Martin Luther King Day, 2001 was the first Sunday gathering for Unity Center for Positive Living in Bend Oregon began. Like many pioneering spiritual centers and churches, we began meeting in the event room of a local Hotel. Yet, beyond that we were quite different from the traditional model of a church, or most organizations for that matter.

Our desire was to create a New Science, or Quantum leadership structure. This began with 3 separate visioning sessions inviting all in the area interested in this venture to come and vision together. In these sessions it was amazing how from 20 minutes of silence, having not discussed ideas at all beforehand, we all same much the same thing. Things like a retreat center where leaders (from parents to politicians) all around the globe would come to find connection. A place where our likenesses were sought and our differences honored. We saw the beauty of our Central Oregon waters, mountains and vast recreational opportunities being used as a healing, opening and awakening journey for all. There was so much in our vision and most of it remains in our vision 6 years later. In the founding visioning we identified 5 pathways to Spiritual Awakening they were: Prayer, Music, Youth, Nature and Spiritual Teachings.

After visioning we were compelled to go forward. Rev. Teri then listed the aspects of her ministry, committed to it, and told us if we wanted anything else we were welcome to create it ourselves. Part of her calling was prayer and a Prayer Council became our governing body.

In 9 months we were in our own home and enjoying the additional room for our youth as well as the end of church in a box. There were so many ideas about what we "should do" at the new location. However, true to new science leadership, "should" never cut it. We had a prayer room because someone was called to create it. Several times mention of a bookstore was forwarded, yet it did not happen until a new member stepped up and said, “I want to do a bookstore" - and a bookstore was created. From the beginning we have followed some rather different guidelines of organizational development. For example:

• We give from passion, enthusiasm, love – not from duty, guilt or should.

• Spirit will lead this center, and we will follow where that takes us.

• We will honor our humanness as we seek enlightenment

• Decisions will come from prayer.

• We say, “yes” to any idea that is in alignment with our vision.

• We will pray with anyone who asks.

• Our minister is for life, if we have a problem we will work it out with her. She will only leave if that is where spirit leads. It will be her choice and we trust her relationship with God in this.

All of these might seem obvious but here is the amazing result of actually living and leading from this place:

• In 6 years we have faced gossip once only. This was early on and it was a blessing. Rev. Teri stayed out of it asking only that each person go to the source. The damaging communication left and we were clear on who we wanted to be.

• The depth of our community is profound. We sought not to count heads on Sunday, but hearts every day.

• Leaders in our community have had the same prayer partners for most of our years of our existence

We have the courage to step away and go to a church without walls because it came from visioning and prayer. That is where we are today. We decided to do services at the Tower Theater once a month downtown over the summer of 2006. That was wonderful in countless ways. Starting September of 2006 we began going to Central Oregon Community College for weekly Sunday services – 10 am. We have a youth program at the same time Rev. Jane Meyers and Rev. Teri now have an office together near downtown in Bend. Jane will be taking over the community building aspect of our center and Teri will rejoin with her passion to write her many books we have been supporting her to write, developing and filming a global prosperity project as well as a spiritual screenplay.

Unity Community has a vision, a purpose, and an exceptionally healthy system. Where we will be with it tomorrow, we know not. What we do know is that we have been following Spirit for 6 years, it has been a wonderful journey and it has only begun. Please know you are welcome to join us in any creative way that comes to your mind. Let there be no boundaries between us – ah the wonder of modern technology.



A true leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus. ~ MLK Jr.