Unity's Five Basic Principles 

The core of Unity's beliefs can be stated in these Five Basic Principles:

  1. God is Absolute Good, everywhere present.
  2. Every human being is an expression of the divine; the Christ Spirit, by whatever name, indwells all people.   Their very essence is of God, and therefore they are also inherently good.
  3. Human beings create their experience by the activity of their thinking. Everything in the manifest realm has its beginning in thought.
  4. Prayer is creative thinking that heightens the connection with God - mind and therefore brings forth wisdom, healing, prosperity and everything good.
  5. Knowing and understanding the laws of life, also called Truth, are not enough. A person must also live the Truth that he or she knows.

Unity of Bellevue Core Values:

·     We put God first in all we do, remembering always that God is everywhere present as the one, eternal reality expressing in and through all aspects of this ministry.

·     We believe in the unlimited potential of every person. As individuals become aware of the presence of God within them, this potential is realized and demonstrated. The path to this awareness is found through the practice of inner stillness and communion with God in prayer and meditation.

·     We celebrate diversity, remembering that everyone is a unique expression of God. We honor our oneness with all people and work to create an environment that is safe and welcoming to all who come here and which addresses a wide variety of life concerns and interests.

·     We commit to living the teachings of Unity and to sharing these teachings with all those who desire to live a practical, spiritual empowered life.

·     We believe that people deepen their spiritual life and practice through service to others. We put God in action through volunteer and social programs.

·     We believe we are one with all of life and we accept our responsibility to improve the quality of life on the Earth and within our community through prayer and appropriate action, and by taking responsibility for our own thoughts and actions. The greatest assistance we can provide our world is through the continued growth and healing of our own consciousness. As we change ourselves... we change the world.

·     We teach and practice the principles of abundance in thought, word and deed. Through our faith in God and through sharing our selfless service and material resources, we are established in ever-flowing prosperity.

·     We commit to practicing compassion, non-judgment and unconditional love to all aspects of this ministry.

·     We provide a center of light, peace and spiritual understanding for the spiritual seeker.

 

What is Unity's Position?

  • On God ~ Unity believes that God is everywhere present-in all beings, all settings, all situations. There is no place, internally or externally, at which we can say about our relationship to God, "You can't get there from here." Unity holds that not only is God everywhere present, but that God is all good; and that we, as God's children, are heirs to that great goodness. Our purpose is to grow into that role of being radiant expressions of God's light-wayshower-by continually opening and expanding our awareness of that prime connection, and by bringing our living into harmony with that awareness.

    For more information on the Association of Unity Churches visit http://www.unity.org/.

  • On Jesus Christ ~ Unity believes that Jesus was a true wayshower. He demonstrated in his every word and action how to live as a "light of the world." His full realization and manifestation of His Divine nature is the source of the title, Christ, which means "the anointed one". Unity believes that Jesus' call to, "follow me", and His assurance that, "these and greater things shall you do", are central to His message-that we are all called to awaken to and to manifest the Christ consciousness within us.
  • On Heaven and Hell ~ Unity believes that heaven and hell are places in consciousness that we can, and do, experience on a regular basis. When we open to Divine presence, when we recognize that we walk on sacred ground, we open to the radiance of heaven and all its goodness, beauty and truth. When we lose sight of the Divine, and walk the world separate and alone, we experience all manner of adversarial conditions-the hell of forgetfulness that is asleep to the Truth of the Divine that is already and always present right here.
  • On Sin ~ Unity believes that everyone and everything in life is an expression of God, and therefore, is inherently good. Sin, which originally was an archery term for "missing the mark", is the condition (like "hell") when we lose awareness of our connection to God within us and within all of life. Acting as if we were separate from the Divine, we "miss the mark" of living up to our true Divine nature. Unity further believes that the concept of "original sin" does not mean that we are flawed by nature, but that as part of the human condition and contract, we are here to awaken fully to our Divine nature. Our life on Earth is long, gradual, transformative remembering.
  • On Peace ~ Unity and the Association of Unity Churches has issued the following joint statement for peace: "Unity stands for peace in the presence of conflict; for love in the presence of hatred; for forgiveness in the presence of injury. Unity honors the many names for God, the many paths to God, the many ways to worship God; for there is only one power and presence of God and that God loves each one of us equally. It is therefore the position of The International Association of Unity Churches and Unity to urge all nations, their leaders, and their people to turn to God, by whatever the name, for guidance during these challenging times and pursue peace, not war, for this is what honors the God of all our faith traditions. Unity stands for peace in our lifetime."

A Brief History of Unity of Bellevue:

 

Unity of Bellevue began in 1959 as an outreach program of Unity of Seattle. In January of 1960, Dan Perin was selected as the Bellevue congregation's first full-time minister. With long-range plans for a permanent spiritual home, church members in 1962 purchased the property of the present day Unity of Bellevue site, on the northwest corner of 4th and 164th in the Crossroads area of Bellevue.

However, it wasn't until five years later, in 1967, that construction on the present church building began. This was made possible when twenty-two families pledged $2,500 each to obtain a bank loan. Two years later, on June 8, 1969, the first service was conducted in the new sanctuary, with Rev. Kay Arndt serving as minister.

In 1981, Rev. Max Lafser was hired as the minister. He served until 1986, during which time the congregation expanded significantly. The congregation purchased a neighboring lot west of the church building, and continues to own this property today.

Over the next fifteen years, the congregation has been served by the Reverends Linda Spencer, Nathaniel Carter, Max Lafser, Patty Becker and John McLean.

About Our Wings:

The Unity wings symbol appears in many Unity publications and is prominently displayed in many Unity churches all over the world.  Its origins are so ancient they are lost in the mist of pre-history.  A similar design has been present in many cultures and spiritual traditions.  In ancient Egypt it represented the sun.  Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore adopted this artistic creation as Christian symbol as early as 1891 in the first issue of Unity Magazine.  In the April 1923 issue Charles gave this explaination: "The winged globe or sun disc represents the relation existing between Spirit, soul, and body.  Soul (the wings) gives wings to the body (the disc). Spirit is the (invisible) enveloping Principle, like the atmosphere in which both soul and body exist, and from which they draw their orginal inspiration."   

unity of  bellevue

16330 NE 4th Street~ Bellevue, WA 98008~ 425-747-5950