October 25, 2023 Update
“It is done.”
On Monday, Oct 23rd, I met with Dr. Daniel Eley at 2401 N Harbor city Blvd just after 12:00pm and handing him 4 sandwich-sized bags of keys. Keys to the exterior doors, keys to the interior doors, keys to the mailbox, and even keys to the 8 paper towel dispensers throughout the building.
The electronic sign out front now just displays the date, time and temperature and all signage of Unity of Melbourne has been removed or covered over.
Not seen by many was the flurry of activity at 2401 N Harbor City Blvd since our 1st service at our new location at 2190 Sarno Road, so allow me to take a paragraph (or 2) to explain.
Moving into our Sarno Road location with less than ½ the square footage as our N Harbor City location demanded diligence in what we could take and what we need to release (a lead-in to Rev Vernelle’s lesson this coming Sunday). Rather than just “leave” what we inherited and accumulated, we coordinated with a business liquidation company to hold a 2-day sale.
The results of the sale were positive and eliminated a majority of items we no longer needed. There remained a number of items that remained to be disposed.
I coordinated with our IT firm, Black Hole Makers who recycled over 2000 pounds of metal shelving from the workroom and Hospitality closet. I also reached out to the Veterans Transition Facility who accepted our offer of 7 televisions, including the 2 TV’s that were on the stage for their residents.
In all, I had to hire 3 individual crews from Labor Finders who performed the manpower to move the ministry.
No move is ever seamless, and I’d like to think my efforts have made the transition as seemingly effortless as possible.
I will be away from the church for the next several weeks, as I work to recover my health from this move. I will remain available via email but will not be in the office on a regular basis for a time.
Randy B. Fillmore, L.U.T.
Director of Operations
October 11, 2023 Relocation Update
Last month, I gave the Sunday lesson entitled, “How To Make God Laugh”, and how we all seem to have an “on-going discussion” (or dispute) with the Divine over “our will”.
Without burying the lead and for those who didn’t hear the talk or forgot what I offered, the response to “how to make God laugh”, is to “tell God your plans!”.
Seems while I wrote and gave the talk, during the past 2 weeks of the move, I missed heeding my own advice with the timelines and expectations I had in my flowchart – which just proves we are all a work-in-progress.
The move to relocate the ministry from 2401 N. Harbor City Blvd to 2190 Sarno Road has been an exercise in patience competing with a flurry of activity at breakneck speeds.
We remain on-track for our Open House / Soft Opening this Saturday from 12:00pm-2:00pm and holding our 1st worship service on Sunday, Oct 15th.
I’m reminded when Unity of Melbourne moved from Trimble Road to 2401 N Harbor City Blvd, not everything was completed. The initial worship services were held in the multi-classrooms because the Sanctuary had not been completely finished, and the kitchen and (what became) Hospitality was still being built-out.
While the move to 2190 Sarno Road does not require the same level of construction, there are a number of areas that are necessary to make that space, ours.
We will have a wonderful and inviting foyer and Hospitality area to share in fellowship that is amazing from the designs and efforts of Vashti Saint Germain. The Sanctuary has seats for 100 (with a few more coming) and is becoming the sacred space for contemplation and renewal. The Youth & Family Ministries classrooms are being arranged to support a youth program catering to all age groups, and our office space is a work-in-progress.
We’ll move through some growth spurts and unexpected setbacks along this process.
Just as we are “works in progress”, so is this ministry. As has been stated before, the ministry of Unity church of Melbourne and its’ spiritual family are NOT a specific building or address – it’s the fellowship and camaraderie of those who participate, engage, listen, learn, and evolve through our teachings and experiences.
I believe I can speak for our Board of Trustees, Rev Vernelle, staff, and those who helped and are helping in this transition and transformation, to experience the next iteration of Unity of Melbourne this Saturday during the Open House and each Sunday to follow.
Randy B. Fillmore, L.U.T.
Director of Operations
October 4, 2023 Relocation Update
We have keys and move is ON!
Since obtaining the keys to our new space at 2190 Sarno Road, the carpets have been cleaned, some areas of the facility have been painted (see pictures below), we’ve had the HVAC systems serviced (they REALLY NEEDED IT), internet is being installed and a whole lot of movement in getting this new (to us) space ready to “open the doors” to our spiritual community.
We’ve had to wait for the previous tenant to vacate the property, which caused our schedule to vacate our current space to be compressed. As in any move, the first few weeks will seem like a “work in progress”, and we accept and appreciate the work that’s gone into making our new space welcoming and joyful.
Please plan to attend the Open House / Soft Opening on Saturday, Oct 14th, from 12pm-2pm at 2190 Sarno Road. It will be an opportunity to tour our new space.
Our first service at 2190 Sarno Road will be the next day, Sunday, Oct 15th at our usual 10:30am time. That being the 3rd Sunday of the month and would usually be a Potluck Sunday, we’ll be serving pizza that day instead of asking congregants to bring in food. Our desire and intent is to make our 1st Sunday at our new location simple, which might be difficult with including a plethora of food.
September 10, 2023
Our building at 2401 N Harbor City Blvd has been sold, and we are working diligently to prepare to move to our new location within the next 4 weeks!
We will be announcing the new location very, very soon, but we are able to share the following dates:
- Sunday, Oct 8th will be our LAST worship service at 2401 N Harbor City Blvd
- Saturday, Oct 14th between 12pm-2pm, we will be hosting a “soft-opening” at our new space (location to be provided soon).
- Sunday, Oct 15th will be our FIRST worship service in our new space
- Wednesday/Thursday, Oct 18-Oct 19 at 2401 N Harbor City Blvd will be a liquidation sale of the furnishings we will not take with us.
We encourage everyone to attend both our soft-opening and our 1st worship service as this will be a very special time in the history of Unity of Melbourne.
August 29, 2023
At the end of last Sunday’s worship service, Valerie Holloway, President Board of Trustees announced the closing documents were signed resulting in the completion of the sale of our building and property at 2401 N Harbor City Blvd.
Valerie acknowledged and extended the appreciation to Rev Beth Head and the Board at the time who made the courageous decision to purchase the building in 2013-2014 and the efforts to transform it into Unity of Melbourne.
She also acknowledged the efforts of the current Board and congregation for the willingness in the belief that a building is not the church.
We will have access to our new space on Monday, Oct 2, and will begin the process of making the space “ours”.
The current plan is to hold the last worship service at our current space (2401 N Harbor City Blvd) on Sunday, Oct 8th and hold our first service at our new space on Sunday Oct 15th.
There will be a liquidation sale of equipment and furnishings we will not be taking (our new space is 50% smaller that our current space) in mid-October and we are required to vacate 2401 N Harbor City Blvd by Oct 20th.
August 8, 2023
Unity of Melbourne will be relocating to a new space, a few miles from our current (2401 N Harbor City Blvd) location in the coming weeks.
We’re not ready to announce our new location just yet, but know in our new space, you’ll always find a welcoming spiritual community, dynamic and thought-provoking lessons, meaningful meditations, and the best music team in all of Central Florida.
Sign up for our weekly eNews, published each Wednesday midday and learn about all the happenings at Unity of Melbourne; monthly Healing Sound Baths, twice monthly prayer calls, New Thought and metaphysical classes, sacred service to our Central Florida spiritual community.
We are a welcoming and inclusive community that looks to “love and accept ourselves and others and heal our world.”
