wonderful new building and all the wonderful events that will take place in it.

In addition, each week our Prayer Chaplains gather in the Prayer Garden following each Sunday worship service to lead a brief group prayer for the fulfillment of our Vision. It won’t take more than about five minutes of your time, but it will have a huge impact on helping us to achieve our dream!

We also ask that you spend time daily to hold a strong vision of your own personal success, as well as the success of our Vision 2020 Campaign. Please take time each day to recite the personal and community prayers and the affirmations in the column at the right. As we pray together, we will prosper together!

A Note from Rev. Richard Maraj

The most important goal of the “Vision 2020: Building Our Dream” Campaign is to address our critical need for space. Among the most pressing needs are:
• More room for our growing youth and family ministry;
• More space to accommodate adult education classes; and
• Space for our congregants to gather together in fellowship.

Space issues are currently hampering our ability to serve our family, youth and spiritual community.

Many of our children’s classrooms are filled to their maximum capacity, and we aren’t able to offer all the adult education classes we would like because of a shortage of classroom space. Moreover, we don’t have any “mid-range” classroom space between the 50-person capacity of our largest classroom and the 850-seat Sanctuary.

The only community gathering space we currently have is the Courtyard, which is subject to changing weather conditions. And we do not have a full-service kitchen facility to accommodate potlucks and other food-focused activities.

The proposed Chapel/Multi-Purpose Building and Courtyard improvements will go a long way toward addressing these needs. The new building will greatly expand the space we have available to host classes, group meetings, children’s activities, youth and family gatherings and weddings. It will also provide congregants the ability to connect with one another in a comfortable, air conditioned environment during the warm summer months. An expanded Courtyard area will also enhance fellowship by providing much needed shade and seating for congregants who enjoy gathering together outside.

Please join me in praying for the fulfillment of our dream! In addition, if you haven’t already done so, I warmly invite you to attend an informational dinner. These dinners are an ideal way to find out more about the benefits of our “Vision 2020-Building Our Dream” while getting to know one another better. Click to find a list of all the remaining dinners.

Eye-Catching Entries and a Beautifully Landscaped Campus

We are blessed with 19 acres of property but, because our buildings sit in the middle of the property, they are easy to overlook from the street. Most people who pass our campus on a daily basis notice only the vacant dirt lot, and never even see our sign or buildings. We’re the best kept secret in town!

Our Vision 2020 plan includes building a beautiful, highly-visible entry feature to our campus with a digital sign that will promote daily affirmations and information about our ministry. The “beautification” measures we are proposing will also greatly increase our street appeal, creating welcoming views from both Greenway Parkway and the entrance/exit areas of our parking lot. In addition, our retention area will be transformed into a field where our youth and families can spend more time enjoying fun activities at Unity of Phoenix.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What is included in ‘Phase I’?
Answer: The proposed features of Phase I include:
• An entry feature to our campus;
• Courtyard expansion and improvements;
• Construction of a Chapel/Multi-Purpose Building;
• The creation of a reserve fund for major repairs and the
replacement of large capital items on our current facilities; and
• Restructuring/reducing our current debt.
Question: How much debt do we currently have?
Answer: Unity of Phoenix currently has two mortgage loans totaling $2.225 million. The first — a $1.875 million loan — has a balloon payment due April 2014. The second — a $375,000 loan — has a due date of April 2015. We are working to refinance into a longer-term, fully-amortized loan that we can pay off through regular monthly installments.
Question: Are we going to borrow money to build Phase I?
Answer: No. We are not going to accrue any further debt. The reason for the “Building Our Dream” campaign is to raise enough funds to complete Phase I.
Question: Can I make a donation prior to the end of this year to take advantage of a 2011 tax deduction?
Answer: ABSOLUTELY! Just fill out your commitment card and either include a check or mark clearly on the card that you would like your donation automatically deducted prior to December 31, 2011.
Question: Will the proposed Chapel produce any revenue?
Answer: The primary purpose for building the Chapel is to provide space to meet our congregation’s needs. However, the addition of a Chapel and Courtyard improvements will give us the ability to host outside events (such as weddings and meetings), which could be a potential income source for the church.
Question: Why not build the Sanctuary that was part of the overall plan and use the current Sanctuary for meeting space?
Answer: Given the current economic environment, we felt it was important to create the most cost-effective solution possible to our current space needs. Phase I is a much less expensive option.

ISSUE ONE

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Issue One - Oct. 30, 2011

Why Now?

Now is the time to do this. Over and over again we hear from our congregation that they are longing to make connections. With a congregation this large the most important thing is to give people the opportunity to connect. With our children’s ministry taking up all of the rooms there is no opportunity for the adults to have education on Sundays and there is no room for small groups and prayer groups to meet.

There have been times that we have had to turn away children on Sundays because we don’t have the space to accommodate them. We want to be open to welcome all new children and families into the ministry. Families have been asking us for the opportunity to have family dinners, with no kitchen and no space other than the sanctuary that can hold more than 50 people we are so limited.

Focus on the Chapel/Multi-Use Building

The design of Chapel/Multi-Use Building will give us the space for weddings, memorials that are larger than 50 people and smaller than 350 people. It will have the flexibility to divide into 3 larger classrooms that will hold 100+ people each. That will allow us to have multiple adult education classes going at the same time. It will be our fellowship space in the hot summer months giving relief to the staff and volunteers who work so tirelessly on our behalf. The full service kitchen will allow us to do church wide dinners and to hold wedding receptions, family events, men’s breakfast, women’s groups etc. Overall we feel that this building will solve so many of our current space needs and be the most cost effective way to do it.

A Note from Richard

Thank you to all the people who have attended the dinners so far. I have been having so much fun being able to connect with you and get to know you personally. We have so many wonderful people in this ministry and what a delight to hear about how much each of you love Unity of Phoenix. We have had such great feedback to our Building the Dream campaign and what your hopes and dreams for this ministry are. For those of you have not attended PLEASE sign up for a dinner. It is a perfect way to get to know each other in a casual setting. We are building great momentum and we want everyone to be a part of it!

Q&A

Below are some of the most commonly asked
questions/answers from the dinners.

How many dinners are you having?
We have scheduled 32. We have changed the Sunday evening dinners to luncheons immediately following the 11 am service to make it convenient for people who travel from far away to attend.
Do I have to be invited to dinner?
YOU ARE ALL INVITED – PLEASE SIGN UP IN THE COURTYARD AFTER SERVICE or email katieowilliams@gmail.com with a date that works for you.
What happens at the dinner?
As people arrive we chat and get to know each other. We have pray in and dinner is served. We sit and enjoy dinner and each others company and then the leadership explains in more detail about Vision 2020 Building our Dream and then it is an opportunity for those in attendance to give us feedback about what they think. Very informal and a great way to get to know more people in your Unity Community.
Am I expected to bring money to the dinner?
NO. The host has graciously donated the dinner. You are not asked for money at the dinner but rather to go into prayerful discernment about what your role and contribution should be for Vision 2020.
What is included in Phase I?
Construction of the Chapel, Entry feature/sign on Greenway, Remodeled courtyard, Landscape Improvements around the campus, Contingency Fund for major repairs of Buildings and Restructuring of the current loan.
When do we start?
We will begin construction when the funds are available. Some people have and will opt to give their gift up front, others will make a commitment over the next three years. We will begin once we know that we have the funds to complete each project. We are hoping to have enough up front money to begin construction the first of the year.
What is the cost of the chapel?
Approximately $1.3 million dollars.