Churches Nationwide to Celebrate Anniversary of True Father’s Seonghwa

From the east coast to the west coast, churches of the Unification movement in the United States prepare to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Universal Seonghwa (Ascension) to be celebrated on August 23, 2013 (Korea Date) or Thursday, August 22, 2013.

On Thursday August 22nd (U.S. Date), there will be a live broadcast at 9:00 p.m. EST from Korea of the Memorial Ceremony for the First Anniversary of the Universal Seonghwa of Sun Myung Moon, the True Parent of Heaven, Earth and Humankind.

Unificationists in the United States and around the world will tune in via live webcast to view the international gathering at the Cheongshim Peace Stadium in Gapyeong, Korea.

In order to access the live webcasts, there are two links provided for direct access which will be active 30 minutes before the start of the event (8:30 p.m. EST).

www.ipeacetv.com/live/live_eng.asp www.ustream.tv/channel/worldcenter-eng

A recorded version of the webcast will be sent to all church communities by the USA headquarters on Friday, August 23 for use in local anniversary programs during the weekend.

Celebrations by State and City

The following is a sample of information from several Unification churches about celebrations of the memorial ceremony to be available by weeks end.

Flyer created by the Boston Family Church provides information for the Memorial Ceremony of Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s First Anniversary of his Seonghwa (Ascension).

In New England, the Boston Family Church will hold a memorial ceremony on Thursday, August 23, 2013 at 46 Beacon Street in Boston. There will be snacks and beverages at 7:45 p.m., at 8:15 p.m. the program will begin with music, a presentation on the life of Sun Myung Moon, a video presentation on the Seonghwa (Ascension) Ceremony, and a brief message from Rev. Richard Buessing. Then at 9:00 p.m. there will be the Live Broadcast from Korea

In New York City, Pastor Andrew Love told Unification News, “This Sunday we will not have a service as usual. We will put away the chairs and put a mat on the ballroom floor. We will sing Holy Songs and discuss their origin. We will have a quiz show regarding facts of True Father’s life. We will have video testimonies from members who shared their best experiences with True Father, and we will watch a tribute video about Rev. Moon’s life. I will then give a short message, and we will have a pot-luck luncheon which is open for the general public.”

For Unificationists in New Jersey at the Clifton Family church on 78 Demott Avenue, on Thursday, August 23rd, there will be a Fellowship gathering beginning at 5:45 p.m. and an Offering Table, customary of Korean funeral tradition, which will be set up before the international memorial ceremony is broadcast. Then, on Sunday 25, 2013 the Unification Church New Jersey will host a special service at the picturesque, serene Camp Sunrise in Harriman State Park, starting at 11:00 a.m. with a BBQ afterwards. There is a small event fee for adults, children and parking.

In Philadelphia at 123 S 41st St., the Philadelphia church will celebrate Father Moon’s ascension on Thursday by watching the live broadcast of the memorial service at 6:00 p.m. Attending families are encouraged to arrive by 5:45 p.m. and to bring something for the Offering table such as fruit, a dessert, cake, etc. Then, on Sunday, August, 25th, the Philadelphia Church will host the official celebration and

memorial service for Father Moon. At 10:00 a.m. there will be a special service commemorating Rev. Sun Myung Moon with testimonies and music. Afterwards there will be a potluck lunch followed by games and various activities. There will be face painting, glitter tattoos, music, sports, and a board-game for the “Settler of Catan.”

In Maryland, families of the Unification movement will view the Thursday evening live webcast in private residences.

Multi-faceted Events in Some Cities

In Atlanta, There will be a commemoration of the First Anniversary of True Father’s Seonghwa instead of the usual Sunday Service on August 25th. There will be a video highlight of True Father’s life, as well as testimonies from members and special guests who have had personal experiences with True Father, and young Unificationists are preparing dance and musical performances as entertainment, followed by a potluck lunch.

The Miami Family Church created this flyer for the Thursday program on August 22nd to watch the live webcast of the memorial service from Korea.

In Miami, there will be a Memorial Service on Thursday with the live broadcast, testimonies and meditation. Co-pastor Mari Curry of the Miami Unification church wrote to Unification News, “We wanted to make it [the Seonghwa Memorial event] a multi-faceted experience where we not only honored True Father but his legacy and memory as well. On Saturday we are doing an inter-religious service project with an American Clergy Leadership Conference connected church by collecting school supplies for local youth. Then on Sunday we are having a celebration potluck and open mic/ talent show or game event.”

In the Midwest, the Minneapolis Family Church at 1000 5th Street SE, invite all to join and “celebrate the life of a man of man who, whether he was in the Middle East or in one of the two Koreas, worked with the heart of Heaven to bring people tougher in harmony.” There will be celebrations on both Saturday, August 24th and Sunday, August 25th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. including a video presentation, musical offerings, Korean dance, testimonies, “Looking Backward”, games, origami, “The Vision for the Future” and a Korean meal.

Families in the Bay Area Family Church in San Francisco will gather on Thursday night to watch the live broadcast of the memorial service from Korea. The next day, Saturday August 24th, the church warmly invites friends and families of the Unification movement to the Saturday Community of Faith Breakfast with inspiration, fellowship and networking and a keynote speech by Dr. Mose Durst. Then on Sunday, there will be a Sunday Church picnic celebrating Father Moon’s Life, as well as celebrating the wedding anniversaries for the 30,000 and 360,000 couples Blessing.

In Los Angeles, the L.A. Family Church will have an evening service for church members on Friday, August 23rd at 7:30 p.m. at the Pasadena House to watch the 9-minute video “Rev. Sun Myung Moon: A Peace-Loving Global Citizen” and the recorded video of the Thursday commemorative ceremony from Korea. There will be singing, sharing of testimonies, and fellowship with coffee and rice cakes. The L.A. Family church has planned a public event on September 7, 2013 to commemorate the First Anniversary of Rev. Moon’s ascension at the New Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church.

In Montana, families will watch the live feed at 5:00 p.m. (Local Montana time) at the Billings Church on 501 South 29th St.

In Boise, Idaho, families will gather at the Boise Center at 5:00 p.m. local time at 419 N. Allumbaugh Rd.

In Seattle, there will be a live broadcast of the Korean event at 6:00 p.m. (PST) at 6601 NE Windermere Rd. Then on Saturday, August 25th, there will a special commemorative program at the same address which begins and 10:30 a.m. and ends at 1:00 a.m. “The program will features testimonies from people

who have been touched by True Father through the various providential organizations (American Clergy Leadership Coalition (ACLC), Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU).) There will be musical performances, an introduction to the Divine Principle, a tour of the historic Windermere mansion, a buffet luncheon and more.”

Flyer from the Bay Area Family Church showcases a Community of Faith Breakfast to Celebrate the Life of Rev. Sun Myung Moon on Saturday, August 24, 2013.

In Kodiak, Unificationists will observe the live ceremony from Korea online at the Kodiak Unification Church at 1936 Selief Lane at 5:00 p.m. (Alaska Time). Kodiak resident Deanna Cooper put an advertisement in the newspapers for the Saturday event: “Rev. Sun Myung Moon – A Legacy of Peace Commemoration.” The advertisement said, “The public is invited to an open house- honoring the Rev. Sun Myung Moon on the first anniversary of his passing, Saturday, Aug. 24, 1 to 4 pm. The Legacy of Peace event includes live music, a book- and photo display of Rev. Moon’s life, videos, a talk and refreshments. Location: The Unification Church, 1936 Selief Lane.”

In Anchorage Alaska, at the Anchorage Garden/Anchorage Family Church on 9101 Brayton Drive, Unificationists will watch the live feed, and there will be an open house from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.