Unity grew out of the ancient mystical premise that God is Spirit and is present within all life. No matter what our differences might be, everyone can communicate directly with Spirit and receive guidance, comfort, and inspiration.
For this reason, Unity was originally conceived not as a separate religion or denomination in the traditional sense, but as a philosophy — a way of life that people could apply to daily living as a support to their own religious beliefs.
Many people, however, were so captivated by the Unity teachings that they wanted to become part of a spiritual community — to attend classes and services, and experience the personal connection that a community of faith provides. As a result, the Unity movement developed, and today Unity churches and spiritual centers exist throughout the world! Unity promotes the oneness of all life, the goodness of all creation, and a personal commitment to positive and uplifting thoughts, words, and actions.
Unity is a spiritual path that teaches the power of prayer and meditation, the creative nature of thought, and our infinite capacity to create a life that we love. We are inclusive, practical and values-driven.
Unity honors the universal truths in all religions and respects each individual’s right to choose a spiritual path.
God
God is Spirit, the loving source of all that is. God is the one power, all good, everywhere present, all wisdom. God is divine energy, continually creating, expressing and sustaining all creation. In God, we live and move and have our being. In Unity, some other ways we speak of God are Life, Light, Love, Substance, Principle, Law, and Universal Mind.
The Nature of Humankind
We are each individual, eternal expressions of God. Our essential nature is divine and therefore inherently good. Our purpose is to express our divine potential as realized and demonstrated by Jesus and other master teachers. The more we awaken to our divine nature, the more fully God expresses in and through our lives.
The Bible
Unity co-founders, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, studied the Bible as history and allegory, and interpreted it as a metaphysical representation of humankind’s evolutionary journey toward spiritual awakening. In addition, Unity recognizes that the Bible is a complex collection of writings compiled over many centuries. We honor the writings as reflecting the understanding and inspiration of the writers at the time they were written. The Bible continues to be a valuable spiritual resource for us.
Our Teachings
Unity teaches that each person is a unique expression of God created with sacred worth. Living from that awareness transforms our lives and the world.
Unity emphasizes the creative power of thought in our life experience. We refer to this as the Law of Mind Action. When we take personal responsibility to choose life affirming thoughts, words and actions, we experience a more fulfilling and abundant life.
Unity emphasizes the importance of applying spiritual principles in our daily lives.
Unity teachings continue to evolve as we identify, embrace and apply spiritual insights and the spiritual implications of new discoveries.
In this touching interview, first aired on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday show, Maya Angelou discusses her experience with her Unity church and the idea in Lessons in Truth, a classic Unity text, that changed her life.Prayer and Meditation
Affirmative prayer is the highest form of creative thought. It includes the release of counterproductive, negative thoughts as well as holding in mind statements of spiritual truth. Through meditation, we experience the presence of God. Prayer and meditation heighten our awareness and thereby transform our lives.
Youth and Family Ministry
Unity recognizes that there are many expressions of family life. All are welcome. Unity creates an affirming environment that fosters positive self image, personal responsibility and unconditional love and acceptance.
Unity:
• Beholds all children as whole and perfect expressions of God
• Empowers children to fulfill their divine potential
• Teaches children to meditate and pray
• Invites children to experience a loving God
Unity provides a strong spiritual foundation for children’s lives.
Spiritual Action
In Unity, we feel a sacred responsibility, individually and collectively, to make a positive difference through personal example and active service in our churches, our communities and our world.
Honoring Diversity Within The Unity Movement
We recognize and honor the Divine within as the one common denominator that we share on our human journey.
The living heart of Unity understands and manifests its support of this Divinity by recognizing there is inherent good in all people. Unity Worldwide Ministries, its members and affiliates, welcome with love all people in every form of God’s creation, regardless of how that creation presents itself.
It is the intent that Unity organizations are inclusive and non-discriminatory. We honor all components that contribute to the diversity of community. We affirm and support Unity principles and programs that manifest diversity in our teachings, policies, buildings, and within our communities.
We are resolute in walking the course of human rights and social justice for all.
Statement for Peace
Unity stands for peace in the presence of conflict; for love in the presence of hatred; for forgiveness in the presence of injury. Unity honors the many names for God, the many paths to God, the many ways to worship God; for there is only one power and presence of God and that God loves each one of us equally. It is, therefore, the position of Unity to urge all nations, their leaders, and their people to turn to God by whatever the name for guidance during these challenging times and pursue peace, not war, for this is what honors the God of all our faith traditions. Unity stands for peace in our lifetime.
Unity Worldwide Ministries
Vision – Centered in God, we co-create a world that works for all.
Mission – We create and support vibrant, diverse spiritual leaders and communities that foster transformation and inspire people to make a positive difference in our world.
Core Values – are the foundation of the organization and vital for it to be successful; the organization’s ideals; non-negotiable; fundamental for organizational coherence.
Spirit Led – We are centered in God. Spirit leads our thoughts and actions as we co-create a world that works for all.
Integrity – We act from a place of wholeness and are ethical in all our actions. We keep our word.
Diversity – We believe that all people are created with sacred worth. We promote greater understanding among people in a spirit of unity.
Transformation – We are a dynamic movement on the cutting edge of spiritual evolution. We teach universal spiritual principles that change lives.
Abundance – Living in the infinite flow of God’s good, we draw from God’s inexhaustible supply and wisely use our rich resources to serve the world.
Unity Worldwide Ministries • PO Box 610 • Lees Summit MO 64063 Off 816.524.7414 • Fax 816.525.4020 • www.unity.org
