Hello! Welcome to the Universal Life Church Seminary Announcements page! We update our announcements pretty regularly to let you know what's going on with the ULC and with the Seminary. We always post if there are new courses available, to thank people who have done a kindness for the seminary, or just to let you know something going on. Please check this page often so you can know what's going on.
If you have any announcements you'd like me to post that would be of interest to a lot of people, please send it to amy@ulcseminary.org for consideration.
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This is an announcement that will stay here for awhile. For information about the split of the monastery site, go to Monastery.
The complete list of announcements are listed on the ARCHIVE, but here we have the last 10 or so.
Safe Haven of Change is putting on a rally/fundraiser to support our program: "Why Can't We Be Friends." This is a program for youths, teens, and young adults that are having problems with domestic, social violence in the community, society and neighborhood. The ongoing violent death, murders and brutal violence among each other needs to stop. You are killing future mentor, leaders and business successors of the present and future. "Why"? A pair of customs glasses, coats, shoes, and drugs is just plain stupid. You young people have a better choice to live, instead of dying so young, without meaning or purpose. I can think or know a thousand different things to do or be instead of "Dead"!
You have places to go, careers to better your life and standards. You have to try or you may be next.We are not going to tell you, what to do, but what can be done to make us better. Join Us!
In addition: Safe Haven of Change Ministry is a nonprofit 501c3 organization that will be sponsoring a program "Why Can't We be Friends" for domestic and social violence youth, teens and young adults. On September 25, 2010 12noon-4pm @ 4438 Rosa Parks Blvd Detroit off W. Canfield in the field. Also Safe Haven of Change Ministry's will be sponsoring a program for young adults, and adults that want to start their own enterprise or business. We know sometimes working with or for someone else can be stressful and painful, so "Why not do you." You are the boss or your own boss. People with good ideas, courage and belief in self, do it everyday. You should feel confident in yourself and ideas. Let's go for it. Stand up young adults of the future. Time is passing, are you? Join us!
"Our Goal is to raise $10,000 or more, to buy uniforms and school supply for the first 200 hundred children and young adults with parent or guardian. Remember! "In order for the Fruit to be ripe and successful, the "Tree" must produce, good and ripe Fruit also. Safe Haven of Change will be grateful for all contributions, donations, and charity funds will be deeply appreciated. Thank you
Safe Haven of Change Ministry
Detroit Young Adult
Entrepreneurship Program
(Time, 12noon – 4pm, Date September 25,2010 and Place 4438 Rosa Parks Blvd Detroit MI off W. Canfield)
*I can't guarantee the particulars, but if you're in the area, plan to stop by. --Amy
For reasons unknown to me, our directory seems to be down. I just got back from a two-week vacation, so I don't know how long it has been down. I came back from vacation and promptly got some sort of flu bug. Hard to say exactly, but I feel like crud.
Also, it has come to my attention that when some people are trying to go to the ulc.net site, they are being re-directed to the monastery site. I'm sure that this is some sort of amazing coincidence. However it happened, I would strongly suggest that you all run a virus/spyware/malware scan on your site to remove any possible defective programing.
If you've sent me any emails in the last few weeks, please be assured that I'm not ignoring you. I just took a much-needed break. I came back home to 1800 emails. That'll teach me to take a vacation.
I'll get to you as soon as I can. :)
--Amy
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I've heard some bizarre rumors lately going around that the headquarters of the Universal Life Church has moved to Seattle, Washington. This is absolutely NOT the case. The Universal Life Church headquarters is now, and has always been, in Modesto, CA.
I think some people have been misinformed. The monastery storehouse is in Seattle and from what I have been told by people trying to serve process, the address posted is a mail drop. They are in no way related to the Universal Life Church headquarters and the vote of their board has absolutely zero impact on anything related to the Universal Life Church. It was never their decision as to whether the Seminary site could be created.
The ULC Headquarters is alive and well in Modesto, under the leadership of Andre Hensley. The bookstore (ulc.net) is run by Kevin Andrews in Folsom, CA and we are the Universal Life Church Seminary.
The only board vote that affects the actions of the Universal Life Church International Headquarters, is that which is presided over by Andre Hensley. Their site is not abandoned -- they just aren't very computer savvy.
I hope this clears up any misconceptions or confusion.
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I am sad to report that I didn't make it into round 3 of the book-writing contest.
I'm disappointed because I'd really hoped to be able to publish the book and get it out to the masses, but they must've had their reasons. Thank you to those who have supported me and voted for me.
As with all things, there's a reason this happened and didn't go the way I wanted it to. I look forward to finding out what it is.
ADDING ORDINATION OPTION TO YOUR OWN SITE - I had a cool thought the other day. I thought it would be great if I offered to you the option of ordaining others through your own site. If you want to give people the opportunity to become ordained, I've provided the code to put on your site which will create a form that people can fill out to have their ordinations sent directly to headquarters. (It's free for you to do this, of course.)
I put the code at www.ulcseminary.org/ordinationform.php You can put it in a column, like I did at ulcceremonies.com or you can put it on its own page. I think it is a great way to spread the word of ULC and you're giving people the convenience of doing it right from your own site. There are also instructions to add a line to the code (cut and paste) so you will be notified whenever someone is ordained through your site. If you put the form on your site, send me a link and I'll check it out. :) Let me know if you have any problems and I can try to help.
This last month has been an interesting month. Site-wise, I've had the worst time with my mailing program. For those of you who received the flurry of emails (some of you got 14 of them all at once), I sincerely apologize. The tech guy working on them thought the only way to fix it was to re-send all of the mailings to all of the people on the list.
On the plus side, some people got mailings who had missed them before, but on the downside, I really don't think anyone wants to hear from me that much. lol! Especially when there are 3 or 4 of each one. I was told it was fixed, but no subscriptions are still not starting as they should. We'll have to see. I may end up moving them all to a new program and if so, there may be some interruption or overlap. If so, I apologize in advance.
This month we are releasing another new program, called the Dr. of Christian Ethics program. It gives a lot of interesting background and information about the Christian religion and would be of great interest to many Christians out there.
Please check out our Seminary Graduates page. We have quite a few graduates of both the Master of Ministry and the Dr. of Ministry. This is a great accomplishment. These ministers have worked for several years to go through and complete between 10 and 15 courses each and we're very proud of each and every one of them.
A Big Giant Favor
I have a big giant favor to ask. This is a pretty easy one, but would mean a lot to me. I have entered a contest for Spiritual Writers. One of our ministers told me about it and I've entered it using the text from the SpiritQuest, Master of Metaphysics course. There are 4 rounds and the first two of them are based heavily on popular vote. If you would do me the honor of voting for me, I'd greatly appreciate it. Some of you already have, which I am very grateful for, and anyone else who does, you have my gratitude as well.
The whole thing is done online, so it's a matter of following the link and voting for me. Once you've voted, you'll be notified of the voting for the following rounds as well. The winner of the contest get a publishing contract with Hampton Roads. I'd love to get the SpiritQuest book in print for the general population. If it wins, I'll likely have to pull the course and replace it, but on the other hand, those of you who haven't taken it will get the opportunity to get it in book form.
As for now, only the people who are taking the course can get it in book form. They are print on demand, which means they are made one at a time. After the contest, I hope to have them done by the thousands. :) By going to this link, you also get to see a video of me pitching the book idea. Some people have said it was good to put a voice and face with the name. :) Thanks again.
http://www.nexttopauthor.com/profile.cfm?aid=432
New Course
We have another new course this month called the Dr. of Christian Ethics. There's more about it below and to the left.
Astral Projection
Last month's new course is called the Master of Astral Projection. This is a great course for learning how to get out of your body when you sleep and to be in control of what happens there.
Canadian Recognition
I have some news about this. I was working on the paperwork for it, when I saw that I need to be working with the 'head of the denomination', which is Andre Hensley. I have emailed him about working with me on it and I've mostly gotten a 'I'll check on it' response, or none at all. Since there are quite a few hoops that need jumping through to make it happen, it would be great if he would work with me on it. I'm still waiting.
Computer Crash
I have had multiple computer crashes recently, so I apologize for any delays in getting back to you. I'm seriously considering changing to a Mac. I hear they are much more reliable.
Seminary Credential Pkg
I re-did the Seminary Credential Package. It's currently on sale for $79. The Bachelor and Master of Divinity are so popular, that I now have all three degrees listed in the package, along with a credential, patch, decal, parking placard and more. It's a great deal and I think you're really gong to like it.
Recently, I have been bombarded with negativity by a guy named Michael Cauley. He's part of the ulc monastery and has made his own little website 'seminary'. He has been slamming me on every forum he can find, including Facebook and (probably) MySpace as well. I already posted this on Facebook, but feel free to re-post it anywhere you think is appropriate.
Instead of following the tenets of ULC, he has decided to go on a smear campaign of both me (personally) and the ULC Seminary in general, Headquarters in Modesto, and a few occasional swipes at ulc.net. He is saying all sorts of untrue things, as well as some technically 'true' things, but taken out of context and misrepresented.
I'd like to believe that somewhere in his heart, he thinks he is doing something that's right. He keeps referencing a site that the monastery themselves put up, and assuming it's correct. Perhaps he is merely a pawn in a bigger game. Either way, I've chosen to keep my distance because ugliness and poison has a way of hurting everyone it touches. However, good information is always helpful.
Sigh. Okay. Here we go.
The ULC was started by Kirby Hensley in 1959 in Modesto, CA. Kirby fought very hard for people to have the right to be ordained. Without him and his struggles, none of us would be where we are, as far as being ordained. If there was ever anything he did that was legally inappropriate, I don't know anything about it and it would have had to have been a long time ago.
Daniel Zimmerman started the ulc.org site, originally with the intention of doing it for headquarters. At one point, their ideas separated, so HQ made their own site (www.ulchq.com) They chugged along for several years, with Daniel accepting ordinations, which he forwarded to headquarters. About 7 years ago or so, I started helping Daniel with the site. I was not employed there, but did it to help and to sell my first book.
Yes, Daniel had talked to me about selling me the site. We had no formal agreement of any kind. We had just talked about it as something to happen in the future. I found out that he had been lying the whole time in order to get me to do more work for him for free. He kept telling me it was 'sweat equity', while having no intention of ever selling the site to me or anyone. He wrote emails to someone on his board saying what a fool I was to keep working for him and was very pleased at how he was taking advantage of me. This, on top of the growing unease with how he thought of and referred to our ULC ministers, made me decide it was time to leave.
I had been trying for some time to convince Daniel to add a seminary aspect to the site and he was resistant. He wanted to do his monk program, which I found offensive (due to the nature of the materials he presented, not monks in general.) I wanted a seminary to add credibility to people's ordination and to give them more training. I also wanted to increase the feeling of community. He didn't care about any of that.
So I left and started my own site. When I was working with Daniel, I had urged him to re-design the site. He was resistant, but agreed if I was willing to pay to have it done. I agreed to pay for half, knowing it would help everything in the long run. I hired a programmer, who did it at a reduce price and worked with me to come up with the improved design. When I left to start my own site, I hired the same programmer (and paid him for the information) to create a similar template framework. There's nothing wrong with that. I re-wrote all of the text throughout the site and it has been evolving ever since.
I have been accepting ordination requests and forwarding them to headquarters from the first day I went online. I have asked for authorization, but headquarters has denied it. Due to the legal issues going on, I believe they don't want to authorize anyone or step outside of what they are comfortable with. Perhaps, when the legal issues are resolved, Andre (Kirby's son) will talk to the board about authorizing me. I am fully in support of HQ in Modesto and will continue to remain so.
Two years later, George Freeman (aka 'Br. Martin') used Daniel's poor behavior (and yes, it appears it was really odd behavior) as an excuse to stage a coup and take the site from Daniel. He claims it was all done legally, but that is in dispute. On my website, I made references to the ongoing legal battles and made outside references to them.
When the site was taken, Daniel did what he could to take it down, but George had control over it the domain name. At that time, headquarters withdrew their authorization and support. George has since been buying up every domain name he can think of to spam the search engines and to mislead people into thinking that they are the 'real' ULC.
Michael keeps 'pointing out' that I started the Seminary without the permission of the monastery board. He is absolutely correct. I also did it without the permission of the Baptists, the Catholics, the president of the United States, Taco Bell or anyone else. I believe this is also true of most of the websites on the internet. I did not need their permission. No ULC minister needs permission to start a ULC website.
As for claims about my courses all being free on the internet. That's too ridiculous to address.
The degrees are not accredited, nor have I claimed they were. They were, however, approved by the California Bureau of Post Secondary Education under the Religious Exemption Clause. Each course was reviewed and approved. That dept. closed a couple of years ago, but the approval still stands.
Also, the Seminary is most definitely a church. We incorporated as a church in Aug. of 2004. Our paperwork is posted on the site. I'm not sure why he is saying we're not, when it's so clearly posted that we are. We incorporated two years before the 'monastery storehouse' did.
Let's see, what else. Oh yeah, someone else said he's been talking about his poverty and my wealth. When it comes to great friends, a loving partner, fantastic kids, a vocation I love, and spiritual connection -- I am one of the wealthiest people I know. As for money -- I don't recall reviewing my taxes with him. Yes, I do get paid for the products we sell, but I'd hardly say I'm wealthy. As a matter of fact, in addition to doing the website 40hrs. a week, I teach karate, officiate at weddings, work as a mobile DJ, occasionally do mystery shopping, and get child support in order to make ends meet. I'm like the rest of you in that I do what I do because I love it.
I'm trying to remember what other silly things he has said. I didn't read much of what he wrote, but I did get a lot of phone calls and emails about it.
As far as Kevin at ulc.net. He's an honest and kind man. His site is a bookstore. He has never claimed otherwise. He and I have a good relationship and we refer people back and forth as appropriate. I always wish him good things.
Headquarters (the real one in Modesto) is run by Andre Hensley. As far as I have ever seen, he does a great job and is an honest man. They get a ton of ordinations that they have to put in by hand every day. They do letters of authorization and hand-type the credentials and other items. They aren't perfect, but none of us are. I haven't seen any dishonesty from them and they've always been fair with me.
Someone must have hurt or neglected Mr. Cauley badly when he was a child. Physically or emotionally. I don't know what. He has made it a habit of calling our ministers and yelling at them, calling them names and more. He does this with anyone who disagrees with him. I find people like that to be exhausting to be around and I choose to stay away from them.
Many of you have already 'unfriended' him and have found that he continues to pester you for a friend-add. Consider what kind of energy you want in your life before deciding how you wish to proceed.
I greatly appreciate all the loving support I've received from so many of you. This is why I love what I do. :)
Hugs,
--Amy
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"Doing That Which is Right"
Happy Almost-My-Birthday!
I...mean....Happy Father's Day!
Hello!
What an outstanding and busy month! - June is upon us and I'd like to talk about some of the crazed activities that I've been doing. Did you ever have one of those days-weeks-months when you get an idea to do something (aka. 'a bug up your butt') and you just have to get it done while you have the momentum? That's how my last month or so has been. The results of my efforts are discussed below.
BOOK CONTEST - The second round of the book-writing contest has started and I'd like to ask you all again to vote for me. Some of you already have and I appreciate it tremendously. Time for round 2. If you voted in round 1, you'll likely also get an email from the contest itself, but I'd like to beat them to the punch and ask here. Please follow the link and cast your vote. You'll find a book outline and a sample of Chapter 1 about Setting Spiritual Goals, as well as the video of me that's still posted, pitching the book. When I win the contest, the book will be published by Hampton Roads and will then be made available to the general public.
NEW COURSES - I mentioned these last month, but I thought I'd mention them again. The Master of Astral Projection and the Dr. of Christian Ethics are both underway. Both can be ordered through the church store. We have another course in the works, but I haven't had a chance to get them all formatted yet. Not enough hours in the day.
UPDATED SITES - I've been spending some time working on updating some of our satellite sites. www.onlineseminary.org has had a complete makeover. If you want a different way to look through the Seminary Courses, review the course descriptions and look at samples, check out the new look. I also reworked www.ulcseminary.net. This has lots of sermons listed, both from our own sermon blog and from elsewhere on the internet. Also, if you have any sermons you'd like to share, please email them to me and I'll post them on the site and send them out via the sermon emails. I have a new way of keeping updated that will speed everything up, which includes poems, stories, sermons and ceremonies that you'd like to send. Please send me as many of each as you'd like and I'll get them up on the site.
TESTIMONIALS - I'd like to add more video to the website. I have a camera and I'm going to get started adding video sections with blurbs and such to talk about different things. What I would love is to have you all do the same thing, if you would. If you have access to a videocamera of any sort, videotape yourself talking briefly about weddings you've done, any of the books or products that you've used, classes you've taken, the church you started, etc. I'd love to get a montage of these and put them throughout the site. A short .mwv file (2 min. or less) would be great. Something I can play on windows. I'll edit them together into a few clips to post. Cool, huh? It would also be great to put a face/voice with so many of your names.
FORUM - For those of you who have been posting on the forum over the last year or two (or more), but stopped in the last few months, I'd like to welcome you back. There had been a problem with posting due to that dratted upgrade I did on the server 7 or 8 months ago. It was cutting off people's posts. Well, the forum is back in working order and we have a number of additional areas to post in. You can also post your lessons on the forum as well. www.ulcseminary.org/forum.
CANADA - New stuff for Canada. One of our wonderful Canadian Ministers, Denise La Rochelle, has sent me some info for a new way to go about getting accepted in Canada. This is a much shorter route, but there are definitely a bunch of hoops I need to jump through. There are two things I need from you: I need a list of 25 ministers in Ontario who are requesting ordination and acceptance. A pen and ink signed list of 25 names, address, and signatures.
The second thing I need from all Canadian ministers. We're doing Ontario first, but the rest will follow if this works out. What I need is a short essay from you, with your full name and province, letting me know why you were ordained (or want to be), what's your interest in ordination, and what do you plan on doing with it. These essays will be posted on a blog so I can tell them that we have record of everyone who wants to be accepted. In order to be approved by Ontario, you need to have that essay posted. Please send your essays to amy@ulcseminary.org and put CANADA ESSAY in the subject line.
SEMINARY STUDENT LISTING - In a similar vein, I'm going to be re-doing the seminary student listings. When I changed programs a year or so ago, it stopped automatically adding Seminary Students to the website. I was getting a lot of spam too, so that contributed to the decision. Also, when I upgraded my server, a lot of content was lost. Upgrades seldom happen without casualties. To solve this, I would like it if any and all seminary students would please re-send me your information, as you would like it to appear, to amy@ulcseminary.org. Please put SEMINARY STUDENT INFO in the subject line. All of this will be re-done and put into the site. The existing information will be removed, so if you want your listing to appear, you need to send me your bio.
SEMINARY STUDENT ID CARDS
If you are a seminary student and you'd like to have a card stating that you are a student in good standing, we have made them available to you. This one is done on a purple card with black ink, but if you have another preference, you can state that on your order. http://www.ulcseminary.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=213.
NEW UPDATING INFO ON SITE - I have found some new ways of keeping the site updated. The poetry page now has a lot more poetry all listed, the announcements page has all of the monthly announcements archived (in case you missed any), the spirit quest course page has a listing of many of the essays from our students, as well as a lot of other pages throughout the site that will have updating information.
Oh, and most importantly, my birthday is June 19th. :) Often, right on, before, or right after Father's Day. That makes my dad happy.
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Spring has Sprung and the Grass has Riz - May is always so beautiful. Warm enough to wear shorts, but not so hot that we long for air-conditioning. If it weren't for allergies, it would be absolutely perfect.
NEW COURSE - The Master of Astral Projection and the Dr. of Christian Ethics are both underway. Both can be ordered through the church store.
Master of Astral Projection: http://www.ulcseminary.org/store/product_info.php?cPath=29&products_id=210
CURRENT GROWTH - The last month for me has been about computers. I'm not sure if a constantly breaking computer counts as a growth period, but it has been a struggle for sure. I now have a reliable laptop from one of our ministers, Gene Hughes (http://hhspcservices.com), who has set me up! This should reduce the drama for awhile.
I think part of my growth this month is about the concept of setting boundaries and knowing when the right time is to draw a line in the sand. This can be difficult for a lot of us. If you have a friend or loved one who is terrific in many ways, but not so good in others, the challenge is to determine which ones weight more importantly. Maybe someone is kind and loving, but not good with money and spends recklessly or doesn't bring much into the household. Or a friend who you've known forever -- Does your history with that person outweigh some truly inconsiderate and selfish behavior? Where do we draw the lines? At what point do we decide that the cons are more important than the pros? Tough decision. It changes with every situation. Even when you draw the line, it can be hard to let go.
TESIMONIALS - I'd like to add more video to the website. I have a camera and I'm going to get started adding video sections with blurbs and such to talk about different things. What I would love is to have you all do the same thing, if you would. If you have access to a videocamera of any sort, videotape yourself talking briefly about weddings you've done, any of the books or products that you've used, classes you've taken, the church you started, etc. I'd love to get a montage of these and put them throughout the site. A short .mwv file would be great. Something I can play on windows. I'll edit them together into a few clips to post. Cool, huh? It would also be great to put a face/voice with so many of your names.
MAILING PROGRAM - I have been moving my mailings to a new program to head off some of the problems we've been having. For those of you who got the kinds words sent multiple times, I do apologize. If you unsubscribed because of it and want to sign up again, you can at www.ulcseminary.org/kindwords.php. One of the new things I have going on with the mailings is that on the forms, you can sign up for everything at once. I'm still making adjustments, but when you sign up for one, you should see the options for adding yourself to all the mailings that interest you. Some people have already taken advantage of it. I think it'll streamline things. I've also been getting some wonderful assistance from my beau, Ron, who has been adding a ton of new sermons and Sunday School lessons to the cue. If you sign up for those, you'll be getting them weekly for a year, at least, without interruption.
CANADA - Unfortunately, the drive to get Canada approved was abruptly halted when I found that I have to have the cooperation of the 'head of the denomination', which is Andre Hensley. So, I'm at his mercy right now. Sorry about that. I'll keep doing what I can though. The other thing I'm reading is that even if they accept all the paperwork, it'll still take 2 years for them to approve a new denomination.
CONTEST - I'd like to thank all of you who took the time to vote for me in the book contest I'm in. Round one has ended and I do believe I'm heading off to round two. If you didn't get a chance to vote the first time around, please check in for round two and place your vote for me. http://www.NextTopAuthor.com/?aid=432 I'd greatly appreciate it. I believe I'll be posting the book outline and a sample chapter or two for this round.
ROBES AND STOLES - I did an oops on the newsletter that just went out. I had re-done my newsletters and inadvertently left in a line about robes and stoles being added to the store. They aren't. Our distributor went out of business, but I do have a line on a new one just recently. I have an email out to them about terms and if it is favorable, I'll be putting robes and stoles back in the store. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
MAILINGS LAST MONTH! - Oh, the joys of technology! I'd like to sincerely apologize to those of you who got a flurry of emails from the seminary all in one day. Most of you, (I hope) realized it was a mailing program glitch and not some bizarre spamming technique. My program apparently hadn't been working properly for a little while now because when it was 'fixed', EVERYTHING that had been backlogged went out at once. Ugh with a capital U. Once I realized how many were going out, I had a bunch deleted from the cue, but a lot still went out. Please accept my apologies and know that it wasn't on purpose. If it ever happens that you get a flurry of emails from the Seminary, please know that it is NEVER on purpose and generally a glitch in either the mailing program or my use of the mailing program. Thanks.
NEW COURSE - A New Course is available. The course is called, the Master of Astral Projection. It's a 24 week course which talks about the techniques for increasing your ability to astrally project. There is information posted about it at www.ulcseminary.org/seminaryProgram.php, as well as a sample. Within a few weeks, we'll also have one called the Dr. of Christian Ethics. It'll be high-lighted in next month's announcement, but you can keep an eye out for it.
HELP FOR THE SEMINARY - I have been asked before how people can be of service to the seminary. I do have a request, for those who would be interested. As many of you know, we have mailings for two kinds of sermons, Sunday school, newsletters, seminary student mailings and Chaplaincy mailings. Oh, and the kind words. I have a little trouble keeping up on some of them. What I'm looking for is some help on the sermons and the Sunday School lessons. If you have an html program (I've found that there are free html programs available online -- shareware and such), I could use some help finding/formatting the lessons to be ready to go out. I've put up a page outlining my request/need with a place to download the lesson templates. www.ulcseminary.org/mailingshelp.php. If any of you could help with that, I'd be ever so grateful. There's no min. or max number you can do. If you sent something to me once or decided to do a few every couple of months, etc. it would all help.
CONTEST - Another request: I'm hoping that I'll be able to enlist your help next month. I'm entering a book writing contest that depends on people going online to vote. I'll let you know when it gets closer, but I do hope I can count on you to cast a vote in my direction.
KIND WORDS - I'd like to thank all of you who have been giving me such great responses to the kind words campaign. I think it has become my favorite thing to do for the Seminary. I am finding how big a difference it makes for people to get a few words of encouragement. I'd like all of you to try it. At least one day a week, if not more, say at least one encouraging thing to someone who needs it. Say something uplifting, positive and true. Say it without expectation, but with the intention of spreading good in the world. Mean what you say. Notice the difference.
It's available at www.ulcseminary.org/kindwords.php.
RADIO SHOW - I was on Cynthia Vickers' radio blog show last week. She did a great job. If you're interested, here's the link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/vickers_tree/2010/02/21/shamanism If anyone else has a ULC-related radio show and would like a guest, I'm happy to do it.
CANADA - I've been working on the application for becoming a charity in Canada. It seems to be the first step. The universe seems to be putting things in my path because the email I was sent with the numbers to call/fax seem to have disappeared out of my email box. If the person who has those numbers to fax and call would re-send them to me, I'd appreciate it. It seems to all have disappeared.
GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE - We have great interest in this idea. Now that I know people want it, I'll start doing some research for the best deal and the best way to do it, given that there are so many different states involved. When I know something, I'll post it, announce it, put it on facebook, etc. I currently have a few people who have offered to look into it for us.
SALE ITEMS - There are still a lot of items on sale right now. Wedding Workbooks by the case are currently on sale. Buying the books in bulk are a great way to save money on the books. Giving the books to your couples enhances your professional image and makes your job much easier, by allowing the couples to select and customize their own ceremonies.
I found that by giving the couples a book, people comment frequently that the ceremony seemed so 'them' and wondered if the couple wrote the ceremony themselves. Give it a shot.
Visit Our Website | ULC Seminary http://www.ulcseminary.org 4714 Careyback Ave. Elk Grove, CA 95758 916-690-1682
Monday, May 24, 2010
2004-09-15 Welcome to the new site!
Hello Everyone!
Welcome to the new site! Please spend some time looking around. We're just getting started, but I've been thinking about all the new features and such that I want to add and more is on the way.
If you have any ceremonies that you'd like to share with everyone or any poetry, wedding/funeral stories or anything else, send them my way at amy@ulcseminary.org and I'll get them right up.
We're going to be giving the site another face-lift shortly too, so expect some new graphics and pictures and a whole new look soon!
If I can help you in any way, please feel free to write me at amy@ulcseminary.org.
--Amy
2004-09-29 Degrees Can Now Be Offered
Hello Everyone!
The site is coming along nicely and all of the legal aspects of the Church are getting resolved.
The biggest thing that happened today was that we got our religious exemption to grant degrees.
So now, all the course we offer will have degrees attached to them. If you've finished a course, please do the last assignment and send it, with your address, to amy@ulcseminary.org so I can send you your degree.
This is a great day for ULC Seminary!
Also, on October 9th, there will be a story about us in a Mass. paper. Keep an eye out!
2004-10-09 Newspaper Article: Instant ordination: Universal Life Church offers ordination online as part of its welcoming philosophy
Instant ordination: Universal Life Church offers ordination online as part of its welcoming philosophy
By CHAD BERNDTSON
The Patriot Ledger
It takes less than 10 minutes to become a minister at the Universal Life Church.
While it used to be mail-based, now ordination is even easier: you can go online, fill out an application, receive a certificate (there are any number of ordination ??packages'' and ??suggested donations'' that start at $5) and be officially ordained by the ULC headquarters.
Is it a cult? No. Are you really an ordained minister, able to officiate marriages and the like? According to the ULC you are, and it's totally legal. But is it legitimate?
Now celebrating its 45th anniversary, the Universal Life Church was conceptualized in 1959 as a means through which to explore religious freedom and offer a nondenominational umbrella for people of all faiths.
It was founded by Kirby J. Hensley, who found himself disillusioned by the Pentecostal church in 1955 and after examining various faith paths, decided that proper religion differs for each person and each person is entitled to choose his or her own religion without criticism or condemnation. Hence, the ULC, which Hensley and his wife officially founded in 1962.
The ULC's ideals are evidently attractive: currently, it lists more than 20 million ordained ministers and numerous congregations worldwide. Hundreds of inquiries and applications for the ministry are received every day at its international headquarters and main resource center, in Modesto, Calif.
??Every person has the natural right and the responsibility to peacefully determine what is right,'' it reads at the ULC's online introduction. ??We are advocates of religious freedom.''
The ULC has no overriding tenets, save for one: ??Do only that which is right,'' and that's all there is to it, says Amy Long, an ordained minister and president of the ULC Seminary.
Long, 37, hails originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and now lives in Oak Grove, near Sacramento. She originally attended another seminary in 1991, but then a friend told her about the Universal Life Church. Fascinated, she mailed in her suggested offering of $5, became a minister in 1994, and now 10 years later she is launching her own ULC online seminary at www.ulcseminary.org. Married and a mother of two, she has administered many weddings and also published books about planning for weddings that she wrote with ULC tenets in mind.
??It took a while to get going after contacting the other big ULC sites,'' she said. ??I've been selling the books for several years, but the ULC gets a bad rap.''
As seems to be the status quo with anything that concerns alternative religion, the ULC is routinely dismissed by traditionally ordained clergy as ??mail- or E-mail-order ministry.'' The common charge? That ULC ministers didn't go to seminary, didn't study and didn't learn anything, so how can they possibly be qualified to officiate rites such as marriage? How can a less-than-10 minute sign-up on a web site legitimately grant so much?
??That's always sort of bothered me,'' Long admits. ??Technically, anyone could do it, I mean you could get a little pop-up certificate for your dog, but you're not ordained anywhere until it is processed at headquarters and confirmed.''
In less than a decade, Long has grown from a curious observer to become one of the ULC's more prominent movers and shakers. She was head administrator of the ulc.org site until a year ago, and has taken up the task of being one of the ULC's more public faces. Long wants people to know that the ULC is no joke and that its affiliates should never be ashamed of their involvement.
??My goal is to change the perception of the ULC in general, and how its ministers are perceived,'' she said. ??I want our ministers to go out there and be confident and trained and knowing how to officiate weddings and other events.''
She said that the majority of ULC ministers take their appropriation very seriously, and her goal is to create a more organized worldwide network of them to make the ULC a more cohesive unit than it is currently, as well as attract new ministers who might be reticent about exploring the idea.
??I wanted to start an online seminary for people who don't have another place to go, whose beliefs are not traditional,'' Long said. ??Most seminaries are through specific churches and have their own specific belief system. In the seminary I'm creating, we have Wiccans, Christians, other forms of spirituality, everything.''
She hopes to make the ordaining requirements a tad more stringent, if only to weed out jokesters and make it clear that anyone who wants to be a minister can, provided their views fall under the grey area category of ??doesn't harm anyone and doesn't trample on the freedom of others.''
The ULC has had problems, she said, with satanists and certain individuals whose ??religions'' involve unlawful practices - she confirms that while people are free to believe what they want, the ULC screening process is a bit more strict than just a simple mail-in form, though not much.
The hardest battle facing ULC today is the same one it has always faced, and the thing that most people want to know about its ordination: is it legal?
The answer is yes. Though some places require a more rigorous registration than others, the ULC ministers are legally allowed to officiate marriages in all 50 states. Its legality continues to be confirmed despite numerous state law imbroglios, including a long series of state court battles, beginning in 1985, that eventually resulted in ULC ministers qualifying for clergy-status tax exemption.
??It's very legal,'' Long reports. ??The biggest criticism we get is, ?you're not a real minister,' and that complaint is exactly why I started the seminary. I want people to be proud of it, but also have credentials and improve the quality overall.''
Long's seminary site is one of four major web sites that together stand as the main world resources on the ULC.
The ULC Monastery site, www.ulc.org, is headed up by Brother Daniel Zimmerman and based in Tuscon, Ariz.
Zimmerman is a cagey subject among Long and more progressive ULC ministers at the church's headquarters, which officially separated from Zimmerman some years ago, saying the authoritarian nature of his views and administration policies were contradicting the ULC's free-thinking values. A 30-year veteran, Zimmerman is often misidentified, Long says, as the ??head'' of the ULC, only because he was the first minister to provide a web site related to the church.
??[Headquarters] didn't like what he was saying and so they put up their own site. We are officially separate,'' said Long of Zimmerman, who did not respond to repeated phone and E-mail attempts to be interviewed.
??He doesn't answer E-mails, and when he does, they're long dissertations and clearly about his own separate thing. His main concern is sales - he's just been doing it the longest that he's still considered the main guy - but he's head of his own organization, not the Universal Life Church.''
Here on the South Shore, local clergymen and religious figures broach the subject of the ULC with relative indifference-. Still, they are hesitant to endorse the ULC's ideals as legitimate.
The ULC is not merely a west coast or regional church. The church's main directory of ordained ministers, www.ulc.net/directory, lists more than 30 from the South Shore alone, of a range of ages, faiths and social backgrounds.
Among them is 37-year-old mother and entrepreneur Andrea Coates, a Stoughton native who was ordained this past August. Like many of her fellow ministers who take the ULC's ideals seriously, she was attracted to the liberating aspect of a nondenominational collection of faiths.
??I was very open to the fact that ULC is nondenominational in every way,'' she said. ??The church accepts all faiths and paths leading to the same destination. I have very spiritual friends that are everything from Catholic to Wiccan who are ordained by ULC. Even my sister has recently been ordained.''
Coates used to work as an environmental engineer but left the business when her youngest child was born in January. She now runs a small holistic arts business out of her home, and officiates a number of weddings.
??I love writing ceremonies. I wrote my own wedding ceremony and I recently helped my brother-in-law out with some wedding vows for himself,'' she said. ??As an ordained minister, I can now perform wedding ceremonies as well as many other rites of passage.''
The ??mail-order ministry'' attacks don't seem to stymie Coates or any of her 20 million fellow ordained ministers worldwide. Long chalks such criticisms up to the idea that people fear and/or dismiss what they don't understand.
??The same criticisms have been around since [the ULC] has,'' Long said. ??I like to see more minister training and a real definitive organization - the ULC is growing all the time. You'd be surprised, though, how many people have never heard of it.''
On the net
For more information on the Universal Life Church, log onto one of the major web sites that together stand as the main world resources on the ULC.
- www.ulchq.com is the web site of ULC Headquarters itself
- www.ulc.net is based in Citrus Heights, Calif., and is primarily a bookstore and forum for ministers
- www.ulcseminary.org is an ULC online seminary
Copyright 2004 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Saturday, October 09, 2004
The Patriot Ledger, 400 Crown Colony Drive
P.O. Box 699159, Quincy, MA 02269-9159
Telephone: (617) 786-7000
2004-11-05 Helping Needy Kids
Here is an opportunity for our ministers to do some real good for the holidays. This was requested by one of our caring ministers.
There are 500 children in need of a helping hand in Shannon County,So Dakota. Shannon is the poorest county in the Nation. Christmas will be hard for these children. If you would like to send a gift it would be sent directly to the child through the postal mail.
Please call Jeri Baker at 570-595-5015
or email her at jeri@spirit-rising.org to get the
childs info or chose from the list of children and their address and phone.
If you wish to have your gift as a tax deduction she will provide one.
Diane Jones from New Hampshire has a matching website of children needing a sponsor please visit: friendsofpineridgereservation.org
Many children sleep on the floor.
Bed Project:
Rex Hartson tel. 540-544-7902 or email
hartson@vt.edu
Many children are hungry. Food closet:
chockenb@vt.edu
general info about conditions at
Pine Ridge:
spirit-rising.org
Good follows good.
Thank you,
Rev.Tishanne
2004-12-28 Native American Spiritual Roots
Hello All,
I've had a request recently from a minister who'd like to learn more about her Native American Spiritual heritage.
Are there any of you out there who are knowlegable about this area and might like to submit some FAQs for that section and/or write a discourse or two about it for either a course or just to share with the seminary students?
I don't have any specific area in mind, but perhaps some of you do. I'm always amazed at the breadth of information available from our ULC ministers.
If you have something to share in this area, send it to amy@ulcseminary.org.
Thanks!
2004-11-29 Thanks For All Who Have Helped!
Hello!
This is a special thank you going out to all of you who have helped spread the word about the ULC Seminary.
We're off to a great start. Those of you who have been so kind as to tell your friends about the site, link to us, and for those of you who asked permission of those on your own mailing lists to be included on ours was very generous.
Our newsletter list has grown in leaps and bounds and as a result, we have been graced with many new poems, ceremonies, sermons and interesting stories for everyone to enjoy.
I have also heard from many of our ministers who have written to tell me how much they are enjoying the new site. I've been posting some of them on the Testimonials Page (under About Us). I always love hearing from you and I very much appreciate the support.
Because of your work in spreading the word, I've had the privilege of doing several radio and newspaper interviews and was able to talk about the new image and credibility of ULC. I have been able to talk about what a great job our ministers are doing and continue to do.
So, thank you to all who have sent me names to put on our mailing lists and who have spread the word in so many ways. You're terrific!!!
2004-12-01 Prison and Hospital Ministries
Hello!
I want to put together a discourse on how to do hospital and prison ministries, but I must confess that I haven't done either, so I'm turning to the wisdom of the ULC ministers to share some insight.
I'd like to add the information to the seminary student mailings.
If you have any information on the rules for these two types of ministry, stories of your experiences, suggestions for getting started, etc, please send them to amy@ulcseminary.org so I can start to put something together for the seminary students to share with everyone.
Thanks!
2004-12-16 Wonderful News
This is a note regarding the request for assistance we posted a week or two ago. As one might expect, our ministers really came through!
Hello Amy.
I just recieved an e-mail from
spirit-rising that says 600 children and Elders have been helped for this holiday season. I send you my warmest thank you for posting their need at ULC.
Please extend this thank you- spoken in the universal language of a smile!
good follows good!
Tishanne
2004-12-31 Prayer Circle for Tsunami Victims
Dr. Ron MacIntyre has approached me with a wonderful suggestion.
As you know, there has been a huge tragedy that is going on in the India, Indonesia area and he thought it would be beneficial if we all took a few moments together to send them prayers, blessings, etc.
We've picked this Sunday -- January 2nd at Noon PST. (We're the earliest time zone in California, so add an hour or two depending where you live.)
At that time, let's just all take a moment and do our part to help the healing. I'm suggesting a group visualization: Everyone please imagine a beautiful white rose. Depending on your belief system, you can ask God to bless that rose, you can fill it with healing energy or you can just imagine in filled with peace and love.
Send it out to those suffering people. Send a thousand of them if you like and ask that they go to where they are needed most.
Let's see what kind of a difference we can make.
--Amy
2005-01-03 ULC Quote of the Day
We have a new feature on the site! It's the ULC Quote for the Day.
Every day, a new quote will appear. If you click the button below the quote, the text will appear that will allow you to add it to your own site.
I'll be putting quotes on there submitted by ULC ministers. If you have a good quote, send it to amy@ulcseminary.org. Put the quote, who said it and your name and I'll put it in the rotation.
Put it on your site and keep an eye out for when your quote comes up!
2005-01-09 Pictures and Quotes
Hello All!
If you have noticed, we've added several new features to the website. Two of them are Quote of the Day and Featured Minister.
I have several ministers added already, but I'd love to add more, so please send me your (cut down) picture of yourself, preferably doing something ministerial. Please include your name and I'll put you as a featured minister.
Also, send me your favorite quote with who said it and your name and I'll post it on the quote of the day. You can easily add either of these features to your own site, so feel free.
Send them to amy@ulcseminary.org
Thanks!
2005-01-27 Store Sale
Hi!
This announcements pertains primarily to items in the store.
We are having an amazing sale on several items. The ULC Pens and Patches have been temporarily marked down %50! This sale is going on for the Month of February only, so get them while they are on sale.
We are also liquidating our stock of formerly-used dove seals. They are beautiful seals, but we changed styles and that means big savings for you. Usually, they are $2.00 each, but are on sale for .20 each while supplies last.
We have several of our seminary programs temporarily on sale, so if you plan on taking a course, sign up now and enjoy the discount.
The other big news is the we will soon be carrying pulpit robes and stoles! I just got in contact with a provider who will give us some beautiful choices of robes and stoles in a variety of colors. The cost for robes will be about $100. The stoles will probably be around $35-$40, depending what you pick. Some embroidery is included!
Lastly, we have just ordered some black t-shirts with red lettering which contain the Wiccan slogan 'An it harms none, do as thou wilt.' We've had big requests for these, so keep your eyes on the cart. We expect them within about a week and a half.
If you have any requests for products or services that you'd like to see on the site, please send them to amy@ulcseminary.org.
Thanks!
2005-02-14 Wiccan Shirts Have Arrived!
Hello everyone! Happy Valentine's Day!
The new Wiccan Slogan T-shirts have arrived and they look beautiful. If you are Wiccan, you will love these beautiful black t-shirts with the Wiccan motto printed in red.
Also, apologies to those who were looking on the site for the gold seals on sale. We ran out of them this weekend and have no more to sell.
The new gold seals are still available though.
We will be doing a complete site overhaul very shortly, so keep checking back to see our brand new look!!
--Amy
2005-02-19 Public Thank You
Hi All,
I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Rev. Patrick Schwab (Bishop Pat) for his amazing contribution to the seminary program.
You might recognize his work from the religious sermon sections where he has contributed some great essays about the history of Christianity and other related topics.
I asked him to write about the Rosicrucians because I've always found them interesting.
He did and he did an amazing job. What he wrote is practically a course in itself. He donated these works to be shared for free with those in the seminary program.
This is yet another reason to sign up for the seminary program. As a seminary student, before signing up for a single class, you get more than a year of bi-weekly emails to share interesting information that will round out your knowlege as a minister.
By knowing about different faiths and belief systems, WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IN THEM OR NOT, you strengthen your own position as being a knowlegable and skilled minister.
Again, this is a public thanks to Bishop Pat for his much appreciated gift to the seminary and to all of you.
2005-02-22 Course on Druidism
Hi!
I had a request from someone who would like a class offered on Druidism. Does anyone know an expert on the topic who might like to write a course? I'll start searching the internet. :)
If you know anyone, write to amy@ulcseminary.org so we can discuss it.
Thanks!
2005-03-28 General Update
Hi.
This is a general update. As you may know, we recently released the Master of Religion program. We expect to have a Shamanism Program and an Insights Program within the next month and the Comparative Religion course shortly thereafter. We also have a new Paganism program that's really good. We have a new clip on badge available that says 'Blessed Be' and a wallet card with the 10 commandments on one side and the 23 Psalm on the other. Also, check out our new ID Cards video. The link is on the front page of the site. It's kind of fun.
We are going to do a site re-structuring shortly, which should help improve navigation. We've been adding some new pages too, which still aren't quite right, but we'll be fixing them as we go. Suggestions for new pages and features are always welcome.
As for me, I've been a bit out of sorts recently. My brother-in-law had a propane tank blow up in his face and we don't know if he's going to pull through. He has 4 kids who may be moving in with us if their mom can't handle it. Since we already have two kids, we're a little stressed about it, but it feels like the right thing to do. They're family and we couldn't live with ourselves if we just let them go into foster care. It's scary though.
Send a prayer or two our way if you think of it. :)
----Amy
2005-04-12 New Courses Released!
Hello!
It is my tremendous pleasure to announce the release of two new programs.
The first is one you've been waiting for for several months. It's the Master of Comparative Religion 1 Course and it has just been made available this morning. It's a very educational course and is required for graduation from the Seminary. We recognize the importance of a rounded education and we feel you will tremendously benefit from the great new course.
The second course is a Dr. of Shamanism degree. If you have ever had an interest in learning about what it is to be a Shaman and where this ancient study began, this is a tremendous opportunity. Shamans have been revered from ancient times as those who can commune with spirits. Learn what's involved in this process.
--Amy
2005-04-17 Request for course on Kabalism
Hello.
I had a request today from someone who wants to learn more about Kabalism. Do we have any experts out there who would be interested in writing a course on it?
If so, write to me at amy@ulcseminary.org and we can discuss it.
Thanks!!
--Amy
2005-04-23 Update on the Kids & Shopping cart issues
Hi everyone. I'd first like to thank all of you who have inquired after my brother-in-law and the kids. I'm very pleased to say that we visited the kids yesterday and they are doing about a million times better than we thought they would. They are clean, well-fed and are being cared for. We are very relieved.
As for my brother-in-law, he's pretty much the same. Still intubated and kept unconscious.
Regarding the website, we've had a little problem with the shopping cart the last few days. It says that it's not connecting to authorize.net, but it seems to be processing the orders anyway, so if you've ordered in the last couple of days, please go checkout again from the cart with the 'check or money order' option and put a note that you already paid and I'll match them up. I thought it would've been fixed by now, so I apologize.
--Amy
2005-05-10 Orders Not Received
Hi.
For a couple of days, there was a weird problem with the shopping cart that made it not record the names and address of the people ordering. I have about 6 orders right now from approximately May 2nd, that I can't fill. If you ordered during that time and haven't received your order, please email me at amy@ulcseminary.org and let me know the particulars of your order and I'll match it up to the receipts I have. I'm really sorry about that.
So if you haven't received your order, check the amount plus any receipt you received and write to me immediately so I can fix it. Thank you and I apologize for the inconvenience.
--Amy Long
ULC Seminary Director
2005-05-16 Orders Not Received
Hi.
I've been getting some emails from people telling me about orders they haven't received from some time ago. Many times, these orders were not placed on the Seminary site, but sometimes they were and were orders that had gotten lost in the mail. Please help me avoid this problem. Let me know as soon as possible if you didn't receive an order.
Even if you aren't sure whether or not you placed it on this site, please send your name and receipt and I'll do what I can to help. Sometimes, even if not ordered with me, I can forward it to headquarters for you to be filled, or refer you to someone who can help you get your money back.
The Seminary sends out its orders within a few days unless there is a problem, so you should have your items within a week or so (except for the credentials which are ordered through headquarters), so if it has been two weeks and you don't have it, please email me at amy@ulcseminary.org and I'll do my best to help. :)
2005-06-14 Short Delay
Hello All!
I was gone from Thursday the 9th until yesterday and I had about a zillion emails to answer when I got back. I'm still catching up. And my new order fulfillment gal got strep throat, so if you ordered during the last few days, give me an extra day or so and we'll get your order right out. I went to a Kenpo Karate Seminar and got thrown around for a few days. Tons of fun, but I'm a little slow getting back in the saddle.
Also, within the next couple of days, we're going to be changing servers so the site might be down while the change propagates. Please bear with us. When it comes back online, it'll be a whole new site. From then on, more new pages will be added regularly. Thanks!!
2005-06-24 Contest
Many have you have already received an email regarding the upcoming posting contest on the site.
I've had a number of students tell me that they would love to take some courses, but currently don't have the funds to do it. I can appreciate that. So I've been thinking about how to help people take courses without costs. I've come with an idea.
Starting July 1st, for one month, we're going to have a posting contest in the forum. The forum is the place where we can experience fellowship and share ideas with other ministers. Unfortunately, we haven't had much activity there. It's much easier to create a warm sense of community when people participate.
So we're going to have a contest. For the month of July, if you post 200 times during that month, you will get the Spirit-Quest course for free. (If you've already taken that course, you can exchange it for the Wiccan course instead.) 200 posts may seem like a lot, but it's less than 7 posts a day. The rules are that the posts start accumulating at the beginning of the month and that the posts need to have some actual content in them. Just posting a smilie or the word 'yes' doesn't count. We're looking for a sharing of ideas.
If you are the top poster for the month (with a min. of 300 posts - an average of 10/day), you will get the Spirit-Quest course as well as one additional course of your choice. So, by spending a little time getting to know other ministers and sharing your ideas, you'll be giving something to the seminary and the seminary will give something back to you.
The forum is free to sign up for and can be found at www.ulcseminary.org/forum. You might want to sign up now and look around a little and on July 1st, the contest shall begin. If you have any questions about it, contact me at amy@ulcseminary.org and I'll be happy to answer any of your questions.
Amy Long
Program Director,
www.ulcseminary.org
P.S. We have been having site issues with the site going up and down, but we are changing servers when the new site design goes up in the next week or two and that should resolve the issue. The whole site is being upgraded and improved so you can look forward to many new pages and features over the next little while.
2005-06-28 Site Down Time
We are going to be moving the site to a new server on Friday night and the site will be down for some people for up to 72 hours.
Please check back as quickly as you can to see the new look. Once the new site is up, we'll be adding new pages regularly. We have at least 20 new pages of information to share, with more ideas coming in all the time.
This new design will allow us the freedom to add new pages and features without us having to hire a programmer for each one. This will let us grow and share more with you all on a regular basis.
Thanks!
2005-07-20 Sunday School
Hello!
I hope you're all enjoying the new site. We've added some new sections in the seminary area with samples of all the courses.
The newest addition to the site is our Sunday School section. We have a lot of lessons to add, so keep watching.
Also, if you have a problem with the forum, please send your issues directly to jdcopeland@aol.com. Josh will be happy to help you.
Our forum posting contest has been a great hit. Our ministers have been sharing and learning abut each other and many of them have already earned a free seminary program.
Good job everyone!
We have some other new features on their way too.
Oh, and the new program on Buddhism will be released in the next day or so. Watch for it.
--Amy
2005-07-28 Vacation for me, etc.
Hi All!
I am going to be on vacation from August 1st to August 14th. I'll be checking into my email a few times, so please be patient. The orders will go out as usual, but there may be a slight delay in getting courses started, since I do all of those by hand. The same is true for the seminary program applications. Those are currently being added by hand, so there may be a little delay.
If you have any forum issues, please write to jdcopeland@ulcseminary.org. Speaking of the forum, our posting contest has been a tremendous success! We've had a bunch of people win free Spirit-Quest programs and lots of people have had a great time.
If you haven't received a credential that you ordered, send your ordination welcome email to andre@ulchq.com and let him know you are waiting for a credential ordered through the seminary. That will speed things up.
Lastly -- I'm looking for either two or three people who would be interested in maintaining the seminary blogs. You don't have to create the content -- I can show you what to post. I say two or three because it's supposed to be done daily and I don't want to put all that on one person. Also, there is a website that you'd need to notify when you do an update. The whole thing only takes a few minutes a day, but I keep falling behind. I would be happy to reward the people with a course or more for your time. Write to amy@ulcseminary.org and let me know. Remember that I'll be gone on vacation so don't worry if you don't hear right back.
Thanks!!!
--Amy
2005-08-23 Degrees and IRS
Hello!
I'm back from vacation and have been diligently working to catch up on the many emails I received while I was gone. I'm mostly there, but if you haven't heard back from me yet, I apologize.
Also, our cardmaker is on vacation until the end of the month, so your ID cards will be a little late in coming.
I also got behind on sending out the completed degrees. When I got back, my printer had completely died and I just got another one. If it's not one thing....
I had a talk with the church's IRS rep. the last day or two. We are in the final stages for approval for tax exempt status. Keep your fingers crossed everyone. There are only 18 ULC churches that currently enjoy that status and, if accepted, our will be the only one of the major ULC sites that is. That's all very exciting.
Shortly, we will be posting more Sunday School lessons, as well as a whole minister training section on how to create your own church. We will have sample articles of incorporation and links to where on the IRS site you can get the proper forms to fill out. It's all a little scary until you do it, so we'll do our best to make it clear and easy for you.
As a reminder, if you ordered a credential, please send your ordination welcome email to andre@ulchq.com and let him know you're waiting for it. That will speed things up a lot. :)
Thanks!!
2005-09-15 Seminary Applications & Newsletters
Hi Everyone,
We have been upgrading our mailing program recently and we ran into a snag about the newsletter sign-ups and the seminary applications.
If you signed up to get the free newsletter over the last couple of months and haven't been getting it, please use the form and sign up again. It turns out that our form was not adding people as it should have. The same was true for the seminary students.
If you signed up over the last several months and haven't received any mailings yet, please sign up again.
If you signed up in the last week or two and haven't received anything, be patient a little longer because our mailing program will be up and running shortly.
Also, if you haven't looked recently, we have a new section of Sunday School Lessons and a section for how to start your own church. Some sites actually charge for this information, but since we, at the Seminary, want you to go forth and find your dream, we have provided this information for free.
If you have any questions, please email me at any time. :)
--Amy
2005-09-22 I'll be out of the office for a few days
Hi All!
My 10 year wedding anniversary is this weekend, so my hubby and I are going to Las Vegas until Sunday night, so I won't be available to answer your questions. If you email me and I don't get right back, that's why. :)
I'll get to you as soon as I get back. Have a great weekend!
Oh, and orders will still go out as usual while I'm gone. :)
--Amy
2005-11-01 Notary Fee & Honor Bestowed
Letters of Good Standing for New York, Virginia, and the District of Columbia are required to be notarized so there is a $10.00 fee to cover the notary charges, through headquarters. Since they don't currently have a means for paying for that online, it looks like you'll have to send a check.
On a happier note, I was recently given a great honor. I was recently made Honorary Director of the National Interfaith Chamber of Commerce for 2005-2006. Their website is www.interfaithchamberofcommerce.com. If you have an inspirational article you'd like to share for their newsletter, I'm sure their Founder and Dirctor, Rev. Paula Webb would be delighted to have it.
Also, if you haven't checked it out yet, please add the RSS feed to your site. We have one for both the regular site info as well as for the forum. It's a great way to keep in touch and you don't even need a website. Go to www.ulcseminary.org/ULCRssFeed.php for more information. It's free, easy and helps us to help you stay informed. :)
--Amy
2005-12-02 ULC mentioned on TV
Did anyone watch ER last night? Two of the characters decided to get married and, as it happens, someone in their hospital circle of friends just happens to be a Universal Life Church minister.
It's great to see the ULC in the news!
2006-01-23 New Blog and New Class
Hi All!
We have put up a new blog for the seminary, http://spaces.msn.com/members/universallifechurch/. We added many of the featured ministers, plus a few other pictures that rotate.
The other, more exciting, new bit of information is that we will soon be having a series of Reiki courses. The first is a pre-requisite course for the masters program. It's the only course we have that is rewarded with a certificate of completion and is required before taking the masters or doctorate program in Reiki. I'm working on it as we speak and will have it up shortly.
Also, if you haven't been getting your newsletter or other mailings, please be patient. We are changing servers shortly and that should resolve the problem.
Please check out the contest in the forum to receive a $10 gift certificate from the Seminary. :)
--Amy
2006-02-14 Happy Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine's Day!
I wanted to share with you a special Valentine's day wish and to let you know that I'll be a little behind on my emails for a few days. My mother-in-law is terminal in the hospital and we've been spending a lot of time there on watch.
Send some prayers our way. As you can imagine, everyone is falling apart.
The site will be moved to a new server shortly and when we do, we'll have some new things added to the site. I've been holding off for the move. The newsletter should resume with regularity again for those you who haven't been receiving it.
If you have anything you'd like to see on the site, please drop me an email with your ideas.
--Amy
2006-03-14 Newsletters & Course Samples
Hi Everyone!
You may have noticed recently that you have been receiving newsletters again. We moved to a new server which will starting sending all the mailings faithfully. The problem with the new program is that it is sending all of the newsletters and course samples that you should've received over the last 5 or 6 months --- all at once.
So if you've been inundated with mail from us, (and it bothers you) I do apologize. It'll mellow out in the next week or so.
If you notice that your name is not listed correctly, please let me know so I can correct it.
Also, remember that if you want to be listed in the directory, you need to add yourself.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. More changes to the site are underway!
--Amy
2006-03-15 Newsletter & Spam Blockers
Hello.
We've been sending out newsletters regularly and one of the problems we've been bumping up against is that lots of you have spam blockers. If you could please, add newsletter@ulcseminary.org and amy@ulcseminary.org to your approved list.
That would really help. Thanks!!
--Amy
2006-04-04 Essays Wanted
Hi All!
We're starting a new feature on the site about how each of you came to be ordained. It's an extension of the Featured Minister thing that we have. What I would love is a few paragraphs about why you become a minister or what you've done with your ministry, along with a jpeg picture that I can post. Please send them to amy@ulcseminary.org and I'll be posting it on the blog as time allows. I think this is a great way to get the word out about the good works being done by our ministers and to give tribute to those of you who have taken the step. Thanks and I look forward to reading your stories.
2006-04-16 Happy Easter!
Happy Easter! May all blessings be upon you.
There was a request on the forum for a course that has to do with 'Crone' knowledge. If someone has information about this they think they can make into a study course, please contact me at amy@ulcseminary.org.
--Amy
2006-05-04 Vacation
Hi All! My hubby and I are taking a weekend vacation (no children), so I will be away from the computer until Monday (May 8th).
I've been getting tremendous response from my request for courses. You all are terrific! It'll take me some time to go through them. In the meantime, put together an outline of the course you'd like to teach and send it to me. It doesn't have to be one on the list that was sent. I'm open to all suggestions. Send them to amy@ulcseminary.org and I'll get back to you as soon as I've caught up.
Thanks!!!
2006-05-11 Courses to watch for
I've been hearing from all sorts of people about writing new courses. If you haven't heard back from me, I apologize. I got flooded with emails. Go to www.ulcseminary.org/coursesubmission.php for specific info about guidelines.
New courses to watch for are:
Dr. of Druidism
Master and Dr. of Ethics
Master and Dr. of Religious Theology
Master of Gnosticism
Dr. of Comparative Religion
2 new Buddhism Courses
2 new Shamanism Course
Christian Counseling
Spiritual Counseling
Spiritual Marketing
Dr. of Wiccan Studies
Dr. of Paganism
And several others. I'm going to wait and see how many people follow-through, but there should be a whole slew of new courses in the next couple of months.
Thanks to all who have written. We are still open to new ideas, so keep 'em coming!
--Amy
2006-07-03 Spam Blockers
Hello. If you are a mindspring or earthlink person and you have some anti-spam stuff connected to your email address, please add amy@ulcseminary.org to your approved list.
Every time I send a newsletter out, I spend hours and hours hand approving each email. It would be a great help if you could put that address on your white list. Thanks!!
--Amy
2006-07-21 Vacation for AMY
Hi All!
I'm going to be on vacation from today (when I turn off the computer) until Aug. 15th. I'm taking two weeks with the family and a week of doing karate in Baltimore.
I'll be checking in a couple of times a week, so please be patient. Orders will still go out, so please don't worry about that. The ID cards may take a few days longer than normal because our cardmaker is also on vacation, but they will still arrive as soon as we can.
Check out our seminary blog at www.ulcseminary.blogspot.com. It has all of our latest seminary students essays on it. They might help you decide what courses to take. :)
Talk to you soon!
--Amy
2006-08-27 Robert J O'Callaghan Passed to the Summerlands
Hello All.
I have some sad news. My dear friend, and author of our Wiccan studies program, passed to the Summerlands yesterday.
He has been my friend for a number of years and he will be sorely missed. Please send him your prayers, blessings and love.
The VA Sacramento Medical Center has openings for Chaplain Interns for their Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) extended unit. This is an opportunity for ministers, seminarians and others who feel a call to hospital chaplaincy to learn more about themselves as pastoral caregivers through group work with peers, supervision, education and direct experience with patients, family and staff.
The extended unit runs from November 6, 2006 through April 12, 2007. Education, supervision and peer groups will be held approximately 5 hours per week. Approximately 10 hours per week will be devoted to direct pastoral care. There is no stipend for this position.
If you have an interest in hospital ministry to Veterans, we invite you to come and see who we are and to envision who you might become. Interviews will be held beginning October 2 until positions are filled.
Please contact:
Rev. Jackie Kelly
CPE Supervisor in Supervisory Education
(916) 843-9221
jacqueline.kelly2@va.gov
(Please note that Jackie will be out of town September 26 through 30.)
2007-01-02 Lida Hensley has Passed Away
I am very sad to report that Lida Hensley, the president of the ULC passed away on 12/31/2006.
A memorial service will be held for her at the Modesto church on 1/14/2006 at 10am. Everyone is welcome.
Please keep her in your prayers.
2007-02-05 Wedding Certificates
A minister has let me know about some beautiful wedding certificates that he has created, so I'm sharing it with you all as well.
http://pyratephotos.com/weddings/certificates.htm
2007-02-06 Marriage Info about Quebec
For people wanting to execute a marriage in Quebec http://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/english/publications/generale/maria-a.htm
. It is the site of the Ministry of Justice so the information is factual (still they say it is not the official document for legal
reason). At the end they placed hyperlink with usefull information about related subject.
2007-02-07 Amy will be away
Hi All.
I will be away from my computer from Thursday through Monday and I'll be back to answering emails on Tues.
If you have an emergency, you can contact andre@ulchq.com. If it's regarding an order, please wait a couple of days until I get back.
Thanks!!
--Amy
2007-03-07 New Weddings, Funerals and Rites Book
The congregation has spoken and I have heard (and felt) the nudge.
I am finally getting off my hind end and started to work again on the sequel to the ceremony book that I started several years ago.
Many of you have sent in ceremonies and they have been received. Nothing is decided yet.
If your ceremony was selected to go in the book, you'll be getting an email from me about it and/or I'll be posting the names of those included on this announcements page.
Keep an eye out. If you weren't selected, then I'm sorry, but I appreciate your submission. I have an overflow of wedding material, so not everyone's will go in.
And if yours is selected, you will need to sign a release ahead of time.
Thanks everyone!!
--Amy
2007-03-21 New Graduate!
I have two announcements:
First of all, we have our second graduate from the seminary. Tracy Loper has graduated with a Master of Ministry and is working towards her Doctor of Ministry. Congratulations Tracy!
Second: I will be away from my computer from today (Wed) until I get back online sometime probably Sunday. It may not be until Monday. So if I don't get back to you right away, that's way. You're not being ignored. :)
--Amy
2007-04-04 Workshops
Reverend Alan Crisp
DHP MASC GQHP MBIH MGHR LNCP
Alan is a ULC Minister, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist, Stress and Trauma Consultant and Motivational Trainer and has a busy clinical practice in Beckenham on the West Kent, East Surrey and SE London Borders..
Pastoral and general counselling skills workshops and tutorials are offered to ULC Ministers who are willing to travel to the venue in the Bromley area, in Kent, UK.
Tutorials of (120 minutes) are free to individual ministers and are by appointment only.
Rev Alan offers a bi-monthly workshop for ULC ministers (180 minutes) to learn pastoral and general counselling skills to help them develop the services of their ministry. There may be a small charge to cover venue hire and refreshments and this is subject to numbers attending.
If you
2007-04-19 Change of Board Members
We've had a change of board members, so I'd like to make public our current board of directors for the ULC Seminary.
President: Amy E. Long
Vice President: Josh Copeland
Second Vice President: April Dashell
Secretary: Stephanie Smith
Treasurer: Jon L. Smith
2007-04-20 Article on ULC
Dear Amy,
It seems like everything we read about the ULC is about someone who was ordained to perform a wedding for a friend or as a joke. I think it's time someone wrote a pro ULC article with emphasis on the serious reasons many of us have made the decision. I want to portray us in a professional light. I want to emphasize a trend for improvement and progress within the status of the ULC Seminary.
I would appreciate any comments you might have.
If its possible could you include the questions below in the newsletter. I think this will help me reach more more ULC ministers who take their profession seriously.
This is a copy of a message I posted on one of the sites;
I want to get to know more about ULC ministers. I think the more we communicate with each other the stronger ULC becomes. I am also a writer and I am considering writing a pro ULC article. I need more information.
What I want to know:
Tell me what you are doing with your Ministry.
What is your goal?
Why did you decide to become a minister through ULC?
Do you feel like you could use more training?
Are you taking more classes or workshops now?
Where do you live? (I am mostly concerned about the State and Country. Any other information such as city, church or organization is up to you.)
What suggestions do you have to help us be more recognized and respected as a professional group?
What would you like to tell the world about the ULC?
If you want me to use your name or location please given me written permission in your reply. I will not use any information you do not give me permission to use. If you want your Church or Organization mentioned let me know. I want to do everything I can to reflect ULC in as positive a light as possible.
I will acknowledge each reply I get. If you prefer to communicate via of personal email, my address is: rev.vjansen@ yahoo.com
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Rev. Virginia Rose Jansen
2007-05-02 New Book Progress
For those who have taken an interest in the new book, 'More Weddings, Funerals and Rites of Passage', I have been making tremendous progress and I now have a tentative list of the authors who will be included. There may be others still to be included, but this is a pretty comprehensive list. If you know someone on the list, give him or her a nudge and let them know. I'll be formally contacting all of the authors once the book is totally complete.
It's looking really good!
--Amy
1. Revs. DavidPaul & Candace Doyle
2. Rev. Robin Muldowney
3. Lady Charia (Charlotte Ann Chaffin)
4. Rev. Douglas Harney
5. Rev. Steven Hamilton
6. Rev. Jason Fruth
7. Dr. Olga Rasmussen
8. Pastor Pat Schwab
9. Rev. Terri Potter
10. Rev. Jeremy Garland
11. Rev. Michelle Manning-Kogler
12. Rev. Don Reimer
13. Elena A. Hartgering
14. Susan Scheiter
15. Rev. Anne Treadwell
16. Rudy Munoz
17. Rev. Linda Hourihan
18. Pastor Fred Surrett
19. Charles M. LaBow
20. Rev. Tina Mulhall
21. Rev. Dave Levin
22. Rev. David J. Gripka
23. Rev. William C. Sanders
24. Sabrina Baca-Thrasher
25. Rev. Samantha Phenix
26. Rev. Rebecca Orth
27. Rev. Evan LeBreton
28. Rev. Jamie Sanders
29. Rev. Phil Branson
30. Rev. Richard Boyle
31. Rev. Debbie Kalinowski
32. Rev. Ray Dilfield
2007-06-06 Newsletter List
Hi.
I've been going through and cleaning out the mailing list to get rid of all the bouncing emails. I do want to be sure, however, that everybody is getting the news and updates.
The most recent, and I think ambitious, project that the Seminary is undertaking is to create a Who's Who book of ULC Ministers. I sent out an announcement about it recently. If you did not receive this announcement, please be sure to go to the newsletter page and sign up to be on the list. You'll get samples of courses, announcements as they come up and a monthly newsletter.
Some people have asked why they haven't received anything. Please be sure to sign yourself up on the list. I would have to have you miss out.
--Amy
2007-06-19 My Birthday
Okay, so this isn't exactly news, but I'm sharing it anyway. Today I turn 40. There, I said it. lol.
Also, I will be away from my keyboard after tonight for 6 days, so don't panic if I don't respond right away. I've got some karate to go do and I'm going to be having fun, so I won't be able to get back to you for a few days. :)
Lastly, if you have the ability to post things to youtube, record yourself doing a sermon (either live or staged) and post it there as 'private' (or public if you want) and we'll be posting them on a special new page on the site. Live sermons sound pretty cool to me. :)
2007-07-21 I'll be on Vacation
Hi Everyone!
I'll be on vacation from the 21st of July through the first week of August. Your orders will still go out as they come in. There may be a slight delay in getting your lessons started, but I'll be checking in a few times to get those taken care of.
If I don't respond right away, please only send one email. If you have an order concern, write to monica@ulcseminary.org with your order number and your question and she can help you.
Thanks!!!
2007-08-31 Who's Who Book
Hi Everyone,
It looks like the printer I've been using was sold to someone else, but they are going to be resuming business shortly, so thank you to all of you who have been helping me find a printer.
Also, I'm pleased to note that people are starting to get going on sending in their stories and pictures. It looks like we will be going with what we have by the end of September regardless of how many are in it.
So if you want to get in, send it ASAP.
Thanks!!
--Amy
2007-10-16 Thanks!
Hi All!
First of all and foremost, I'd like to thank James D. Connor for his generous donation. It was greatly appreciated by the church and by me personally. You are much appreciated James!
Also, please note that we have extended the deadline for the Who's Who book. I've had some personal drama on my end and things are a bit stressful, so I'll be pushing it back a month or so until things can settle a bit here.
Please check out the Shamanism course and the Mystical Christianity course. Both are pretty new and really interesting.
We are expecting some new courses in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled.
--Amy
2007-12-11 Happy Holidays
Hello All!
I'd like to wish you all a happy holiday for starters. :) For those of you who are receiving seminary classes, there was a glitch in the program and it had stopped sending lessons, then when it got started again, it backed everyone up a few weeks, so if that's an issue, let me know and I can adjust yours.
I'd also like to personally thank Susan Chambers for her generous donation to the Seminary. Thanks!!!!
--Amy
2007-12-19 Clergy Event!
Dear Amy:
In response to your invitation to share items for the newsletter, I do want to extend the invitation to ULC brethren to join us for the International Congress of Clergy and Christian Workers meeting in Greensburg, Indiana, April 30 through May 2, 2008.
We are asking for advance registration. However, there is no fee for the conference. This is our desire to create a venue of fellowship, edification, and inspiration for all. Conferees will only be responsible for their personal costs, e.g. travel, lodging and food.
The website for the Congress is now up and running at http://clergycongress.tripod.org.
Thanks and blessings.
Dave Moshier
2008-01-04 Email Problem
Hi.
Weird thing. It seems that my email addresses are bouncing right now for some reason. I don't know what's going on and hope it's temporary, but it seems to be a problem. For the time being, send me an email to kenpokaratechick@gmail.com
It should just be for a day or two. Try both addresses to be sure.
--Amy
2008-02-23 ULC Who's Who Book
I'd like to apologize for not communicating better about the Who's Who book of ULC Ministers. For those of you who have paid and are in it, rest assured that it's still happening.
I was doing another project at the same time and the other one absorbed a ton of my attention. With that and my recent separation, I had just bit off more than I could chew. Before the book goes to print, we still do need more people to be in it. I need about 20 more before I can comfortably go to print. I want the book to be significant in size and quality and I'd like more people in it than we currently have.
So if you would still like to be in it, it's not too late. I'll be sending a newsletter about it soon, within the next month. The other project is finishing up and my plate will be less full.
Once I finish the Who's Who book, I'll be putting much of my attention on finishing up the Weddings, Funerals and Rites of Passage sequel. It's over 300 pages done so far, but I have a few more details to finish up and then it'll be going to print as well. When it's about ready, you'll be able to pre-order it at a reduced price. :)
Again, sorry for the delay on the Who's Who book.
--Amy
2008-03-27 Newsletter List
Hello!
Our newsletter list has been having some issues lately, especially with Yahoo members.
Please please please everyone put the address amy@ulcseminary.org into your address book and if a newsletter goes into bulk, please click the 'not spam' button.
If we can't get it resolved, we're going to have a problem delivering to yahoo addresses.
Your help with this is greatly appreciated.
--Amy
2008-05-05 Whos Who Book
The information page for the who's who book is http://www.ulcseminary.org/whoswho.php.
2008-05-21 Generous Donation
I'd like to take a moment and thank Judith Wolf for her generous donation to the Seminary.
It's people like her that help keep the Seminary going and it's greatly appreciated!!
Also, the who's who book is almost finished. I'll be going through the list of those who will be in it and confirm that everyone has paid and that all the people who have paid are in the book. :)
If you have submitted a story and not paid, please do because I"m about done and we'll be moving forward shortly.
--Amy
2008-09-25 Newsletter Craziness
Hi.
About three months ago, I was setting up the next newsletter and course samples and I must've been slightly delirious or something because I put in the numbers wrong for when it was supposed to go out. I added a zero to the end, which means they aren't actually scheduled to go out for about a year. lol
When I added the next newsletter and such, I kept to that format, so about 5 of them never went out. When I correct the problem, many of you have noticed that a bunch of them went out at once. For this, I do apologize.
Once those four or five have gone out, the rest won't come for at least two weeks, which is the norm. So again, I do apologize.
I also neglected to put in an unsubscribe link on one or two of them, which has been corrected, so if you were wanting to unsubscribe, please wait for the next one and it'll be there. I hope you don't though. :)
--Amy
2008-11-18 Christmas Cards
I got this from a minister. Sounds like a good thing.
Hi all,
When doing your Christmas cards this year, take one card and
send it to this address. If we pass this on and everyone sends one
card,
think of how many cards these wonderful special people who have
sacrificed so much would get.
A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001
If you approve, please pass it on.
I wish you enough....!
2009-01-01 New Year's Day
On This New Year's Day
On this New Year's Day in your life, dear friend.....
1. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. You won't find glory at the center of safety, but at its edge.
2. It may seem that you cannot control exterior circumstances, but you can always control interior ones.
3. Ninety-five percent of what you worry about never even comes to pass, and the other 5 percent is not worth the worry.
4. Good is flowing to you every day. How much of it you experience depends on how much of it you can accept.
5. Your light is seen, your heart is known, your soul is cherished by more people than you might imagine. If you knew how many others have been touched in wonderful ways by you, you would be astonished.
6. Arguments get you nowhere, and being 'right' is rarely helpful. What works when there is a disagreement is love.
7. Everything is perfect Right Here, Right Now. And Right Here, Right Now is all there is.
8. Ask yourself: "How much difference will this make when I'm 85?" If you think it will matter then, let it matter now.
9. Every day, you have a chance to be Right or to be Love.
10. You are part of a Larger Whole, and you are never, ever alone.
2009-01-03 'More Weddings, Funerals and Rites of Passage' book almost done!
Hi Everyone,
The book is almost done. This is a sequel to Weddings, Funerals and Rites of Passage. I know I've been promising it for...well....years, but it's finally almost done. It's just shy of 400 pages right now. I'm listing the current contributing authors. I'm good with wedding things, unless someone has a good 'jumping the broom' or maybe sand ceremony or something. I have tons of the other stuff. This book is looking really amazing and it will go really well with the other one.
I'll be posting info about it in an upcoming newsletter and as it gets closer, you all will get a chance to pr-order it at a good discount. Here are people who currently have a ceremony or more listed. Everyone who is in it will get a free copy.
1. Revs. DavidPaul & Candace Doyle
2. Rev. Robin Muldowney
3. Lady Charia (Charlotte Ann Chaffin)
4. Rev. Douglas Harney
5. Rev. Steven Hamilton
6. Rev. Jason Fruth
7. Dr. Olga Rasmussen
8. Pastor Pat Schwab
9. Rev. Terri Potter
10. Rev. Jeremy Garland
11. Rev. Michelle Manning-Kogler
12. Rev. Don Reimer
13. Rev. Elena A. Hartgering
14. Rev. Susan Scheiter
15. Rev. Anne Treadwell
16. Rudy Munoz
17. Rev. Linda Hourihan
18. Pastor Fred Surrett
19. Rev. Charles M. LaBow
20. Rev. Tina Mulhall
21. Rev. Dave Levin
22. Rev. David J. Gripka
23. Rev. William C. Sanders
24. Sabrina Baca-Thrasher
25. Rev. Samantha Phenix
26. Rev. Rebecca Orth
27. Rev. Evan LeBreton
28. Rev. Jamie Sanders
29. Rev. Phil Branson
30. Rev. Richard Boyle
31. Rev. Debbie Kalinowski
32. Rev. Ray Dilfield
33. Rev. Steve Hawkes
34. Rev. Frieda New Hughes
35. Rev. Brenda Garcia
36. Rev. Judy Angelheart
37. Rev. Susan Selene
38. Rev. Elizabeth Houser Moffatt
39. Rev. Rhonda Sue Weinberger
40. By Rev. Jayne
2009-03-19 Behind on emails
Hi All.
If you've sent an email in the last week or so and haven't gotten a response, please bear with me. I've been having some personal stuff to deal with (taxes, house stuff, etc.) that has gotten in the way of me doing my work, so please be patient and I'll respond within the next few days.
I'm going to be full-tilt on catching up by Monday. :)
--Amy
2009-04-10 Book is closed
The new book, More Weddings, Funerals and Rites of Passage is closed. It's not quite done, but it's closed to new admissions.
It is going to be amazing. I'm going to be posting a lot of the other ceremony submissions on the site because there were so many that were good, but the book is over 400 pages as it is, so I just couldn't take any more.
I apologize to those of you who didn't get in, but it was a difficult choice all the way around.
I'll be sending an announcement when it's done.
Until then, thanks!!
--Amy
2009-08-28 One of those Days!
Ever have one of those days when you are questioning the wisdom of the universe?
I had a day like that yesterday. One stressful thing after another. I knew I was really in trouble when I decided I needed some hand lotion. I rubbed it on my arms and then on my face. I tried diligently to rub it in and questioned why it wasn't rubbing in. And then I realized......
I'd just rubbed HAIR GEL all over my arms and face!
Yes, such a day.
On the plus side, today I have been working very hard to get caught up on all of the autoresponders that had gotten messed up when I upgraded. I've added some new mailings, so if you are a seminary student and haven't gotten anything in awhile, you will be soon. :)
We have two new courses that are now available and we have kicked off the chaplaincy program. Much happening here at the ULC Seminary!
--Amy
I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !!
Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning - Ben Stein
I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !!
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto.. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.... And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out.. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school.. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr.... Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay..
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit.
If not, then just discard it.... no one will know you did.... But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
This is a great course based on the book, The Celestine Prophecy. In this 20 week course, you will enhance your spiritual awareness and clarity. The course is interesting and informative. Insights into Awareness is based on the teachings of James Red
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The Metaphysics of Becoming Your Own Miracle Worker This is a course in course in metaphysics and spiritual psychology. It teaches students how to make the kinds of choices that enable them to transcend their problems and experience inner peace. It i
Sunday, July 18, 2010
This is a great package filled with useful products. It's perfect for the new minister or the experienced one. It makes a great gift for someone else (or for yourself.)This package contains:1 Plastic Wallet ID Card with your Name and Address, in a ch
Friday, July 02, 2010
Dr. of Christian Studies!This is one of the finest courses of the Seminary. You'll be amazed at the level of understanding you will get from this course.--This class is a required course for graduation from the ULC Seminary. --If you are a Christian,
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Are you performing your first wedding soon?You want to look professional, right?This package is for you!You'll receive a copy of The Ultimate Wedding & Ceremony Workbook for the 'Planning-Impaired',One ordination credential,3 certificates (weddin
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Dr. of Christian Studies!This is one of the finest courses of the Seminary. You'll be amazed at the level of understanding you will get from this course.--If you are a Christian, you are probably taking this course because you want to learn more abou
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
This Instant Ministry Package is perfect for the minister who wants to do it all. With this package, all you need to do is 'add minister and mix.' This program is also part of our seminary program. * Best Product*Each New Instant Ministry will contai
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
You will receive two of these beautiful certificates with large gold seals. If you only plan to perform one or two weddings, this is a perfect deal for you. You will give your couples something to cherish and to show their friends.These certificates
Monday, June 14, 2010
To receive this degree, we ask for a fee of $30.00.You will legally be entitled to use the title Dr. in front of your name and D.D. after your name. All Dr. of Divinity titles, regardless of where they came from, are considered honorary and no test i
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Welcome to Paganism for the New Age. This course is an introductory course to Paganism and offers, upon its completion, a Master of Paganism Degree. The course is 20 lessons long, sent to your email box once a week. You will learn about the different
Friday, June 11, 2010
Amy, This was sent to me a few days ago. While I have been going through some spiritual turmoil. But I have stuck to my own thoughts, I had people telling me that I was wrong, however I knew that I was not. I trusted what I felt inside. Today after work, I had a meeting with two of my friends and we hashed everything out. By trusting in myself and my feelings, things were worked out to the highest good. I just sat down and read this email. :o) Tiny blessings Thank you so much! In love and light Julie
I like the ULCSeminary program and encourage you to continue with its programs. I do read every newsletter although I seldom respond immediately to its news. I have completed the course on Buddhism and need to get busy writing up papers for the Wicca and the Paganism courses. I also like the interesting discourse series and read every one.
Oh Sister Amy, you have no idea just how much your caring words mean to me at this time…For the last month it seems like everything I laid my hands on has gone wrong…Thank you so much for the hopeful words…May the All mighty lay hands on you…
I really enjoyed my first email, from my course of the Four Gospels, it is helping me see and explore Jesus Christ in a whole new way, to See the power, love and light, and how that power, love and light is within us. The scriptures are opening to me in a whole new way that is transforming.
Thank you is not enough,for the power of the gift I am receiving.
I downloaded the toolbar and I think it is great! The things we can do with it is fantastic! Thank you Amy. It is greatly appreciated what the ULC seminary has done. God bless you. Reverend Terry Sue
Amy, Are you an angel sent to me to lift my spirits? I realize that you send emails to many but your words always seem to come to me in my time of need. No matter who you may be to others, you will always be an angel to me.
" Becoming a star may not be your destiny, but being the best that you can be is a goal that you can set for yourself." Bryan Lindsay Universal Life Church
When you worry, there is static coming through your mind radio. God's song is the song of calmness. Nervousness is the static; calmness is the voice of God speaking to you through the radio of your soul. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda
"I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don't do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results." - Michael Jordan
If you are a seminary student and you'd like to have a card stating that you are a student in good standing, we have made them available to you. This one is done on a purple card with black ink, but if you have another preference, you can state that on your order. 
