Detroit Unificationists Makes Friends through a Community Talent Show

A neighborhood talent contest is the latest community event held by Detroit-area Unificationists with the aim of getting to know their neighbors.

Located in the suburban Groesbeck Park neighborhood in the city of Warren, Michigan, Detroit Unificationists have already held an annual Community Christmas Dinner and a summer Community Fair. These events, which are enjoyable and fun, are their way of doing Tribal Messiah outreach.

On Saturday, July 30, 2016, they held a “Warren’s Got Talent” Neighborhood Talent Contest. This grew out of the community fair that they have held for the past two years.

In true Tribal Messiah fashion, each Detroit Unificationist family takes care of all the homes on one street. Before each event they visit these homes with a flyer and afterward visit those who attended the event to thank them for coming.

On the two Sundays before the talent show, families went out after Sunday service to visit each home on their street. With 20 active families, it was not too hard to cover most of the approximately 1,000 homes in the neighborhood. They also let the mayor’s office and the local city council representative know about the event.

The talent show was held in the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) community center, which also functions as a worship center. After receiving the flyer, twelve people

called to register themselves or their children as contestants. The Unificationist hosts put together a panel of judges to choose the winners, which included a local pastor as well as representatives of different generations.

The performers ranged in age from a 10-year-old telling jokes to a 70-year-old performing a dance. After each of the 12 acts the judges gave encouraging feedback and suggestions. At the end of the talent show, they then added up the scores to choose the first-, second- and third-place winners. First place won $100, second place, $50, and third place, $30. Each performer who was younger than 13 years old also received a small present.

As a follow-up, the Unificationist families plan to visit each of the families that participated and give them a simple framed collage of photos from the event. Every time they go out into the neighborhood, they receive thanks from their neighbors for what they are doing for the community. As Detroit Unificationist community continues building relationships, they hope to invite their neighbors to one day receive the Marriage Blessing and to study the Divine Principle with them.