Universal Life Church

ULC Seminary Announcements - May 2010 Happy Mother's Day! Hello! 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 Dr. of Christian Ethics: http://www.ulcseminary.org/store/product_info.php?cPath=29&products_id=211 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. http://twitter.com/ulcseminary http://www.myspace.com/ulcseminary http://www.facebook.com/ulc.seminary Thanks for everything! Rev. Amy Long Program Director Visit Our Website | ULC Seminary http://www.ulcseminary.org 4714 Careyback Ave. Elk Grove, CA 95758 916-690-1682 ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive and affordable online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, a beginning course on  Wicca, as well as a beginning course on  Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is a free and lifetime ordination, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. We also make available many free wedding ceremonies for your use, as well as funeral ceremonies and other types of ceremonies.   The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program where you can earn the coveted title of Chaplain. We also have a huge selection of Universal Life Church materials to help you with your professionalism and confidence.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and an amazed by the frequent upgrades and new functions of the seminary.   Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Universal Life Church

Happy New Year!! HAPPY NEW YEAR! - 2010 is going to be a great year. Over this last year, I've heard a lot of people say that they had a rough year. Seems to be true for many people across the board, for a variety of reasons. With that in mind, I guess that 2010 would have to be better, at least by comparison. :) I know it has been difficult for a lot of you -- things have been difficult on this end as well. The good news though, is that we have the support of one another. New Years Goals - It's important for all of us to have goals, so we can have something to strive for, and the Seminary is no different. This year, I plan on publishing the Seminary Handbook for those who want a few ceremonies at their fingertips, along with a lot of the training material that we have available. We plan on getting out at least 3 new programs for the Seminary and flesh out the Chaplaincy program further. I'd also like to take a stab at getting us accepted in Canada. There are hoops that required me jumping through them and I may be asking for your help.   When I go through my days, I try to be aware of things I'm working on, personally and spiritually. My latest has been about accepting people as they are. I know this sounds trite, but since I got divorced two years ago, I have been spending my time thinking about what I want to do differently in my current relationship. (He's a wonderful man, btw.) One of the overwhelming problems my X had with me and still has with his children is that he has his image of how he wants people in his life to be, and then is angry when they don't live up to his picture. My thought was that it made no sense to be angry with someone for being themselves.   I have a friend who is much like me -- absent-minded about things like returning calls. At first, when my calls were not returned, I was sure it was personal. I was being a pest - a bother - and he didn't want to talk to me. As I got to know him, I realized that it wasn't personal. He was just absent-minded. So I decided to accept that about him. Now, I'm not offended when he doesn't call back and, since he also knows me now, he's not bothered when I keep calling until I reach him. My wonderful order gal, Monica, is a jewel. She is honest, hard-working and efficient. I know this about her. I know I can trust her implicitly. I also know that she lives a crazy life. I tease her by saying that her life could easily be a sitcom or perhaps a drama. Knowing this, I know that things come up for her and sometimes she falls behind. She beats herself up over it, like we all do when we aren't perfect, and is often surprised when I don't yell and scream about it. How can I? I know her. I know her strengths and I know what throws her off. When you know who/how a person is and accept that, how can you be angry with them for being who they are? And if you know who you are and you can accept it, there's really no reason to apologize for being who you are. Easier said than done sometimes. We all just need to keep doing our best to improve ourselves in whatever way we can. Every little bit counts. That's my growth period and my mini-sermon for the month. Thought I'd share.   KIND WORDS - I'm going to mention this one more time because I'm positively delighted with how well it's going. Creating and working with the Seminary has been a huge highlight of my life. I feel like I get to make a difference in people's lives and I get the privilege of hearing about/being part of the difference our ministers make in other people's lives. The Kind Words campaign has been another step along that path. More often than you can imagine, I have people write and tell me how it was just what they needed to hear or they share a story about something that happened during the time the email came in. I don't get a chance to respond to most of them, but know that they are very well-received and much appreciated by me. Tell your friends or, if you know someone who can use a lift, sign them up. It's free and easy.   I had a few people who were oddly offended by my mailing about being magical. One didn't believe in magic and another was offended because he thought I was going against the Bible. Magic can be seen in many ways. Magic doesn't necessarily mean sorcery (although for some it may). When I talk about magic, I mean creating something from nothing. Having a thought and having it happen. For some, that may mean putting their thoughts into a prayer and noticing when their prayer is answered. For others, it's putting out into the universe and seeing it manifest as the universe's way of giving back. My intention when sending the kind words is always for your highest good, so please take that into consideration.   It's available at www.ulcseminary.org/kindwords.php.   SALE ITEMS - There are still a lot of items on sale right now. Check the sale page. http://www.ulcseminary.org/store/index.php?cPath=40   I've noticed that there are several courses -- amazing courses -- like Master of Religious Philosophy and Mystical Christianity, that are somehow being overlooked. That one will be on sale, along with a couple of other really great courses, for another few weeks. Be sure to get them on sale while you can.   http://twitter.com/ulcseminary http://www.myspace.com/ulcseminary http://www.facebook.com/ulc.seminary     Thanks for everything!   Rev. Amy Long Program Director   Visit Our Website | ULC Seminary http://www.ulcseminary.org 4714 Careyback Ave. Elk Grove, CA 95758 916-690-1682

Universal Life Church

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!! Hello! HAPPY HOLIDAYS - Not a lot of big news this month, other than some outstanding sales and just general well-wishes on my part to you. Just so you know, I'm very grateful to be able to be part of the ULC and to head up its seminary. I love being able to share in your lives, even if only in a small way, and I rejoice in hearing all the great things you all are doing. Thank you for being there   KIND WORDS - The kind words campaign has been a huge hit! On a whim, I decided to add all of our seminary students to the list. I think it was a good decision. I've sent out several emails so far and have gotten some great responses. As with all acts of kindness, it's selfish on my part. I feel so darn good every time I send one out that I grin for days. I can feel the well wishes coming back my way. If you haven't signed up for it yet, please do. It costs nothing and asks for nothing. The one thing I have found that surprised me was that I've had 5 or 6 people unsubscribe. I guess I'm curious as to why. Why wouldn't you want to hear some kind words coming your way. I like to get them, even the ones I wrote myself and sent myself. lol. Please sign up at any time.   It's available at www.ulcseminary.org/kindwords.php.   SALE ITEMS - For the month of December, I've decided to go all out and put a lot of stuff on sale. This is a great opportunity to get some things that you've been wanting from the Seminary, but didn't have the money for. I know the times are tough for everyone, so I thought a deep discount would be a great Christmas/holiday present that you can give yourself. There are going to be a lot of things on sale, so go to the sale section to view them all. If you have considered taking a course, this is the time because these are some great discounts on both courses and products. http://www.ulcseminary.org/store/index.php?cPath=40 FREE TOOLBAR - I mentioned this in the last couple of newsletters and I'm going to throw it out here again as well. This is a free new toolbar for your computer. One of the newest aspects of it is the 'chat' section. People have asked if we were going to reinstate the chat area, so we've done it via the toolbar. It's a free, real-time chat section for anyone who wants to jump on and say hello. It's a great way to talk in real-time without giving out your personal email or other info. Click here to get a look at what it is and, if you like it, download it quickly and for free: http://ulcseminary.ourtoolbar.com/ NEW NAVIGATION - If you haven't dropped by the site in the last couple of weeks, be sure to check our new navigation bar. I spent a lot of time on it getting all the pages on the site listed in a comprehensive way. One of the suggestions you ministers have said to me was that it would be good if I could create an easier navigation. The sidebars helped, but I think the new drop-down menus will clarify things. I think it'll make it a lot easier for people to find what's on the site. Let me know what you think. Perhaps you'll find areas on the site that you didn't know existed!   NEW COURSE - I mentioned this last month, but I thought I'd throw it out again. This is a unique course in that the first installment of 6 is free. Dr. Louis Hook has put it together and because of his reputation, we have agreed to offer it here for you in this unusual format. The course is called: The Foundations of Traditionalist Theology One. There are six installments and you can order them one at a time. The first free section is available at OMEGA DAWN.   The degree will be a Master of Traditionalism. The rest of the course can be ordered at: http://www.ulcseminary.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=209   ULC BUSINESS CARDS - I'm sorry to say I've had to discontinue the business cards for the time being. The person who was making them for us seems to have disappeared. I can't contact him through email or phone, so I don't want to send him any more orders until I figure out what's going on. Sorry about that.   TWITTER/FACEBOOK/MYSPACE - Just a reminder that we are now on all of these social networking sites. I'm still getting the hang of it. For those that aren't on Twitter, but want up to the minute info (such as there is), the Twitter box is on the front page of the site and it updates automatically. http://twitter.com/ulcseminary http://www.myspace.com/ulcseminary http://www.facebook.com/ulc.seminary     Thanks for everything!   Rev. Amy Long Program Director   Visit Our Website | ULC Seminary http://www.ulcseminary.org 4714 Careyback Ave. Elk Grove, CA 95758 916-690-1682 Warmly, Amy Long www.ulcseminary.org 916-690-1682 Wishing you all good things....... Please go to this link and vote for me: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/profile.cfm?aid=432 Try our new free toolbar at: http://ULCSeminary.OurToolbar.com/

Universal Life Church

Hello! KIND WORDS - October is, again, another interesting month. I created something new for the site that came to me in a dream. I make it a point to try and stay away from saying things like that, because it can sound sort of 'fluffy', but that's where I got the idea from. It's called 'Kind Words.' So many people go through their lives without hearing enough kind words. I am fortunate enough to have a job here where people send me lots of kind words on a regular basis. It got me to thinking. So I created this feature to give you all a chance to hear the kind of good things said to you that you all deserve. It's available at www.ulcseminary.org/kindwords.php.   ULC BUSINESS CARDS - We have a new item available. I've been asked for it by a number of different ministers over the years and only recently had a means to make it happens. ULC Business cards are a great new addition to our catalog. They have a beautiful new seal for the seminary that you can have on it, or you can choose from some other options. They are offered at a great deal for these custom cards. http://www.ulcseminary.org/store/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=207   FREE TOOLBAR - One of the other really cool new things we're doing is that we created a free downloadable toolbar. It's similar to one you may already have by Google or Yahoo, but this has the added bonus of having all the pages of the site presented in a simple-to-use format. People have said it's hard to find things on the site sometimes, because of its size, so I've simplified things on this new toolbar. I also have a section for 'new stuff'. Things will be posted there before they are announced, so if you get the toolbar, you'll always be in the know. Click here to get a look at what it is and, if you like it, download it quickly and for free: http://ulcseminary.ourtoolbar.com/ MORE WEDDINGS, FUNERALS, AND RITES - I know I said that I was going to discontinue the sale on this book, but I also want to be sure that everyone who wants to get it has had a chance to order it at the discounted price. The survey was overwhelmingly one-sided. People want to save for the book and want me to continue offering it at the sale price for a bit longer. Your wish is my command. :) It'll be on sale through Christmas. Forward the link to your spouse or family and write 'hint hint' at the top. :) http://www.ulcseminary.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=198   NEW SEARCH FUNCTION: Last month, I talked about the new Leapfish search function on the site. I wanted to mention it again because I'd like to ask all of you a favor. Aside from the fact that it's a really neat search thingy, providing images, videos and more all in one spot (it's linked directly with Google and Youtube), the seminary gets a nickel for every unique user that uses the function through the seminary site. If everyone on the list did a search, it would be a big help. It doesn't cost you anything and you get to try out a really interesting search engine -- plus it really helps the seminary. Have everyone you know try it. People have asked how they can be of service to the Seminary -- spending a few minutes doing a search from the site would be a great help.   ONLINE RADIO PROGRAM - Recently, I was honored to be invited to be on the Mona Magick show. She interviewed me for an hour about the ULC Seminary. You can download it and listen to it here: http://www.monamagick.com/events_ulc.html http://www.blogtalkradio.com/MonaMagick/va/2009/10/02/the-universal-life-church Under information & organizations: http://www.monamagick.com/events_radio_downloads.html   TWITTER/FACEBOOK/MYSPACE - We've been getting crazy lately doing the Twitter/Facebook/MYspace thing. There are links on the toolbar that will bring you directly to the various pages. Follow us, add us, etc. I think I'm getting the hang of using them.   http://twitter.com/ulcseminary http://www.myspace.com/ulcseminary http://www.facebook.com/ulc.seminary   CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM - Go to www.ulcseminary.org/chaplaincyprogram.php to sign up. For those of you who have been taking courses through the seminary, those courses may also go towards your Chaplaincy program. Six courses are required and two are elective. Check it out and sign up. It's free to sign up and you'll get some mailings along the way. The program is going well. There may end up being one more requirement for the course, but it's one that everyone will want to take. It's a course on pastoral counseling.   CHAPLAINCY COURSE - On a related note, we have the new Chaplaincy Course available. It's called the Master of Chaplaincy Studies. It's a core required course for the Chaplaincy Program. http://www.ulcseminary.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=205 This program will teach you what it means to be a chaplain, the history and expectations.   MASTER OF THE HISTORICAL JESUS- I mentioned this last month, but I wanted to make it known again. We also have a new course called the 'Master of The Historical Jesus.' There's a sample link listed on the Seminary Program page. http://www.ulcseminary.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=206   We are also offering our Seminary Membership Certificates at a big discount right now. We want you to be able to display your affiiliation proudly, so we have discounted the certificates to $10. http://www.ulcseminary.org/store/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=113   Thanks for everything!   Rev. Amy Long Program Director   Visit Our Website | ULC Seminary http://www.ulcseminary.org 4714 Careyback Ave. Elk Grove, CA 95758 916-690-1682