Labor Day Weekend: A Fresh Start for Community Education

Labor Day this year provided Unificationist communities with a long weekend, perfect for holding creative programs to gather and share in education. Here are a few highlights from around the nation that could spark ideas for educational events you’d like to start in your local area this season:

Unification Thought in New Jersey

On September 5 and September 12, Unificationists in New Jersey spent their Saturday afternoon diving into Unification Thought at the Clifton Family Church. The workshop was specifically geared toward staff of GO (God’s Own), a youth group for middle- and high-school age Unificationists. It was a chance for the staff members, who are high school or college graduates, to gain a better understanding of the Unification Church and its beliefs in order to better guide the younger participants.

Gerry Servito gave six presentations over two Saturdays, using selected chapters from Unification Thought that expounded on the Three Great Blessings. Each 45-minute session was geared toward the age group and was followed by a 10-minute reflection and 20-minute team discussion. Staff member Raymond Burns, who MC’d and organized the event, said the participants were “bursting with different compliments about how good and appropriate [the workshop] was for everyone.”

Though the GO staff consists of 16 people, everyone was pleasantly surprised to have 42 young people attend. Along with GO staff, other young people in the community who were interested in the material were invited and welcomed for the sessions. It was inspiring to see so many young people so engaged in learning.

Blessing Education in Virginia

The Labor Day holiday weekend was a chance for Virginia Unificationists to reach out to friends, family and community in a variety of ways. The Virginia-NOVA Education Team, along with Pastor Ernest Patton, organized a pre-Blessing interactive workshop on Saturday, September 5, at the NOVA (Northern Virginia) Family Church Learning Center. Though the workshop was organized on short notice, Virginia clergy belonging to the American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC), their family members, ministers, and previously married couples attended. Rev. George Marshall’s son, Minister David Marshall, spoke about the history of God’s love behind the Blessing, and participants looked forward to the third Marriage Blessing Ceremony which will occur across the United States on October 3.

In Richmond, locals welcomed the ministry partners Isamu and Sandra Matsumoto to their “Sunday Love Gathering” at the RIFC (Richmond International Family Church) Parsonage on Sunday, September 6. It was a blessing for the community to hear from them and learn from their experience.

On Monday, Labor Day, the Richmond community spent their holiday at a back-to-school giveaway outreach barbecue. It was a great opportunity to invite friends and family and to introduce them to the community and to True Parents.

Spanish-Language Workshop in Minnesota

Unificationists in Minneapolis witnessed life-changing moments at the Spanish-language workshop over the Labor Day weekend. The two-day workshop has become a yearly tradition over the last six years. Organizers say that True Father’s ascension was significant to the timing of the workshop. One organizer said, “On the day Father went to the spirit world, Nancy Makowski, who is the main [Spanish-language] lecturer from California, was teaching Father’s course. During that lecture the news came that Father died. That is why we will continue to do this workshop.”

The response from participants was revelatory. According to staff members, one woman proclaimed that she would teach the Fall of Man in her catechism class, and when she realized who True Father was, she broke down and wept.

Nancy Makowski served as lecturer again this year, and gave local Spanish-language Divine Principle teachers the chance to give their own lectures as well. It was a wonderful way to provide training to those teachers while also educating the participants.

The community is praying for the four guests who attended the workshop and hope that they will join the Spanish small group meeting on Sundays after the Spanish Sunday service.