Schedule of Activities for
Monday, October 6th
10:00 AM
Conference Opening Session
Revolutionary Leadership
Facilitated by Eastern Region Planning Team Members, Eastern Region Board Members and Musicians Rev. Valorie Kay Gunsch and Rev. Amy Steinberg
(2 General CEUs)
Extended Prayer and Meditation with Conference Co-Chaplains Rebecca Bean, LUT
(Interfaith Minister) and Chris Kraus, LUT
Please join us as we invite in the energy of the conference and create the container for all that is to follow during our time together. We will be drumming, moving, affirming and visualizing Revolutionary Leadership in our communities and our world.
AFTERNOON
2:00 PM
Leadership Focus Groups
Facilitated by Eastern Region Planning Team Members, Eastern Region Board Members and Musicians Rev. Valorie Kay Gunsch and Rev. Amy Steinberg
(2 General CEUs)
Leadership Focus Groups will focus on what Revolutionary Leadership looks like and feels like individually and collectively. In this session we will utilize inspirational videos, discussion and small group work to create intentional visions and goals.
EVENING
6:00 PM
Emotional Coherence in Volatile Times
Facilitated by Rev. Michele Synegal (CSL)
(2 General CEUs)
As spiritual leaders, your calling extends beyond guiding others — it’s about inspiring profound change and igniting the collective spirit of transformation. Today, emotional intelligence (EI) is the vital tool that can elevate your leadership to revolutionary heights.
By harnessing your emotional intelligence (EI), you can deepen your empathy, understand the heartfelt needs of your community, and build authentic connections rooted in trust and compassion. This power enables you to communicate your vision with clarity and conviction, inspiring others to embrace change and co-create a more harmonious world.
Self-awareness and self-regulation enable you to remain resilient in the face of challenges, maintaining a steady and calming presence that grounds your followers during times of uncertainty. Strong emotional insight empowers you to resolve conflicts constructively, fostering unity and collective strength.
Embrace Emotional Intelligence as a cornerstone of your leadership journey. Let it be the catalyst for revolutionary change, transforming not only your community but also inspiring a ripple effect that elevates consciousness worldwide.
Join the movement. Lead with heart. Transform the world.
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a vital aspect of revolutionary leadership because it enables leaders to connect deeply with their followers, foster trust, and navigate complex social dynamics. Specifically, EI enhances revolutionary leadership in the following ways:
- Empathy and Understanding: Revolutionary leaders often challenge existing systems, which can create fear and resistance. EI helps leaders understand the emotional experiences of their followers, allowing them to address concerns empathetically and build a coalition of support.
- Effective Communication: Leaders with high emotional intelligence (EI) are adept at conveying their vision passionately and transparently, inspiring others to embrace change and feel motivated to participate in transformative movements.
- Self-awareness and Self-regulation: Such leaders can manage their own emotions, maintain resilience under pressure, and avoid reactive decisions that could undermine their movements.
- Building Trust and Loyalty: EI fosters authentic relationships, which are crucial in rallying individuals around a shared revolutionary purpose and sustaining momentum.
- Conflict Resolution: High Emotional Intelligence (EI) enables leaders to navigate conflicts constructively, turning disagreements into opportunities for growth or clarification, thereby maintaining unity within revolutionary efforts.
Overall, Emotional Intelligence equips revolutionary leaders to connect emotionally with their followers, inspire devotion, and adapt to the unpredictable challenges inherent in radical change initiatives.
Rev. Michele K. Synegal
Rev. Michele is the Senior Minister at the Temple of Light Center for Spiritual Living (CSL) in Kingston, Jamaica. Ordained in 2012, she served as senior Minister at Spiritual Empowerment Center, Baltimore, MD for ten years (2006-2016). She is serving a third term on the CSL Ministers’ Council (2024-2027). Michele completed four years as the Chair of CSL’s Diversity Inclusion Commission ending her term in 2020. Her greatest accomplishment while there was introducing monthly webinars on full-spectrum diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion issues. She continues her social justice ministry through her company, Management Dynamics, Inc., an award-winning JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) consulting firm bringing light to the world for over 40 years. She is the published author of two inspirational books Inspiration in Small Doses and Widows Speak: A Guide to Healing, Living and Thriving After the Loss of a Loved One. She has been a regular speaker at CSL Laurel, Further Aglow Center for Spiritual Awareness, Florida, Center for Spiritual Living Greater Baltimore, Unity of Baltimore, and Unity Center of Light, Bowie, MD. for many years. She has also been a Unity Eastern Region conference presenter. Ministry is a challenging labor of love, and credential leaders need to be valued, appreciated and supported. Serving her collegues is an honor and a privilege. Her purpose is to create emotionally and psychologically safe spaces for all spiritual leaders to be revitalized, supported, heard , loved and feel a sense of belonging.
Rev. Valorie Kay Gunsch
Valorie Kay Gunsch is an ordained Unity Minister serving as Senior Minister at Unity of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. Once a musician, always a musician, she shares her voice and original songs with her ministry and beyond. She has been a traveling and virtual guest speaker and musician for over 20 years and has been a part of Unity since the late 90’s. She loves facilitating others in connecting with the sacred through ceremonies, drum, flute and chanting.
She has served on the boards of the Eastern Region and the Unity Urban Ministerial School Alumni Association, and she teaches online at the Urban Ministerial School. She is currently serving on the board of Unity of the Heartmind. She is passionate about Unitive Justice for reconciliation and peacemaking in ministry and in the justice system. Her number one passion is assisting in awakening souls to their Divinity and living a life of peace, wholeness and prosperity.
Rev. Amy Steinberg
Amy Steinberg is a powerhouse of creativity and inspiration, blending spirituality, music, and art in everything she does! As a newly minted New Thought minister, she shares her unique, uplifting message through soul-stirring performances, vibrant paintings, and empowering talks. A multi-talented singer-songwriter, artist, and performing artist, Amy’s work is infused with humor, heart, and a deep passion for connecting people to their highest potential. Whether she’s on stage with her piano, splashing paint on a canvas, or delivering a sermon, Amy lights up the room with her infectious energy and radiant joy, making her a true creative force to be reckoned with! Currently, Amy is based in Asheville, North Carolina, and has 12 independent CDs of dynamic, New Thought pop music.
