by John Daubney
Reverends Crystal and Jim Fuller before her have always talked about service as a vehicle to serve our Unity family, get to know each other better, grow spiritually, and TO HAVE FUN!! Terry Bailey has done just that as he “plays” at the church sound board most Sundays. Terry and the A/V team provide a conduit for the Unity message, through music and the spoken message, to be passed on to all of us each Sunday morning. It’s been said that “love is a verb” and through being a “small part” (Terry’s words) of the whole of the Unity network of volunteers, Terry has been demonstrating his love for what God has provided for him.
I started attending Unity about 12 years ago, following the encouragement of some friends who mentioned that Unity is not a “traditional” church. A special guest speaker once mentioned Unity as “a church for people who don’t like church” and that description works well for me. After growing up in the Presbyterian and Methodist traditions, something non-traditional was very appealing to me.
Following some initial resistance, the message taught at Unity now makes sense to me. I’ve come to believe that “being in hell” is simply not having a connection to the Holy Spirit, Universe, Divine Creator, etc… ‘There is only one Presence and one Power in my life and in the Uni-verse’. I like the idea of a connection to a higher power that is here to help make my life better, right here and right now, instead of living my life with worry, hoping for some great reward after I pass away.
Diane Teutschman started me on my way of doing service for the church. She was coordinat-ing the volunteers to do the slides and sound for the morning services and asked me if I would be interested in helping. Being an engineer, I thought, how could I pass up the opportunity to play with PowerPoint presentations and learn the sound board? Paul Frament eventually took over the coordinator position and, then, when he was ready to step down, Rev. Crystal asked me to consider taking on the coordinator’s role. I said yes and I have been coordinating the Audio/Visual volunteers since November 2016, and trying to ensure there is a volunteer at the computer/sound board at every service.
I have been inspired by the music team and their commitment to providing such a special part of each service. For me, having a small role in get-ting that exceptional music out to the congregation is very gratifying. Since taking on a larger service role, I am also able to see and appreciate all the other “behind the scenes” volunteers who make our church such a warm and inviting place. The members of the A/V team and their willingness to learn the new sound board and to help each other is also incredibly inspiring to me. Working with Roger Mock and Cheri Warren to get the new sound system installed, and then learning the intricacies of that system, while a bit anxious at times, has been exceptionally gratifying.
I have also provided service on the Building and Grounds team, trying to keep our physical building as healthy as our spiritual organization. This service has included church cleaning days, repair of the front steps, defining significant building issues, and remembering to bring my shovel on snowy Sunday mornings to help keep the side-walks clear.
I am grateful to be a part of the Unity in Albany family. I have found a spiritual place that makes sense and I enjoy the opportunity to provide service so that the Unity message can be passed along to others. Providing service has also given me the opportunity to get to know the other people in our church community. I encourage everyone to take on some type of service role, no matter how small it may seem. And, we are always open to new volunteers on the A/V team.”