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Wednesdays, July 7th through August 4th at 7:15 pm: Charles & Myrtle Fillmore’s views on Healing & Wholeness with Barbara Thorp, L.U.T. & Deborah Brandt
Wednesday, August 11th at 7:15 pm: Emotional Freedom Technique with Jan Santora & Pattie Howard
Wednesdays, August 18th through September 1st at 7:15 pm: Meditation and Breath with Sada Simran Khalsa
Wednesdays, September 8th through October 13th at 7:15 pm: Discover the Power Within You with Rev. Rich Carlini & Barbara Thorp, L.U.T.
August 1st David Thomson, PhD
August 8th David Spangler
August 15th Gloria Burgess
August 22nd Rymii Kaio
Expect a wonderful time hearing of her pilgimage!
Leadership
Seattle Unity Church, as are all Unity churches and spiritual centers, is an independent organization. There is a national Association of Unity Churches which provides resources and support, but the decisions relating to each Unity church or center are independent. The leadership of Seattle Unity Church is shared: spiritual leadership, and leadership “overall”, is provided by Reverend Karen Lindvig, our revered Senior Minister. The day to day business of Seattle Unity, including all programming, scheduling, contracts, and the church building as a facility, is administered by our wonderful Business Manager, Rymii Kaio. The Board of Trustees, elected from our members, provides the third part of our leadership. The Board is responsible for the long-term well being of the church. They thoughtfully oversee the high-level finances, purposes, and policies of Seattle Unity.
Reverend Karen Lindvig was born and grew up in Chicago, Illinois, where her father worked as a Chicago cop. Her teenage years were spent as a Bleacher Bum at Wrigley Field. As she developed her own spirit, she found herself heading off to travel around Africa with a group of people whom she only knew through an ad she had answered inviting others to join them on the trip.
After her travels she returned home and became an avid student of yoga and astrology. In 1980 Karen served as a staff member at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in the Bahamas. She taught classes, led satsangs, and along with other staff, managed the day to day operation of the ashram. Upon leaving the ashram, she traveled around the US and discovered Unity. It was the perfect blend of the Eastern teachings that she had grown to love and the Western teachings in which she had been raised.
Karen entered ministerial school in 1982 where she met her husband, Rev. Stephen Towles. She was ordained in 1984 and served her first ministry in Olathe, Kansas. From 1985 until 1990 she and Steve served Unity Ministry of Reno as senior co-ministers until they were called to Seattle Unity. Karen has continuously served Seattle Unity as a minister since 1990.
Karen and Steve moved to Seattle in 1990 when their daughter, Caroline was only 6 weeks old and their son, Jordan was 2 years old. Karen Lindvig and Stephen Towles have two children, two step-daughters, and two granddaughters.
She is loved and admired for the prayer consciousness she holds and for her ability to make one feel absolutely loved and blessed. She brings a wealth of Unity experience to her deep and thoughtful messages. Karen’s service has been far reaching including prayer ministry, mentoring individuals for ministry, the chaplain program and Earth Care Ministry. Her messages are powerful, operating on a variety of different levels. She combines wisdom and insights into the human condition with a profound mystic’s understanding of expanding spiritual awareness. Her messages are powerful, operating on a variety of different levels. She combines wisdom and insights into the human condition with a profound mystic’s understanding of expanding spiritual awareness.
Karen remains an avid Cubs fan, astrologer and lover of yoga.
Our ongoing daily leadership is provided by our beloved Business Manager, Rymii Kaio. Rymii combines “head” knowledge of business practices and “heart” knowledge of compassion. Fully grounded in the practice of Unity principles, she endeavors to practice these principles with each person and in each situation she encounters. . While efficiently setting in place good business practices, she never loses awareness that this is, indeed, a spiritual community, whose function is spiritual practice.
Rymii has been a member of Seattle Unity since 1999 and has served as a volunteer in Youth and Family Ministries, the choir, and as a member and Chair of the Board of Trustees. She brings more than 30 years of experience as a manager, project manager, and organization development consultant to her work as Business Manager at Seattle Unity. She has an MA in Applied Behavioral Science and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington State. Rymii is dedicated to her personal and spiritual growth and is currently in the process of becoming a licensed unity teacher. She is deeply committed to serving the community at Seattle Unity with the spiritual gifts and talents she has been given.
Rymii appreciates the diversity of her cultural roots from her Hawaiian father and German mother. She visits family in Hawaii and Germany as often as possible. Raised as an Air Force brat, she has lived all over the world and continues to travel as much as possible. She is blessed with a son and daughter-in-law who are teaching in the International School System and make there home in Trinidad and Tobago at this writing – another opportunity to experience other cultures. Rymii is also blessed with a beloved partner who spends many hours as a volunteer in every possible capacity at Seattle Unity and three very independent and beloved cats. (We’d like a dog but are concerned s/he might not survive the cats.) Her life is filled with many blessings for which she is eternally and actively grateful.
The Board of Directors is a group of members voted into leadership based on their personal and professional skills and united in their love of Seattle Unity Church. Their purpose is to oversee the strategic plan and the financial state of the church while upholding Unity principles. Their goal is to hold their head in the clouds while keeping their feet well grounded!
Some of their varied duties include:
- Uphold the spiritual purpose of the Ministry
- Uphold the highest interest of the Membership in conducting the business of the Ministry
- Determine policies and procedures related to the Church’s tithes and stewardship programs
- Determine business needs of the Ministry & authorize payment of moneys for these purposes
- Manage the assets of the Church
- Establish and oversee committees to expand the effectiveness of the board & to create a community effort
If you would like to speak with a member of the Board, please call 206-622-8475, ext. 256, or look for one of these friendly faces after a Sunday service. They are always happy to speak with you.
Our Board of Trustees generally meets on the third Tuesday of every month.
All are invited to attend the open meeting which starts at 7:00 pm in the Library.
Desi Bailey: Chair
Judy Curran: Vice Chair
Casey Longacre: Treasurer
Deborah Lee: Secretary
Diane Tilstra
Karl Tegtmeyer
Judy Ivec
Rev. Karen Lindvig
A new year for the Board of Trustees began February 14th, the day of Seattle Unity’s annual membership meeting. Elections were held that day for those wanting to join the Board and for Board members wishing to renew for another term. Those current Board members seeking to renew were renewed. We also welcomed Karl Tegtmeyer as a new alternate to the board.
The Board attended a weekend retreat the last weekend of February to set the tone, process and content of our stewardship and leadership of Seattle Unity. Maureen O’Shaughnessy joined us to facilitate the work and Reverend Karen guided our spiritual focus. (We had some fun as well!)
The Board of Trustees approved the Strategic Plan for 2010-2014 just before budget building last fall. At the annual meeting, Seattle Unity’s membership approved the budget that will support our strategic plan. During our Board retreat, we identified eight main areas addressed by the strategic plan and assigned one Board member or alternate to each area. Each Board member/alternate will lead a team designed to assure we successfully accomplish our strategies and tactics targeted for 2010. Please see specifics below.
At our March meeting, Kathleen Bohlken regretfully announced her resignation from the board, necessitated by an increasingly successful business that requires more and more of her time. We accepted her resignation with sadness and celebrated the many ways Kathleen had blessed the board and Seattle Unity this past year. Karl, as first alternate, was moved up as a full board member to fill the vacancy.
We welcome your questions. Feel free to ask Board members questions when you see them or leave a message at the board extension at 206.622.8475 ext. 256.
Blessings, Desi Bailey, Chair
Board of Trustees and Strategic Plan leads
Karen Lindvig, Senior Minister, (Strategic Plan-Ministry & Spiritual Networking team)
Desi Bailey, Chair, (Strategic Plan-Board & Staff team)
Judy Curran, Vice-chair, (Strategic Plan- Marketing & Communication team)
Casey Longacre, Treasurer (Strategic Plan-Finance team)
Debbie Lee, Secretary, (Strategic Plan-Stewardship team)
Diane Tilstra, Board member, (Strategic Plan-Fundraising & Prosperity team)
Karl Tegtmeyer, Board member, (Strategic Plan-Facilities team)
Judy Ivec, Board Alternate, (Strategic Plan-Welcoming and Retention team)
