Online registration deadline is September 2, 2024. You can register for selected events or the full conference package here. Please contact us with any questions regarding the 2024 Online Fall Conference!
No refunds after September 25th
Accessing the 2024 Online Conference
After your registration is completed you will receive a notification receipt via email of your purchase. 24-48 hours before the start of the conference, you will begin to receive a series of emails with access links to your sessions. FREE session links will be sent out first and then each day, links for the following day sessions will be sent.
Prayer and meditation are foundational to Unity, and our conference reflects that focus.
3:30 PM
“The Sweetness of Sacred Service”
Facilitated by Janell Renshaw, LUT, Unity Eastern Region Youth Consultant and LUT Consultant
(2 General CEUs)
“Sacred service” goes beyond simple volunteering and involves every aspect of our daily lives. As a spiritual community, we will explore what it means to create an environment that fosters support and fellowship, enabling a greater expression of the Divine and a deeper spiritual journey.
Our session will examine the many aspects of sacred service and how to embody the will of God to serve our Youth & Family Ministries, Congregations, and Communities and to encourage others that serve alongside us. Note: Pic and bio of Janell on our resource page.
Janell Renshaw, LUT
Hello! I am Spirit-led with extensive experience in youth-related environments and progressive skills in the area of Adolescent Behavior. I am professional, grounded and able to implement new functions and practices rapidly without compromising integrity. I am organized and meticulous with the ability to communicate effectively in a wide variety of situations. A quality educator who teaches from the heart with superior interpersonal skills, able to communicate expectations and policies clearly for the youth population, co-workers, and outside agencies. Extensive knowledge and personal experience of Unity principles. Best known for the ability to create instant rapport and understanding with youth and adults, thereby facilitating positive outcomes.
Prayer and meditation are foundational to Unity, and our conference reflects that focus.
10:30 AM
Focus Group for Ministers and Spiritual Leaders
Facilitated by Revs. Cheryl Fare and Cherie Ruffo
(2 General CEUs)
All ministers and spiritual leaders are invited to join us as we come together in person for Fall Conference for the first time in five years. We will take this opportunity to start the conference off reconnecting with one another and then check in on where we find ourselves now and where we want to focus on going. You asked for this opportunity and we want to focus on what you want to focus on.
10:30 AM
Focus Group for LUTs and LUT Candidates
Facilitated by Janell Renshaw, LUT and LUT Consultant
(2 General CEUs)
All Licensed Unity Teachers and candidates are invited to join us as we come together in person for Fall Conference for the first time in five years. Our new LUT Consultant Janell Renshaw wants to meet all of you and check in on where we find ourselves now and where we want to focus on going. This is a unique opportunity to discuss what we want to focus on as a group for our zoom gatherings and more.
REV. CHERIE RUFFO
Reverend Cherie Ruffo is the co-founder and Minister of Unity Radiant Light. Her journey with Unity began when she was 23 at the Unity Church of Honolulu. When she walked in, she felt complete unconditional love and acceptance and knew she was home. She soon found the Unity Ministries to be an open-minded, accepting spiritual community that honors all paths to God.
Leaving Hawaii several years later to return to the mainland, Cherie found herself settled in New England. In 2008, she made the decision to embark on a new career with Unity Worldwide Ministries and co-founded Unity Radiant Light in Providence, Rhode Island.
Cherie’s appetite for learning about spirituality is voracious. She is an ordained Unity Minister and is currently studying at Damanhur in Italy and with Universal Life Tools with Master Teacher, Simone Matthews, and many other schools of thought.
Cherie has a Bachelor’s Degree from Old Dominion University, is an ordained Unity Minister. She lives in Norwich, CT with her husband, Daniel, and three dogs.
Rev. Cheryl Fare
Cheryl Fare is an Ordained Unity Minister, InnerLifeSkills Certified Enneagram Coach, and a Master of Fine Arts. She has established herself as a leader with an artistic and spiritual voice of clarity as a speaker, writer, educator, actor, director, and producer.
As a writer she often focuses on real world topics, commenting on universal challenges as well as intimate, personal insights that give audiences a privileged glimpse of their own innermost virtues, fears and joys. Cheryl’s style is direct, but subtly moving, using a quick wit and a wry sense of humor to shield readers while revealing the essence of life’s most sensitive topics. Cheryl is a leader with a strong voice of reason, encouraging professional and community groups to engage in meaningful collaboration. As a dynamic speaker and educator, her insights provide sparks that expand the field of opportunity for artistic and spiritual discovery.
Cheryl serves on the Board of Directors for Unity Worldwide Ministries Eastern Region, and Free Jambalaya – a production company dedicated to the creation of original works. She is a devoted soccer fan, loving mother, wife and friend.
Hello! I am Spirit-led with extensive experience in youth-related environments and progressive skills in the area of Adolescent Behavior. I am professional, grounded and able to implement new functions and practices rapidly without compromising integrity. I am organized and meticulous with the ability to communicate effectively in a wide variety of situations. A quality educator who teaches from the heart with superior interpersonal skills, able to communicate expectations and policies clearly for the youth population, co-workers, and outside agencies. Extensive knowledge and personal experience of Unity principles. Best known for the ability to create instant rapport and understanding with youth and adults, thereby facilitating positive outcomes.
Facilitated byRevs. Vicki Bunch, Ron Karstetter and Angela Denton
(2 General CEUs)
We come together online as the “home and heart of Presence” with one another to bear witness to the sacred mystery of the soul’s evolution. Through the gift of Presence, holding sacred space, holy listening, and offering deep reflective and open questions, the sole purpose of spiritual direction is to accompany others in deeply aligning with their spiritual identity and their inner guidance.
This experiential session invites us into contemplative practices as tools for inner exploration. During this gathering, we have the opportunity to create harmonious connections as we navigate our personal and collective spiritual journeys.
Rev. Vicki Bunch
Rev. Vicki is co-minister and partner in ministry with her husband, Rev. Richard Bunch. She became ordained through Unity Worldwide Ministries in Lee’s Summit, MO in 2006. She is a spiritual director and instructor in the Unity Spiritual Direction Program. Her primary interest is to support and celebrate each individual’s personal and spiritual development through her messages and activities. She specializes in creative worship arts experiences, spiritual counseling, pastoral care and youth and family involvement.
She has spoken at numerous Unity churches offering workshops on personal growth, healing relationships and women’s issues, as well as trainings in board/team leadership, prayer chaplaincy and women’s spirituality. She has served on the Admissions and Credentials Team for Unity Worldwide Ministries International.
Rev. Ron Karstetter is an ordained Unity Minister, Licensed Unity Teacher, and Spiritual Director.
He currently serves as the Minister of Unity of Lehigh Valley in Emmaus, Pennsylvania; and previously held the position of Associate Minister at Unity of Fairfax in Oakton, Virginia.
He retired from U.S. federal civil service in 2016, to move into ministry full-time, after a career in federal emergency management and Veteran’s healthcare administration.
Rev. Ron is a life-long Truth student, with a passion for teaching Truth Principles and contemplative spiritual practices as tools for personal and organizational transformation.
He has a contemplative leadership style, with a strong background in individual and group spiritual direction, visioning and strategic planning to foster community building and organizational excellence.
Rev. Angela Denton
Angela is the minister of Unity by the Shore (UBTS) in Neptune, NJ and has served as the spiritual leader of UBTS since 2015. Rev. Angela is a compassionate individual who is zealous about spiritual growth and development and has been an active leader in the Unity movement for the past twenty-five years. She has served on the Unity Worldwide Eastern Region Board of Trustees for six years serving for three years as president. Prior to Angela becoming credentialed as a LUT and then a minister, Angela served as a lay leader on the UWM Board of Trustees for two years.
Additionally, Angela has served on the UWM Eastern Region Conference Planning Team for the past 7 years and currently is a student enrolled in UWM’s Spiritual Director Certificate Program. Two years ago, Angela became a certified Quantum Coach through the Quantum Living Training Program created by Drs. Gary and Jane Simmons and Dr. Rima Bonario.
Prior to serving as a minister of UBTS, Angela was a public-school special educator for thirty years. Additionally, for ten years Angela worked to support and empower individuals, couples, and families in private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist. Finally, Angela has a BA in special education, a master’s degree in Psychological Services Behavioral Science and a postgraduate degree and Professional Diploma in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Prayer and meditation are foundational to Unity, and our conference reflects that focus.
10:30 AM
Creating a More Beautiful World
Facilitated by Rev. Stephanie Seigh
(2 General CEUs)
Langston Hughes once wrote, “I am so tired of waiting, aren’t you, for the world to become good and beautiful and kind?”
Join Rev. Stephanie Seigh as we explore together how to create that world, through the creation of the New Beloved Community. While the term has become increasingly common place, it’s origin and impact is anything but “common.” Creating such a community, and such a world, has the power to transform us individually and collectively, or as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. observed, “Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls, as well as a quantitative change in our lives.”
This session will be informative, interactive, inspiring and impactful as we learn together how to be that change we wish to see in the world… a good and beautiful and kind world.
Rev. Stephanie Moyer Seigh
Rev. Stephanie Moyer Seigh, ACE, PCC, is a twice-ordained Minister (Unity and Interfaith) and a Professional Certified Coach. Before coming to Unity of Palmyra, she served several Unity and Interfaith communities, in Gettysburg, Harrisburg, and Allentown, PA; New York City, NY; and Atlanta, Georgia. Rev. Stephanie was the national Director of Peacemaking and Transitional Services for Unity Worldwide Ministries. She was an adjunct faculty member at One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City, and a mentor coach for The Academy for Coaching Excellence. She specializes in personal, organizational, and leadership coaching and consulting, and teaching classes and workshops on a variety of life-affirming topics. Rev. Stephanie lives in Londonderry Township with her husband, Ken, and enjoys making her home beautiful, gardening, hosting friends and family, and spending time with her amazing granddaughters. She loves all things Star Trek and Star Wars and believes in the future Gene Roddenberry predicted decades ago: “Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins to not just tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in lifeforms.”
2:00 PM
Communications Ethics
Facilitated by Rev. Richard A. Pacheco
This session meets and exceed requirements for an ethics credit.
Communications with clear intentions, good boundaries and shared values can completely change the level on which we connect with others! This interactive session will begin with an assessment of where, how and with whom we already communicate, which will then allow us to develop a plan for moving forward. We will assess our hard copy communications; customized and group emails; photo and video and text reach outs; facebook, instagram and other social media, up to and including the ethical use of AI. This session will help provide a template for making decisions and allocating resources to move us forward in our personal and ministry journeys through communications ethics.
Rev. Richard Pacheco
Rev. Richard Pacheco was born and raised in NYC for most of his life. After 911, he moved to New Jersey. During his time in New Jersey, he was introduced to a home business that began his personal development and self-improvement journey. After a challenge he experienced during an operation, he realized how fleeting life could be and wanted to be the best he can be. The event turned into a journey of self-discovery, and a spiritual calling began. Listening to an audio lesson by Randy Gage, he was introduced to Unity. He found the next calling in his journey and has become an ordained minister in the Unity Worldwide Ministries. During his eight years of study, he had also looked at how he can serve others. He became a reiki master teacher, Certified teenage meditation teacher, ho’opono’pono practitioner and sound healing certified. Knowing the many people who helped him, he wanted to reach others and became certified as a master life coach and a certified spiritual coach. His vision is to help others find and stay on their journey while continuing on his. He lives with his wife and four children in Martinsburg, WV.
Due to the copyright of the film and the sensitive nature of the sharing in this session, it will not be recorded and will only be available live on Zoom.
“Traces of the Trade”
A Voyage of Realization and Reconciliation
Movie, BYO Popcorn and Discussion Experience
Facilitated by Constance and Dain Perry
This session meets and exceed requirements for an inclusivity / diversity credit.
Please join us for this very special opportunity to watch “Traces of the Trade” movie and have a discussion on reconciliation, race and healing.
“By creating an atmosphere of safety and openness, the Perry’s cut through the fears (of judgment, of giving offense, of being misunderstood) that often inhibit discussions of race.”
Traces of the Trade
A Voyage of Realization and Reconciliation
A documentary film that unearths a hidden legacy of slavery in America. Traces of the Trade: A Story From The Deep North was one of the few documentaries chosen from 953 submissions to be shown at the Sundance Film Festival. It traces a journey by Katrina Browne, the filmmaker, and nine of her cousins into the dark past of the slave trade which enriched their white New England family.
Dain Perry, one of the nine cousins, and his wife, Constance, screen the film and facilitate a conversation on race, reconciliation and healing. Traces of the Trade is both a geographical and psychological retracing of the industry of the largest slave traders in American history, the DeWolf family of Bristol, Rhode Island, and an exploration into racism in America, a legacy of slavery that continues to tragically impact the country even today.
For generations the family’s past has been hidden from view, but a group of descendants decided to retrace the Triangle Trade, from Bristol, Rhode Island, to Ghana, where they visited centuries old slave forts and dungeons and talked with African-Americans on their own homecoming pilgrimage, to the ruins of a family-owned sugar cane plantation in Cuba. Each encounter on their journey leaves family members shaken with new insights. Along the way many myths are debunked and new questions pondered. A primary debunked myth is that the North was the center of the abolition movement and had little to do with slavery. The fact is that the North was the center of the US slave trade, and the ownership of slaves in the North was not only common but it lasted for over 200 years.
The film was shown on the PBS series Point of View (POV), won the Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Film, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for historical research.
It was greeted with excellent reviews. Variety called it “a courageous scab-ripper of a tale.” The Black Notes blog of the Providence Black Repertory Company praised the “complicated moral circumstances” and concluded, “it is a must-see.” Sundance’s Geoffrey Gilmore said the film “makes a potent statement about privilege and responsibility.” In a review Kirk Honeywell, of the Hollywood Reporter, said, the “clear-headed film represents an intense and searing call for national dialogue.”
Dain and his wife Constance are experienced facilitators who will help audience members discuss the lessons of the film. They have conducted over 500 screenings and facilitated conversations in over 200 cities and towns across the country, and overseas in Ghana and Australia. One family member said the most surprising question was whether Constance, who is a descendant of enslaved people, knew about Dain’s family history before she married him. The answer: yes. Now she and her husband travel across the country as a team to screen the film and encourage group discussion of the legacy of slavery.
Dain Perry says the Episcopal Church shares responsibility for the perpetuation of the slave trade by condoning slavery while it was the dominant denomination in early America. The family has a long connection with the church. At least three descendants of the DeWolf’s were Episcopal bishops, and James DeWolf Perry, Dain’s grandfather, was Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the 1930’s, and many more have been Episcopal priests. The Anti-Racism Committee of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church has endorsed the work of the Perrys.
It is a “deeply moving story, amazingly told,” the Episcopal Bishop of Utah, Carolyn Tanner Irish, has said. “This film opens a door to an authentic way for people of faith — indeed everyone — to walk in repentance, reconciliation, and healing of the horrors of slavery so deeply embedded in our culture and in our souls.”
ABOUT CONSTANCE PERRY
Constance Perry grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. For more than twenty years, she managed, designed and implemented programs for at-risk youth and adults at the municipal, state and national level. Constance was a self-employed national consultant for twelve years specializing in training, facilitation and on-site consultation services to community organizations. She and her husband Dain travel the country screening Traces of the Trade and facilitating conversations on racial reconciliation.
ABOUT DAIN PERRY
Dain Perry grew up in Charleston, SC. He and his wife Constance travel the country screening Traces of the Trade and facilitating conversations on racial reconciliation. Dain served 30 years in the financial services industry in Boston. Previously he served as deputy director of the Massachusetts Council on Crime and Correction and Acting Director of the Crime and Justice Foundation, non-profit organizations which promoted reform in the criminal justice system.
Viewer Testimonials
“Dain and Constance brought the discourse to a gut level, while at the same time affirming everyone’s reactions as perfectly and equally valid.”
“Many people came with fear that we were just going to stir up guilt and deal with this issue on a superficial level and discovered that it moved the conversation deeper and helped people get in touch with each other’s stories and became a healing, liberating experience.”
“Programs like yesterday’s give me hope that the racial divide will lessen.”
“In an environment free of blame and shame, those in attendance deeply listened and honored the experience of others and that produced subtle but remarkable shifts in awareness of the pain experienced by people on both sides of the racial divide.”
“When I got up and talked about my experience with racism it really helped. I had never talked about the situation with anyone, not even my family.”
“The film was wonderful and I so respect the participants’ courage and honesty. I’ve received very positive feedback about both the film and your facilitation.”
“The folks…talked about how important the screenings of the film were for them, and how that changed hearts in the way that traditional “training” could not. What a blessing.”
“The way you got us focused on talking about racism in our country in today’s world rather than comments and questions on the events from the past was brilliant, for, after all, that is the point of what you are doing.”
“I was particularly struck by how skillfully you helped create a safe space for people to speak. I also noticed how you keep conversation going, while still taking moments to insert your own observations from time to time, but without derailing the energy within the group.”
“Leadership like yours gives people permission to be honest, to risk vulnerability, to venture less-than-perfect responses …”
Prayer and meditation are foundational to Unity, and our conference reflects that focus.
10:30 AM
Unity Eastern Region Annual Business Meeting
Presented for a Love Offering
The annual business meeting is the opportunity to elect new board members, discuss finances and future efforts of the Unity Eastern Region.
Join us for the opportunity to vote for board members, hear about our events and services from our consultants and more. See information about voting delegates from the excerpt of the UWMER Bylaws below.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP 1.
Categories of Membership:
a. Individual Members are:
1) Any ordained or licensed Minister in good standing with Unity Worldwide Ministries, who lives or is employed in the geographical area designated by Unity Worldwide Ministries as the Eastern Region.
2) Any Licensed Unity Teacher in good standing with Unity Worldwide Ministries, who is serving a Unity Ministry or sponsored by a Unity Minister in good standing, in the geographical area designated by Unity Worldwide Ministries as the Eastern Region. Inactive Licensed Unity Teachers are welcome as non-voting members of the Eastern Region.
3) Any Spiritual Leader of an active Unity Ministry authorized by and in good standing with Unity Worldwide Ministries.
b. Organizational Members are any Ministry authorized by and in good standing with Unity Worldwide Ministries.
2. Voting at any Annual or Special meeting:
a. Every individual Member of UWMER shall have one vote.
b. Up to Two (2) lay delegates selected by the Board of Trustees of each Member Ministry shall have a vote.
c. Member Ministries shall be limited to a total of five (5) votes including the Minister(s) and Licensed Unity Teacher(s) in good standing in the Ministry. When the potential for more than five votes exists, the Member Ministry’s Board of Trustees will determine who the voting delegates are.
NOTE: Lay delegates must provide a letter on ministry letterhead and signed by Minister or Board President no later than September 20, 2024.
2:00 PM
Annual Unity Share Meeting
Presented for a Love Offering
The Annual Unity Share Meeting is offered to provide an opportunity for all of us to be informed about the progress and plans of UWM, UWHqs, UUMS and more.
Following are some recommended guidelines for participants in online Zoom meetings:
If you have not used Zoom before.
Download the Zoom app or check out zoom.us prior to the day of the meeting to familiarize yourself with any features you may need to use during the meeting sessions.
Limit distractions.
Find a quiet place to meet, silence personal devices, avoid multi-tasking and side conversations. Commit to the meeting and stay focused.
More light is better.
Position yourself so that most of the light is coming from in front of you (behind the monitor). An extra lamp nearby is usually helpful. Avoid backlight from bright lights or windows. Being backlit makes you harder to see.
Stage your video area.
If possible, have a plain background. Keep in mind that people are not just seeing you; they are also seeing whatever the camera is pointed at behind you.
Your Zoom links will be sent to you for each day the day before. Please keep track of your links for each day and plan to log on 10 minutes early.
Do your own tech support before the session starts. Be aware of your audio and video settings and test them. Zoom has a feature that lets you test your settings before the session starts: Just go zoom.us/test.
Address internet disruptions.
Due to increased residential bandwidth these days, you may experience buffering or skipping. If this occurs, perhaps consider using the computer to access video, while simultaneously dialing in by phone for audio.
Position your camera properly; and try to look into the camera.
If you choose to use a web camera, be sure it is in a stable position and focused at eye level, if possible. Position yourself so the camera is seeing you from the chest up, instead of just seeing your face. This is more natural for the viewer.
Practice speaking to the camera.
Instead of looking at yourself or others on the screen, speak to the camera. This gives the audience a sense that you are talking directly to them. Use the video option when it is enabled by the Zoom monitors.
Because we start our sessions with prayer and music, both your audio and video may be disenabled when you sign on. It will be turned on and off by the Zoom monitors at the presenters request. If during a time the video and audio are turned on and you have noise or other distractions, you can mute your microphone and turn off your video. To mute yourself, select the microphone icon in the lower left corner of the Zoom call. When the icon has a slash through, it is muted. To unmute yourself when you need to speak, select the microphone icon.
If you would like to speak.
Raise your hand (or use the “Raise Hand” of Chat function), as instructed by the session presenters.
Be an active participant.
Ask/post only session related questions and comments in the chat.
The host should be the last one to leave the Zoom session.
IF YOU HAVE TECHNICAL ISSUES PRIOR TO THE START OF A SESSION PLEASE CALL MATT DENTON AT 732-766-3755
IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS PRIOR TO THE START OF A SESSION PLEASE CALL APRIL MAY AT 443-854-5398
IF YOU HAVE TECHNICAL ISSUES WITHIN THE SESSIONS PLEASE SEND A PRIVATE CHAT MESSAGE TO MATT DENTON OUR ZOOM TECH.
IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS WITHIN THE SESSIONS PLEASE SEND APRIL MAY A PRIVATE CHAT MESSAGE.
We hope you enjoyed the 2024 In-Person Fall Conference, and ask that you complete the following feedback form to help us understand your experience and improve upon the format for 2025.
Complete the Feedback Form and Learn How to Submit Your CEUs
Once you’ve completed the form below, you’ll receive an email with a link to the downloadable version of the conference program as well as an explanation of how UWM handles CEUs.
