This Week Features:
Bellingham Family Church, Washington
Boston Family Church, Massachusetts
Charleston Family Church, West Virginia
Cleveland Family Church, Ohio
Colchester Family Church, Vermont
Hawaii Family Church, Hawaii
Indianapolis Family Church, Indiana
Iowa Family Church, Iowa
Miami Cheon Il Guk Family Church, Florida
Minneapolis Family Church, Minnesota
Phoenix Family Church, Arizona
Salt Lake Family Church, Utah
San Diego Family Church, California
Sarasota Family Church, Florida
Seattle Family Church, Washington
UC Columbus, Ohio
Every weekend for the months of August and September, thousands of families and individuals across America are participating in Special Grace Ceremonies to experience forgiveness, love, and unity through receiving the newly established Cheon Il Guk Holy Wine from True Parents.
In this article series, communities throughout the nation share their experiences and sincere testimonies while receiving this Special Grace.
Bellingham Family Church, Washington
Contributed by David Ryan
The members of the Bellingham Family Church community participated in the Special Grace of Forgiveness Holy Wine Ceremony on Sunday, August 14. The ceremony was conducted with sincerity, and with a spirit of attendance and gratitude. Certainly each member had their own unique experience depending on their spiritual preparation and the sort of things they were seeking forgiveness for. Gathering together in a circle and watching True Mother as she prayed to bless the Four Great Holy Items was a deeply moving experience for all. Words cannot express our gratitude and love to Heavenly Parent and True Parents for the gift of this Special Grace.
Thank you and three cheers for our beloved True Parents!
Boston Family Church, Massachusetts
Contributed by Rev. James Edgerly
The Boston Family Church had a very moving Special Grace Ceremony in the second floor sanctuary on Sunday afternoon, August 14. A total of 71 people from 29 families attended the program.
The Ceremony was organized by a team, led by Dan Perry, the church’s Director of Education. The emcee for the event was Spase and Cathy Kase. Pastor Jim Edgerly gave a message titled “The Meaning of the Four Great Holy Items” based on information received from International and USA Headquarters.
The success of the event owed much to the excellent guidance, materials and systems prepared in advance by the team at our National Headquarters. The thoroughness and quality of the headquarters preparations made the preparation and delivery of our local program far more effective than it would have otherwise been.
Dan Perry, the event organizer, stated “It was moving to see the families offering their resolutions, one family at a time, while in the presence of the entire community. The ceremony truly created an atmosphere where everyone could feel God’s love for each other.”
Albuquerque Family Church, New Mexico
Contributed by Rev. Rick Schnorr
The Albuquerque Family Church hosted the Special Grace Ceremony to receive the grace and forgiveness being bestowed by True Father and True Mother. District 9 Pastors John and Fusae Jackson were present for the ceremony, as well as 32 members of the Albuquerque Family Church.
The ceremony began with the Family Pledge. Rev. John and Fusae Jackson were the representative Blessed Couple who led all in the unison recitation. Pastor Rickey Schnorr explained how the Declaration of the Cosmic Sabbath and the Declaration of God’s Eternal Blessing were a foundation for understanding the magnitude of the Special Grace to be received. He shared that True Parents have demonstrated to us that Heavenly Parent’s resting place is the family, an ideal to which we all have received an open gateway. True Parents have accomplished this Holy Cosmic Sabbath and given us the mandate to follow in their footsteps. By fulfilling the responsibility of True Parenthood, True Parents have given us the Declaration of God’s Eternal Blessing in which Blessed Couples can stand in a position to give God’s Marriage Blessing and love to their families and communities, a position which allows us to work together for all to become part of God’s original lineage.
Rev. Schnorr then led the burning ceremony of repentance for past mistakes. Participants expressed their resolve and determination to correct the mistakes of the past and become representatives of Heavenly Parent and True Parents.
Amelia Schnorr, Briana Schneider, and Yoshi Araki led the congregation in Holy Songs. They brought tears to the audience in their rendition of the song “Divine Romance.”
Rev. John Jackson led the Special Grace Ceremony. All participants received the Holy Wine and an understanding of the grace and forgiveness being given. He asked, “What can we do to receive this grace and forgiveness?” He shared that no matter how much effort we make, it would not be enough. Grace and forgiveness are bestowed by the Creator and by True Parents. It is the unconditional love of the Original Parent that seeks out the original relationship with God’s children. We therefore need to open our hearts to the love of the Heavenly Parent.
The congregation then sang “Light of Grace,” which was accompanied with many tears.
During the time given for testimonies, Hannah More shared, “at the end of the 40-day condition to receive the Special Grace, I already felt liberated from many concerns that were bothering me.” She expressed her gratitude and love to True Father and True Mother.
Dr. Dale Garratt noted that the Hymn “Amazing Grace” was written by a slave trader (John Newton) after his conscience awakened him to the suffering that he was causing. His activities led the English civil government to outlaw slavery in Great Britain in 1807 and Newton lived to see it, dying in December of that year. Dr. Garratt said that the grace of the Heavenly Parent and True Parents is truly amazing.
The Albuquerque Family Church Holy Grace Ceremony was concluded with three cheers of “Eog Mansei!”
Charleston Family Church, West Virginia
Contributed by Rev. Claudette Kambara
We held the Special Grace Ceremony in Charleston, West Virginia on Sunday, August 14, 2016. The ceremony was conducted by Rev. Claudette Kambara, state pastor of West Virginia. We began the ceremony by singing several Holy Songs, reciting the Family Pledge in both Korean and English, and prayer. Next, we took turns reading about the meaning of the Holy Items aloud, Hoon Dok Hwe–style. Then we placed our resolutions on the altar after doing a full bow. We then conducted the Holy Wine Ceremony. We watched the video of True Mother’s benediction prayer via the Internet and held hands during the prayer. We concluded the ceremony with three cheers of Eog Mansei, took pictures, and then retired to the dining area for a delicious dinner and fellowship.
Mark Wilson of Charleston reflected, “I wish to thank True Parents for this Special Grace. After the ceremony, I feel more energized and more determined to fulfill Vision 2020 and look forward to my coming Blessing ceremony. It is as if a heavy burden of guilt has been lifted and replaced with a feeling of great joy!”
Cleveland Family Church, Ohio
Contributed by Bruce & Keiko Biddle
Twenty two people participated in the Special Grace ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio on August 14. It was a very hot day, but there was such a sincere atmosphere and everyone enjoyed the experience very much. Among our group was a second-generation sister who is visiting with us. Her family moved from Cleveland to a different state several years ago. Wherever a family moves away, we are still connected in heart. I felt that we have very special brothers and sisters and we are truly one family under our Heavenly Parent and True Parents. It is very important to have this beautiful sense of unity in order to continue moving forward.
Thank you True Parents for this wonderful opportunity!
Colchester Family Church, Vermont
Contributed by Pastor Alex Nimick
We gathered across the Burlington area with the help of a beautiful clear blue sky to observe our Special Grace Ceremony at our chapel at the Takahashi household. There were twelve participants in attendance representing more than three different races.
Kaeng Takahashi travelled all the way back from Middlebury College to help welcome us and attend the ceremony. Pastor Alex Nimick, in his address on the significance of the Holy Wine Ceremony, emphasized that “all of this has become possible on the foundation of True Mothers efforts of three years on behalf of all humanity in absolute unity with True Father.”
Mr. Tuipate Mubiay offered a hearty three cheers of Eog Mansei and Mrs. Yukiko Maynard closed the ceremony in prayer.
“Certainly this will open new channels of grace for each of us personally as as families and a community to be and do more than ever before,” shared Pastor Alex Nimick
Thank You True Parents!
Hawaii Family Church, Hawaii
Contributed by Rev. Kazuo Takami
On Sunday, August 14, around 90 family members gathered together at the Ala Wai Elementary School in Honolulu for Sunday Worship Service and the Special Grace Ceremony.
In the Sunday worship service, District Pastor Rev. Kazuo Takami explained about the grace of the Holy Wine and its history. He also shared the heart of True Mother regarding this Special Grace and emphasized the position and responsibility of Blessed Central Families.
After the first part of the worship service was over, the program immediately proceeded to the Special Grace Ceremony. First, wives received and drank from a small cup of Holy Wine, which they then shared with their husbands. Children shared one cup among siblings, starting with the oldest child. Single Unificationists were encouraged to think of a future spouse while receiving the Holy Wine. Each person submitted a new resolution form with grateful hearts.
The ceremony was concluded by Four Cheers of Eog Mansei led by Rev. Dae Koo Kim, Honolulu KEA pastor.
Indianapolis Family Church, Indiana
Contributed by Rev. Jack Harford
Indianapolis Family Church held its first Special Grace Ceremony on Sunday August 14, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. The event was well-attended with 62 attendees from among the first, second, and third generations of Unificationists. Dr. David Carlson served as the emcee and guided the Ceremony in an admirable fashion. Jack and Kyoko Harford were the officiating couple.
There was a general feeling of seriousness among the participants as the ceremony progressed as well as a general sense of gratitude to our Heavenly Parent and True Parents. As the head usher Sachiyo Hashimoto guided the families one by one to the altar to offer their Resolution Forms, each family humbly bowed to True Parents and placed their form into the Grace Resolution box.
Attendants Jong Sun Mouton and Yoshiko Iwamoto distributed the Holy Wine to each family as Pastor Jack shared the instructions on the process of receiving the Special Grace through this precious celebration. Norikuni Nishikawa did an excellent job as the audio/visual technician and helped the program to progress smoothly. Myung Bin Mouton led all of us in three rousing cheers of Eog Mansei to conclude the program. Refreshments were served afterward and several participants stayed to witness the burning of the Resolution Forms.
One second-generation Unificationist commented that the concept of grace was not one that was emphasized as she was growing up but that she was trying to learn more about it and appreciated this opportunity.
Iowa Family Church, Iowa
On August 14, the Iowa Family Church held a Special Grace Ceremony.
“Our family feels very blessed to receive these new Holy Items. Some revelation came to me this morning as I was posting on Facebook. To purify us, Heavenly Parent wants us to follow true faith, our original nature not our beliefs or own point of view, not even our conscience which is driven by our point of view and critical thinking. This time of tribulation comes to purify and it is necessary to lead the providence forward into Cheon Il Guk,” reflected Daniel Eston, one of the participants.
Miami Cheon Il Guk Family Church, Florida
Contributed by Rev. Hiroyuki Endo
The Miami Cheon Il Guk Family Church held a ceremony for seven families and a total of 24 individuals.
“I feel myself to be renewed after the Special Grace Ceremony. When I prayed the next morning, I experienced very different feelings about the relationship between Heavenly Parent and me. I feel just as if God has come directly to me and dwells within me. God seems to be so huge, and I felt True Mother spiritually,” reflected Rev. Endo.
Minneapolis Family Church, Minnesota
Contributed by Rev. Hyungtae Ha
Minneapolis Family Church held our Special Grace Holy Wine Ceremony on August 14 at 10 AM during Sunday Service. 97 people from 40 families attended the ceremony.
The ceremony was well planned and prepared in advance by the Holy Day Care team led by a young and older Unificationists. The ceremony was started as a usual Sunday Service with a short sermon by District Pastor Hyungtae Ha, who spoke about “God’s Dream and My Dream,” which reflected the time when our elder brothers and sisters joined the movement 40-50 years ago, and where we are now, and where we are going.
Right after the sermon, Rev. Ha continued to lead the Holy Wine Ceremony, which was emceed by Pastor Denise To. The Invocation Prayer was offered by Rev. Keith Anderson and the program was concluded with three cheers of Eog Mansei led by Rev. James Gavin.
Many members have been preparing themselves for this time with a 40-day period of devotion, and preparation of resolution paper.
Most participants expressed their inspiration for seeing True Mother’s tearful but encouraging prayer for Blessed Central Families. Through hearing her voice directly, we were able to connect to her heart and True Parents’ wish for the people of Cheon Il Guk.
Here are a few reflections from Minneapolis communities:
“Based on the education and encouragement provided by our regional and state pastors, we had excellent and high-spirited participation in our Minnesota Special Grace Ceremony. Released from the heaviness caused by my past short-comings, failings and sins of omission, as well as commission, I truly feel lighter. I have entered into a lighter realm–the realm of positivity–and I am anxious to take on greater responsibility for nurturing our members.”
“I was very happy to see the many second-generations Unificationists who were in attendance, especially young people who had difficulty in their life, but decided to receive the Special Grace. I believe that they are determined to change their life through the Special Grace Ceremony. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to repent myself and have a new determination to be our Heavenly Parent’s daughter and in the position of a Blessed Central Family member and tribal messiah.”
“I prepared really well for the Resolution Form. Everyday for one month, I wrote a diary, thinking and trying to erase past painful memories. I could shed many tears as time went by. I realized many things that I did that were on my shoulders where I have failed and I repented for my ancestors, too.”
“I wanted this day to be a new beginning for me. I was really grateful for all the preparatory workshops and the Holy Wine Ceremony. I felt that it was prepared well. I am also extremely grateful to God and True Parents that my whole family could attend. The ceremony was very beautiful, it felt so sincere.”
Phoenix Family Church, Arizona
The Holy Wine Special Grace Ceremony for Arizona took place at 10 am on Sunday August 14 at our usual Sunday Service facility in Tempe, Arizona. 27 families participated with an additional four families the next Tuesday to make a cumulative total of 31 families having received the Cheon Il Guk Holy Wine.
Everyone dressed up for the occasion in excellent spirit. Noel and Rhia Nkulu opened the ceremony with a Report to Heaven, after which Staffan and Jane Berg officiated the Holy Wine Ceremony. We finished the moving event with a profound testimony from the end of the 40-day conditional given by Gary Young (read testimony). 
Salt Lake Family Church, Utah
On August 14, the Salt Lake Family Church celebrated the Special Grace Ceremony, and was privileged to have Dr. Kim Hoon Kim and Dr. Michael Jenkins in attendance.
San Diego Family Church, California
Contributed by Rev. Walter Frank
On August 14, the San Diego Family Church held a Special Grace Ceremony for 61 participants, including 39 adults, 9 young adults, 3 teenagers, and 10 children.
Sarasota Family Church, Florida
Contributed by Georg Beutl
The Sarasota Family Church conducted the Special Grace Ceremony on August 14 with nine individuals present. We began with Holy Songs to uplift the atmosphere, followed by a prayer by Rev. Beutl and an explanation of the meaning of the Special Grace. The ceremony was very inspiring and positive. All participants worked hard to prepare themselves to receive the Holy Wine and humbly made a new commitment to make a new start and strive for True Mother’s Vision for 2020.
“During the ceremony, I could really feel the love and embracing heart of God and True Parents as we were receiving the Holy Wine. I could feel how much gratitude there was in just our small community. It was such a moving experience to receive this grace from God and True Parents.” – Jin-Myung Beutl
Seattle Family Church, Washington
Contributed by Pastor Nelson Mira
On Sunday, August 14, the Seattle Family Church conducted its first Special Grace Ceremony at their church in Seattle, WA. The ceremony was preceded by a condensed preparatory workshop. Members watched videos of True Parents’ life and achievements, and an explanation about the significance and value of the Marriage Blessing was explained.
“The scope of the forgiveness is huge,” said Yumi Sato, a young adult Unificationist who attended the Special Grace Ceremony in Seattle. Yumi shared that True Mother is making all the opportunities for members to receive a very deep grace from our Heavenly Parent.
The ceremony offered hope to many, including Mrs. Karen Rogers, who commented, “because of True Parents, I have hope.”
Pastor Nelson Mira of the Seattle Family Church reflected, “There were more people than expected who attended the event. It was a lengthy program which included a preparatory workshop. The members faithfully attended, and at the end, I could see that most of the people were happy. I think that it is proper to say that the ceremony was a success!”
During the workshop, the international memo about the significance and scope of the Special Grace Ceremony was reviewed, followed by a Q&A session. Several members asked questions, and answers were given.
A beautifully decorated table that carried the basket for the Resolution Forms was placed in the front during the ceremony. Members of all ages lined up to drop their Resolution Forms in the basket as part of the repentance process. Mrs. Angie Noriega shared, “It was very meaningful, very moving. I truly felt forgiven.”
UC Columbus, Ohio
Contributed by Rev. Frank Sanchez
On Sunday, August 14, UC Columbus hosted the Special Grace Ceremony with 51 families from Columbus and two families from the Cincinnati community in attendance. Counting all their children, we had 170 people who participated in this Special Grace-Holy Wine Ceremony.
During the ceremony, rain poured outside the windows, which made the cleansing of our sins very palpable.
Every part of the program was conducted by different blessed families which showcased our unity and diversity.
Pastor Frank Sanchez guided us through the Submission of the Resolution Forms and the Holy Wine Ceremony, and instinctively cheered and congratulated the whole community after each stage was completed.
Garrun and Yusun Abrahams, the district pastors for District 6, served as officiators and demonstrated the Holy Wine Ceremony by first sharing the Holy Wine between themselves and then assisting their young children, dabbing just a small amount on their lips.
It was very unusual to have all the young children in the audience but a beautiful sight to have everyone participate in the ceremony together, receiving the Holy Wine as unified families.
The ceremony concluded with celebratory cake, cheers of Eog Mansei, and lively sharing over lunch. The atmosphere was full of joy and gratitude.
UC Columbus is honored to have participated in the Special Grace Ceremony and glad to offer the ceremony up to our True Mother.
“I could not sleep well the last two nights before the Special Grace Ceremony. Even though I could not sleep well, however, I was not tired. On the contrary, I was energized. I felt that my ancestors could not wait to drink the Holy Wine.
“I was emceeing the ceremony and after the Holy Wine Ceremony finished, an incredible feeling of joy came over me, so that my feet wanted to dance and just jump like a child thanking Heavenly Parent and True Parents for their never-ending love for us and mankind. Unfortunately, I had to keep my composure, though, because I was standing in front of a chapel full of faithful and loyal children of Heaven as I facilitated the ceremony,” commented Rev. Sanchez.
