Hello My Fellow Congregants, 

As I was thinking about what we are all going through right now with all the COVID-19 restrictions and not being with each other, an old Simon and Garfunkel song sprang into my head, Bridge over Troubled Water.  That’s what Unity by the Shore is to me, a bridge over troubled water, not through or across but over it. 

More than ever we need to come together as a community as we experience troubled waters.  For the first 2 months of the year, our expenses exceeded our income by $4,400.  We had our first online service this past Sunday and had well over 30 people join us.  Many of you generously made an online offerings, and I thank you.  I invite all those who are able to provide your monetary contributions to support the financial stability of  Unity by the Shore to do so. While there are some reductions in our expenses by doing services and classes online, it’s not a significant amount.  Also, while we are practicing social distancing it’s very difficult for us to do fundraisers.  We are still looking at ways to do them , so stay tuned.

In the meantime, please remember to help us so that we may help you.  It’s very easy to do an online tithe by going to: 

You can do a one time tithe or make them recurring.  If you are like me and want to write a check, you can send it to:

Unity By The Shore
3508 Asbury Ave.
Neptune, NJ 07753

By the way, I’m not being old school with writing a check, it’s my way of doing conscious giving to what I want to continue to flourish. 

Remember, that bridge over troubled water is a bridge.  There’s a safe spot at the other end.  Let’s meet there very soon. 

Blessings, 
Charlie Kirlew
Board of Trustees Treasurer

Dear Friends,

Now, more than ever, we need to stay in touch with each other and check in with our neighbors, especially  our elderly members and friends.

Our first Sunday Service that was “broadcast” via the Zoom Meeting platform this past Sunday was a success!  Of course we had a few kinks that will need to be worked out, and the format may vary from week to week, but I’d like to say “thank you” to all those who participated this past Sunday. I know for many of you this was a “giant step!”  I would also like to encourage those who could not join us last week to try this out this coming week.

The Zoom platform allows us to keep in contact with each other, see familiar faces, and stay informed as to what is happening at UBTS, and of course, get to continue to experience the fantastic meditations and talks provided by our beloved Reverend Angela!  It also gives us a gentle reminder that, just because we are not physically at our sacred space, our financial support is needed to keep UBTS thriving, even in these trying times.

Having learned from our first service, here is a quick “Zoom Etiquette” checklist to be used for future meetings:

* Keep your audio feed muted for the entirety of the service. This allows the audio signal to be clear from background noises contributed by all viewers and eliminates possible feedback.  Please note, that we will no longer be doing affirmations aloud together by un-muting, since it creates feedback disturbance. 

* If you are “multi-tasking” during the service (moving around your home with phone-in-hand), also mute your video feed to the meeting. Not doing so can cause a distraction to the other viewers.

* These buttons are located in the bottom left hand corner of the Zoom window. However, for some browsers or cell phones they appear in the upper portion of the Zoom window.

If you are unsure how to perform the muting functions of your microphone and video feed, or if you have any questions about the Zoom platform at all, I suggest you view these quick videos to learn more:

Joining a meeting:  https://youtu.be/vFhAEoCF7jg
Muting Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nYIaBQpi60
For Smart Phones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEQLjLYhuJQ

“See you” Sunday!
Thomas M. Sciro
President, UBTS Board of Trustees