Blessing Movement

• Purpose of the Blessing • Tribal Messiahship and the Blessing • Blessing Movement Timeline and Plan • Path to the Blessing for Married Couples • Unificationist and Non-Unificationist • Path to the Blessing for First Generation Singles • Change of Blood Lineage Process • Blessing Offering Amounts • Hosting a Blessing Ceremony • After the Blessing Ceremony

“The Unification Church mass wedding ceremony is not just a wedding ceremony of a man and a woman to make a family. Until now, marriage was centered on the individual self, but our wedding ceremony is holy and has the content to make God happy and the condition to indemnify history. Our marriage ceremony is to liberate God’s grief caused by Adam and Eve’s fall and fulfill what Jesus could not, which is to pass through the standard of the bridegroom and bride. This is explained clearly in the Divine Principle.”

Marriage joins the life of a woman and the life of a man. In time [through children], it joins the lineage of the man and the lineage of the woman. Thus begins a history, a nation, the world of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

“The purpose of your marriage is to synchronize the man’s heart and the woman’s heart to perfect your love. Your wedding ceremony is a proclamation of your couple’s determination toward that goal. If you start with the goal to perfect your love and heart through your married life, you are on the way to fulfilling the ideal of the family.”

• Blessing Ceremony Timeline • June 27th = Communities across the U.S. only • October 3rd = Communities across the U.S. only • February = In Korea and communities across the U.S on Foundation Day • Who can host a ceremony? • Any community that registers with the BFM (registration on BFM website) • Who can officiate a ceremony? • District Pastors or HQ Approved Recommendations from District Pastors • Who can participate? • Matched couples & married couples (UC or non-UC) who have completed their application for the Blessing at least 40 days prior to the Blessing Ceremony

• One year of church membership – education in the Divine Principle and in the meaning and value of the Blessing, regular attendance to worship or church programs and tithing • Complete the online Application for the Blessing • Payment of Blessing Offering - an offering of gratitude to receive True Parents’ Blessing ($2000 per couple) • 40-day Blessing preparation beginning 40 days before the Blessing Ceremony, which should include education and spiritual conditions (example: 7-day fast) • Complete of the essential ceremonies that constitute the “Change of Blood Lineage” process

Step One: Become a Blessing Couple • 40-day Preparation of DP and Blessing Education • Small offering for the cost of the ceremony (determined by community) • Participate in the Holy Wine Celebration • Participate in the Holy Blessing Celebration

Step Two: Become a Blessed Couple • Online Registration as a Blessed Couple • Blessing Offering (minimum of $210 with a heart to offer $2000 per couple) • Participate in the Chastening Ceremony • 40 Day offering through abstinence • 3-Day Ceremony

• Receive Education about the Divine Principle, True Parents, Unification traditions, Value of the Blessing • Become a practicing Unificationist for at least one year • i.e. attend worship services and church events regularly, volunteer with church activities, tithe regularly • Complete Matching and Blessing Application • Work with a Matching Advisor to find a potential matching candidate and begin communication phase (7 months) • Matching Commitment Ceremony • Complete the essential ceremonies that constitute the “Change of Blood Lineage” process

• Holy Wine Ceremony (prior to the Blessing, guided by local pastor or officiating couple) • The Blessing Ceremony • Chastening Ceremony (immediately following the Blessing Ceremony) • Separation Period (40 days of abstinence, renewing their relationship and spiritual intimacy from the inside, beginning from the Blessing Ceremony) • 3-day Ceremony of Renewal (the first 3 nights after the separation period)

• $2,000 per individual who will attend the Blessing Ceremony in the USA • $1,500 per individual who will attend the Blessing Ceremony in Korea • $1,000 per individual who will attend the Blessing Ceremony in Korea and have qualified for the Korea Travel Grant • $710 per individual who paid their Blessing offering through a previously annulled Blessing and will attend the Blessing Ceremony in the USA • $810 per individual who paid their Blessing offering through a previously annulled Blessing and will attend the Blessing Ceremony in Korea • $2,000 per couple for married couples, who have joined our church, and are renewing their commitment to one another through the Blessing • While all married couples should have the heart to complete the $2000 per couple Blessing offering, those couples of another faith who are renewing their commitment to one another through the Blessing may begin by completing the special offering of gratitude to True Parents of $210.

• Register community online (link will be available soon) • Receive resources from the BFM • Participate in online Blessing Ceremony support webinar • Fill out Reimbursement Form after the Ceremony and get reimbursed

• Stay connected to the newly Blessed Couples • Provide opportunities for newly Blessed Couple to get involved in your community • Connect newly Blessed Couples to older mentor couples • Connect newly Blessed Couples to marriage enrichment webinars and other local marriage enrichment webinars

https://bfm.familyfed.org