Conscious Ministry
As ministers we are faced with many challenges.
Our work is encouraging a growing consciousness of New Thought around the globe as a spiritual path, a philosophy and way of life. The library system is universally accessible by all people, both seekers and shareres. With open source architecture, there are no user names or passwords and like all that we do, it is free. Seekers are going to the library and its mirrors, then often seeking New Thought Spiritual Communities after reading books within the archives, or after visiting one of the many other websites that we maintain. Because the FindACenter.com is a news resource which lists all New Thought Centers around the globe, it has encouraged a growing sense of community on the part of all its visitors. People who are unable to find one type of New Thought community in their area can find another form which encourages them to continue their New Thought journey where ever they go.
One of the perennial conversations among New Thought ministers revolves around "New Thought being the best kept secret in metaphysics". When we take a team of ministers to the streets of any major city or small town with a set of clipboards and a questionnaire, it is often shocking how little people know about New Thought in general or the various denominations in particular.
Regardless of which denomination you ask them about, only a small percentage of the general public know anything at all about New Thought and even less about all the wonderful "Branding" efforts taking place. Fear of being identified with Scientology or other non-New-Thought movements has simply resulted in what fear creates. Regardless of how much "Branding" is done, the history and resources of New Thought essential to our teachings will always reveal our roots. This is a blessings not a problem. We do not need to run from our roots but rather embrace them. The branches of a tree reach into the sky in direct relation to the depth of its roots. Our roots are deep, thus our potential is high.
The most powerful tool that we have is each other. Our diversity is an asset and insures that we will meet the evolving needs of people around the globe.
At the end of the 20th Century, percentage wise less people knew about New Thought than at the beginning of the century. In 1910, almost every major Newspaper carried articles on New Thought every week, if not daily. The history of New Thought reveals the reasons for this change. This is due to the fact that over the last 100 years, the only structures offered were denominations and individual teachers who developed followings yet did not impart a strong New Thought identity outside of their particular teachings. Denominations serve an important role in expanding their particular New Thought focus, or in the vernacular of private enterprise their "brand" & providing training for individuals seeking to become leaders and teachers in their organizations. The very nature of denominations means they must focus on fostering their own identity as opposed to promoting New Thought as a whole. How can a membership organization do something other than support their members? This is not a problem, it is simply a fact.
Over the last 20 years we have found that it is normal for laiety in one denomination to know nothing about their New Thought denominations' relation to other New Thought denominations or organizations. Often the first time they realize there is a relation between Unity, Science of Mind, Divine Science, UFBL or any of the other denominations or organizations is when they visit the FindACenter.com directory because they can't find a local center / church of their denomination. Is it bad if they find a different New Thought Center whether independent or another denomination, particularly when there is no local center of their denomination in their area? We don't think so, we believe that as long as they are able to get to a New Thought Center and grow through these teachings, then all of New Thought benefits.
There is an old story about a father whose children were always competing and not cooperating together. Sometimes they would have fights and take each others things. After a particularly viscious day, their father brought them together and showed them a bundle of sticks he had cut from an oak tree. They were sure that he was going to give them a thrashing, but instead he handed each one the bundle of sticks and asked them to see if they could break it. Each one tried and failed. Then he unraveled the bundle, snapped a stick then handed a stick to each sibling. He asked them to discover if each could snap his or hers. They easilly snapped their sticks. He then explained: "Remember that you are all like the sticks from this bundle, cut from the same oak tree. When you work together you will be unbreakable, but if apart you can be easily broken." After this day, they ceased quarelling and competing and began working as a team. Instead of being envious of each others capabilities or jealous of each other friends, they ceased poking fun at each other's differences, and began celebrating them and boosting each other. They became a powerful team capable of doing anything and overcoming all challenges. They all prospered together for the duration of their lives.
Conscious Ministry enables us to focus on what is important to the growth of New Thought and to expand our centers. Over the last 20 years, in our role of supporting all of New Thought, both seekers and sharers, we have observed key principles that support the growth of spiritual communities. We have developed programs to support ministers to grow their communities, bring in new members and develop a closer relationship with existing members.
It is quite common for people to call us for assistance to find a New Thought Center in their area. They might ask for a particular denomination which they are familiar with from another area in the country. Unable to find that type of center in their new neighborhood, they rejoice when they discover that even though that denomination has no center in their new location, there is an independent center or center belonging to another denomination around the corner. The FindACenter Universal Directory system is key to fulfilling their desires and supporting their journey. It is one of the keys to your success and the growth of New Thought as a whole. As a News Resource it reports all on all New Thought centers that meet the criteria. All Centers receive a "Charity Listing", that enables seekers to find their center and show up on time for their events. We express gratitude to centers supporting our work through increased work providing additional information in the universal directory system.
In addition to denominations, there are also New Thought membership organizations. These serve important functions such as sponsoring conferences and events and networking their members. Due to the fact that like denominations they must serve their membership and are not tasked with serving non-members, they are unable to serve nascent New Thought seekers and non-member ministries that do not pay their dues and thus are not members.
Today we see a proliferation of people selling the prosperity teachings, but the chief task of true Spiritual Leaders is to impart the truth not simply as a prosperity teaching, but as a major spiritual path which leads to healing, transformation of the individual and community empowerment through wisdom teachings. Prosperity teachings are important but they are not the complete picture.
Today, the old paradigms are fading away, pyramid structures are becoming obsolete and people and ministries are networking insuring shared prosperity. Denominations and membership organizations cannot do everything. By their very structure, they must serve their members and focus on their particular mission of propagating their particular teachings. We do not seek to replace any of these institutions because we feel they are important parts of the New Thought Community.
Serving New Thought fills a niche that these organizations cannot perform. We are not a membership organization. We do not have fees or dues or mandatory tithes. All of our support comes from ministers with higher consciousness like you!
Ministries that think they are unable to tithe (send in regular contributions of $2 to $3 dollars a day or even a dollar per day) can send an annual letter of need to access resources. This insures that everyone in New Thought gets support regardless of their circumstances.
We want you to be more powerful and conscious of your greatness and through your personal empowerment to empower your community and thereby be able to contribute to the work we are doing supporting you in the mission of positive transformation of Global Consciousness through the propagation of New Thought.
Our raison d'être is to bring more people into New Thought which means into your ministry. Serving New Thought exists in order to support your growth. We want you to be able to make the best choices.
In terms of webs, today there are more wonderful choices than ever before.
Amazingly the webmaster is the least important factor in any of these choices.
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