Category: Minister’s Message

Hello Everybody,

We’re all heading into that shift in the tilt of the Earth when autumn arrives with its more even distribution of sunlight. I think most of us are welcoming this change of season after a brutally hot and humid summer. I especially remember that one Sunday in July when we walked outside the church after everyone had left and the air could only be described as suffocating. The heat index was 120 degrees! Those days are thankfully behind us.

As spiritual beings living in human bodies, we’re all subject to the flow of Mother Nature, and we do our best to both endure and enjoy the weather that shows up. The same is true of all of life’s circumstances. Whatever we’re experiencing, we always have the choice to prayerfully attune ourselves with God’s Infinite Spirit and allow it to help us work it out. The more we do this rather than freak out, the more our spiritual muscles are strengthened, and the more likely we will use them as future challenges arise.

No matter what we’re dealing with, be it a physical health issue, a financial need, or disharmony in a personal relationship, God working through us is more than equal to the task! Knowing this Truth, let’s relax and embrace our lives as they unfold with peacefulness and acceptance. Be well, everyone!

Abundant blessings,
Alden Studebaker

Written on September 29, 2026

Rev. Alden Studebaker

Hello Everybody,

We’ve reached the halfway point in our journey together as minister and congregation; two and a half years into my five-year contract. The honeymoon is over and now we’re seeing what we’ve got ourselves into! LOL!

In my experience as a minister these past forty-two years, I’ve observed a pattern emerging from this relationship. The first is generally excitement, new energy, curiosity, and getting acquainted. The next is our first “fight” or stressful event that signals that the honeymoon phase is behind us. In our modern era this moment, seems to come much earlier than it did in years past. Now, we’re in a sorting out phase, where some people are buying into the new leader and others are moving on. There is always a group of people that stay no matter who the minister is. Trust is something that hopefully comes later.

I realize that I am not everyone’s cup of tea, so to speak. Although I’ve never met the former minister, Rev. Christine McFarland, I’m sure that my style and message differ because we are different people with unique characteristics, education, and experiences. This statement is often attributed to our local icon, “You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.” – Abraham Lincoln.

Ministry is definitely not about pleasing people. It’s about recognizing that we are all evolving together in consciousness. I may have been in this role for a long time, but I consider myself a lifelong learner. If you’ve got an idea for a Sunday message, class, event, or group, feel free to share it with me. If you’ve got a gripe, my door is almost always open when I’m here in the office. As our third essential Unity principle states: “We are co-creators with God, creating reality through thoughts held in Mind.” We are co-creating our ministry through the ideas we share together and our willingness to do our part to make them happen.

Abundant blessings,

Alden Studebaker

July 21, 2026

June-July 2026 Newsletter —

Hello Everybody,

On Sunday May 17, we did an impromptu poll of those attending the service and asked everyone to mark down their chronological age. I wanted a snapshot of who shows up based on age. I marked down 69.

The result of this poll was quite revealing. The average age of those attending? I know you’re curious: 67.15. Interesting number, isn’t it? The average age is nearly the same as the age of the minister! Is the reason “birds of a feather flock together” or is it we attract who we are? Although those adages are often true, I think the reason is more complex than that.

People tend to gather where they see others like them. It’s the principle of attraction. To move beyond that tendency requires other factors beyond one’s age group. Not everyone who comes to our church is in the same one. Let me break down the results in greater detail:

Number of attendees in their 20s: 1

Number of attendees in their 30s: 4

Number of attendees in their 40s: 1

Number of attendees in their 50s: 2

Number of attendees in their 60s: 7

Number of attendees in their 70s: 10

Number of attendees in their 80s: 8

Total respondents: 33

Surprised? Shocked? Alarmed? Well, there are a few younger attendees who are comfortable attending the church. I think this is awesome! They have inwardly bridged the age issue and probably come because they resonate with perhaps the music, message, principles, certain people, openness to diversity, other activities, the vibe! I don’t know for certain, but they’re here. But we can count them on just one hand. I say this not to criticize our lack of youthfulness but to simply state the facts, the obvious. We’re an aging church, and let me also say, we are not unique. I frequently attend webinars with church consultants, and the dominant issue is the aging and subsequent diminishing size of congregations and their potential demise. This is what happened to the Unity churches in Decatur and Quincy. They ran out of people.

In years past this ebb and flow process kind of evened itself out. Younger people came and brought their kids and joined in as others moved on. Churches grew or maintained their level of activity. I experienced this in the earlier half of my career. We always had robust youth and family ministries, and although they required effort the outcome was noticeable. Times have changed and we as a congregation need to open ourselves to how we can change to be relevant and current now and ten years ahead.

It has been two and a half years since I arrived as your minister, halfway through my five-year contract, and I thought an assessment of how things are going was a good thing. We continue to work actively and intentionally to reach out to younger generations. Jen Miller, our Youth & Family Ministry Director, has carried the lion’s share of this effort. She can’t do it alone. Thank you to those who are currently working with her! And, for our ministry to grow it is imperative that we each become ambassadors to the next generation of truth seekers who are looking for a ministry that speaks to their hearts. What could that mean? It could start by inviting someone to attend services or other activities with you. It’s a suggestion.

At the end of May our board of trustees will be having our third board retreat, where we will be doing visioning work about our collective future. Please share your ideas with us and, most importantly, hold us in prayer. It helps.

Abundant blessings,

Alden Studebaker

May 21, 2026

Hello Everybody,

Every morning the sun rises with the potential to bring our best selves to the day. This is a constant truth. Some days we’re better at it than others. If the previous day was a bummer, and we neglected to show up with our best selves, it’s okay. There is no penalty or ritual we must do to restore our standing in the world. We simply make an adjustment within ourselves and get on with bringing our best selves.

What do we mean by best selves? It’s when we’re feeling connected to the one source of all that is. It’s when we’re feeling loving compassion with the universe and all creation. It’s when we’re feeling as if anything is possible. It’s when we recognize that God is not a being that demands anything from us, but is the essence of who we are at depth. When we are feeling this way, we’re bringing our best selves to the day.

I realize this is no small task, given the many influences we humans are dealing with on a daily basis. Our upbringing and the messages we learned may be incompatible with the “bring our best selves concept.” Our subconscious mind is full of these inner minefields that become active during moments of outer stress.

It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that the world we’ve known throughout most of our lives no longer appears to be the world that we’ve come to expect. What once looked like a familiar Monet landscape painting is now suddenly a surrealist Salvador Dali with bizarre objects and proportions. Up is down, down is over there, left is right. Nothing appears to be as it should be to our eyes, and yet it is there, forcing us to either look away or respond.

We can only look away for so long. We have to respond. And, some days we’re better at it than others. Let’s not be too hard on ourselves. Life is a process. Remember, each sunrise is an opportunity to bring our best selves to the day.

Abundant blessings,

Alden Studebaker

Written on April 1, 2026

Hello Everybody,

It is difficult to know what to say in times of such pain for so many, but as one of my ministerial school instructors, Rev. Martha Giudici, used to say, “We must press on in the good!” I feel sincere in my hope for the future, but we cannot close our eyes to the reality of our present or our past. The murder of Renee Good and the other atrocities perpetrated by our government in Minneapolis (I have many family members in Minneapolis) and elsewhere leave us heartbroken. These situations alone are devastating to witness, but we are also grappling with the news of families being torn apart as the global order is crumbling. It is too much for many to handle.

So when is too much too much? I must admit that I am a current news junkie. I read lots of online articles and watch an abundance of online videos, many that I share on social media. I want to know what’s going on in the world because as a human being and member of the clergy I feel that it’s important for me to be well informed and respond in ways that I believe will make a constructive difference in our world.

And there are times that I feel the draw to stay inside and hide from the world because I feel overloaded and ineffectual. The answer is more than I think I can and possibly more than I can know, but I keep hearing Martha’s words in my head, “Press on in the good!”

Finding some way to show up for ourselves and others is a first step in breaking out of the spell of inaction. It ould be joining a protest, checking in on a friend, or attending a prayer circle. A next step may be joining a mutual aid network near you, contacting your elected officials, or attending a neighborhood meeting. If we are struggling to survive in this moment, we must first put on our oxygen masks and ask for help if we need it.

I belong to two interfaith organizations here in Springfield, United Open & Affirming Faith Communities, and cthe Greater Springfield Interfaith Alliance. These organizations help me feel plugged into our community in positive and constructive ways. We have held meetings and workshops that have benefited our community with an awareness of our common humanity.

I also participate in monthly online prayer meetings organized by Unity clergy that are holding the high watch for our world. And right here at Unity of Springfield we have weekly Mindful Mondays Peace Circle at 3 p.m., facilitated by Jen Miller, that is available to everyone who wants to feel connected with others. We can make a positive difference in the world, and together, we will all press on in the good!

Abundant blessings,
Alden Studebaker

Written on January 22, 2026
Inspired by my daughter, Jennifer Studebaker

Hello Everybody,

By the time you read this the holidays will be in full swing! From Thanksgiving through New Years Day our brains seem to shut down. Poof! It’s as if the holidays conspire to demand our attention at the expense of other matters. I’ve learned to adapt to this phenomenon in my ministerial career by keeping the focus of the church work and calendar on the holidays and not trying to do anything else. That stuff can wait until the new year arrives.

And so, let’s all enjoy the holidays to the best of our abilities and aspirations. Let’s tune into the spirit of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s while we’re experiencing their unique trappings and traditions. And, to help us more greatly feel the meaning of the holidays remember to watch some of your favorite movies of the season. If you’re looking for suggestions I would highly recommend “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” starring John Candy and Steve Martin.

This movie is much more than just a comedy about travel mishaps. It’s a powerful story about loneliness, patience, and unexpected friendship. I laugh throughout the movie and get teary-eyed at the end. Watch it. Let me know if it helped you enjoy the holidays more this year.

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and a Prosperous New Year to everybody!

Abundant blessings,

Alden Studebaker

(November 25, 2025)

Hello Everybody,

Finally, the rain has come! Yay! After a few of weeks of living in the “Illinois Desert” significant rain has come to Springfield refreshing, renewing, and nurturing plant (and human) life. I imagine that I’ll probably need to mow the yard by this coming weekend.

Between 1987-92, Donna and I lived in Palmdale, California where the average yearly rainfall is 5.9 inches. If you like the color beige, Palmdale is for you. If you like a dry, high desert climate, Palmdale is for you. We moved there from Los Angeles because it was much more affordable, and with our first child on the way, we joined with many other young couples who were actually able to buy a home of our own.

We all commuted “down below” to our jobs. Donna worked at Occidental College in Eagle Rock (127 miles RT), and I was serving Unity Church of the Valley in La Crescenta (110 miles RT). After Jennifer was born, Donna quit her job and became a full-time homemaker. During our five years in Palmdale, we adapted to the desert climate, planted shrubs and trees that were drought tolerant, and those that weren’t we set up a drip system to water them. We learned and figured out how to live there.

When we’re faced with deserts in our lives, times when we’re missing key elements that have sustained us, we learn to adapt. Whether it’s a change in our employment status, reduced benefits, or costlier groceries, we have within us the Infinite Spirit, the Creative Force, that guides and provides. When we know this Truth, feel this Truth, nothing happening “out there” can throw us off our footing. We always land on two feet! (Four if you’re a dog or cat – LOL!) Be well, everybody!

Abundant blessings,
Alden Studebaker

BTW – I love my seven-minute, five-mile RT commute to work here in Springfield!

Hello Everybody,

I hope you’re enjoying your summer! Wow, it is hot today (July 23) with a heat index of 111F! I saw a meme on Facebook that referred to this season as “Hell’s Front Porch.” Honestly, I’m a little hesitant to open the front door and get in my car after I’m done with work today!

I also hope you’re enjoying the Spirituality of the Beatles talk series that began in July. It’s fascinating to learn about the back story behind each song, both the music and the lyrics, and to learn more about the artists who are covering the songs at the beginning of each talk. I’ve had such a positive response from people that I’m going to extend the series one more month through the end of September.  Here’s the September lineup:

7th – We Can Work It Out

14th – Getting Better

21st – Yesterday

28th – Within You Without You

On another subject, I’d like to share a poem with you:

The Sacred Gift of Rage
by Rich Orloff

Let me learn how to use the sacred gift of rage
How to use it skillfully
Not to injure
Or destroy

But in service of causes needing help
In jungles that need a machete to cut through thick growth
For the fragile who need protection
For the unheard who need another voice

Let me not be afraid of my fire
Let me appreciate its source
This energy placed inside us
Is a tool not given to us by accident

Use it wisely, I hear
Do not confuse it with hostility or hate
Do not waste it on petty matters
But do not shy from its awesome power

Let passion flow through me
And not be blocked by fear
Or by voices who try to convince me
That rage is inherently wrong

Let the world know
That I’m willing to use rage as needed
Let me embrace my warrior spirit
And treasure this divine weapon

I posted this poem on our Facebook page recently. So far it has just one like, and I felt it needed more exposure. Why? Because there’s a lot of anger being expressed in our world today from many directions. The news is the frequently the kick starter of this anger. There is a tendency to shy away from our anger. It may frighten us because we’re scared of what we might do that would be irreparable.

What this poem says to me is that feeling angry about injustice or the negative behavior of others is okay. It’s normal, even among the calmest us. What’s important to our well-being is to not identify with anger, to let it pass through us, and then take the energy of what’s left for constructive purposes that can make our world a better place.

Abundant blessings,

Alden Studebaker

Written on July 13, 2025

Rev. Alden Studebaker

(March-April 2025) — Can you believe it? It’s been an entire year since we began this journey together! There’s a lot of truth to the old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” I like to think we’re having some fun while we’re building our ministry together. If it didn’t have an element of fun then why do it? That isn’t to say everything in life is fun and games. There are serious aspects of life that require more than comedic responses and frequently demand that we dig down deep for solutions. No doubt 2024 has provided these learning experiences for each of us.

I’ve served a lot of ministries in my career. While attending ministerial school I had a small church in Leavenworth, Kansas. In addition to the church work I was also a counselor at the United States Disciplinary Barracks. I can say with total accuracy, “I did time in Leavenworth.” And it’s ironic that my first ministry as an ordained minister in 1984 was in Vacaville, California, home to the California State Prison, Solano. I began to wonder what it was in my consciousness that had attracted me to prison towns?

Apparently, I transcended that karmic anomaly and went on to serve for several months at a newly formed ministry in El Paso, Texas. The next ministry I served for six years in the suburban LA community of La Crescenta.

From Southern California I was called (they called me out of the blue) by a large church in Bellevue, Washington to help bolster their youth ministry. I was thirty-five years old, and we had two kids. I guess I was what they were looking for. Incidentally, their senior minister was Linda Spencer (minister at Unity of Springfield 1978-88). After a couple of years, we left Bellevue for the Midwest. I wrote my Bible handbook, Wisdom for a Lifetime and went on to serve for ten years at Garden Park Unity in Cincinnati. When I finished at Garden Park in 2005, I had every intention to move to another ministry and community, but the Universe had other plans.

We stayed in the Cincinnati area at our home in Bright, Indiana for another thirteen years while all three of our children attended Indiana University-Bloomington (required our residency in Indiana). I had many interesting jobs and also went on the road promoting my Bible handbook. It was during this period that I came to Unity of Springfield as a guestspeaker and workshop leader (March 14, 2010).

Once the kids had their degrees, I re-entered pulpit ministry in 2018 at a small church in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Our son, Nathan, lived in the Twin Cities. We bought a home and began to get acquainted with our new community. After six months it became clear to me that I was their unintentional transitional minister. It was a difficult church for me. Their minister had been there for fourteen years with no transitional work. She lived just a few blocks from the church, and even though we got along just fine, this created some complicated dynamics. We left Wisconsin voluntarily and moved south to Missouri just as Covid began. We didn’t want to spend another winter in Siberia.

It took nineteen months to find another church job! Eventually, I was hired by a church in Bonita Springs, Florida (between Fort Myers and Naples).

This church had some similar qualities to Eau Claire (certainly not the weather!) in that they had had a well-loved minister of fifteen years who retired. Since no transitional work had been done prior to my arrival the first two years involved that kind of work. Once that phase was more or less complete, my work became calmer, more normal. They gave me a big raise to help with some of the increasing costs of living in Southwest Florida. I could have stayed there for the rest of my career. We owned a decent house with a 3% loan and a nice mango tree. I planted banana, lime, orange, avocado, and coconut trees in the yard. Sounds like paradise, right? Then, Unity of Springfield came open for leadership.

I’m often asked by people, “Why did you move here from Florida?” My response, “For the moderate weather.” My intention in sharing many of these details of my ministerial career with you is to hopefully help you understand our process. For those of you who have lived in Springfield or nearby for most of your lives, it may seem a little odd to move around so much. We moved to Springfield for many reasons but mainly because we wanted to. It’s been a very smooth transition. Trust me on this one. Having had transitional ministers here has paid off for everybody. Plus, we like it here. Mel-O-Cream is only two blocks from the church. We can buy

mangoes in the supermarket. I rest my case.
Abundant blessings,
Alden Studebaker