Welcome to Unity of the Oaks Church
“Experience the difference” is a common feeling for people who come to a Unity church for the first time. We are spiritual not religious!
We are Loving.
About Unity of the Oaks
Unity of the Oaks is committed to serving all people, regardless of race, color, gender, sexual lifestyle or religious belief.
Although we base our theology on the metaphysical teaching of Jesus Christ, our message is universal in principal and we honor all religions.
We encourage personal growth through the practice of prayer and the acknowledgement of God in our daily lives.
Unity is an attitude; a call to prayer; a way of life; a philosophy with living principles to practice, not simply an organization to join or a place to worship.
Unity is a teaching of the Truth that the living, dynamic presence of God is within each of us, and wherever we are, God is, as wisdom, love, power, life and joy.
We encourage everyone to discover the unique divinity that lies within each of us, and then to follow the guidance that comes from within, leading us on the path to health, prosperity, peace and a life filled with spiritual purpose.
Come and walk the path with us!
Many people have found us by reading our devotional, the Daily Word, or through our 24-hour prayer line at Silent Unity, others have been brought to a church service by a caring friend, neighbor or family member.
What you will find here is:
- A warm and loving community
- Uplifting music and a positive message
- An invitation to enter each day centered in peace and filled with hope and optimism.
Our Beliefs
Unity is positive, practical Christianity.
It teaches the practical application in everyday life of the principles of Truth taught and exemplified by Jesus Christ, as interpreted in the light of modern-day experience by Unity World Headquarters and Unity Worldwide Ministries.
Unity is a way of life that leads to health, prosperity, happiness, and peace of mind.
Unity Worldwide Ministries, in cooperation with Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute, has established centers of study and worship throughout the world, where people study and practice the Unity way of life.
We believe that all people are created with sacred worth. Therefore, we recognize the importance of serving all people within the Unity family in spiritually and emotionally caring ways.
We strive for our ministries, publications, and programs to reach out to all who seek Unity support and spiritual growth.
It is imperative that our ministries and outreaches be free of discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, physical disability, or sexual orientation.
Our sincere desire is to create spiritually-aware organizations that are nondiscriminatory and that support diversity.
We encourage ministers, teachers, and others within Unity to honor the strength of diversity within their spiritual communities.
It is with love and in celebration of our unity, in the midst of our wondrous diversity, that we affirm this position!
Our Mission
Unity of the Oaks is a loving, accepting and thriving community that encourages spiritual growth through the practice of prayer, acts of joyful service, and the acknowledgement of God in all of life.
Our Vision
We are a loving, accepting, heart-centered spiritual community, here to be love-in-action, encourage personal growth, awaken spiritual curiosity, and transform lives.
Our Core Values
Core values are not descriptions of the work we do or the strategies we employ to accomplish our mission. The values underlie our work, how we interact with each other, and which strategies we employ to fulfill our mission. The core values are the basic elements of how we go about our work.
Our Spiritual Leaders
Stacy Macris Ros, Licensed Unity Teacher
Stacy Macris Ros, L.U.T., C.S.E., has grown up in Unity, starting at the age of five. Stacy became a Licensed Unity Teacher with Unity Worldwide Ministries in November 2018. We welcomed her as the Co-Spiritual Leader of Unity of the Oaks, along with Rev. Sherri James, on March 1, 2020. Stacy’s Sunday talks and weekly classes are filled with humor, deep contemplation, student participation, quotes from spiritual and religious leaders, and personal anecdotes. Stacy’s message is always one of Love.
Prior to becoming a Licensed Unity Teacher (L.U.T.), in 2013 Stacy became a Certified Spiritual Educator (C.S.E.) with Unity Worldwide Ministries, a designation for Unity’s youth education teachers and youth directors. This coincided with her time as Unity of the Oaks’ Youth Education Director, from 2010 to 2014. During this time, she facilitated trainings with our Sunday teachers and planned fun, spiritual experiences & exploration for our children both in and out of the classroom.
After embracing many leadership roles in her teenage and adult years, Stacy served as the Southwest Unity Region’s Education Consultant from December 2012 to August 2017, which inspired her work in inter-generational ministry. She is currently serving on the Board of Trustees as the L.U.T. representative for the Southwest Unity Region. She also served as a Board Member for the Unity Church of Alhambra Foundation from 2006 – 2013.
In addition to guest speaking and teaching Unity classes, she loves to mentor and coach individuals, helping them to realize that they can live a life of joy and inner peace. She is also available to officiate weddings, working with couples to create a unique service tailored just for them!
Stacy holds a degree in Dietetics from Michigan State University and a Master degree in Public Health, with an emphasis in Family & Community Health, from UCLA.
Stacy’s life is enriched by time spent with her husband, two sons, and her very friendly dog, in Simi Valley, CA.
Check our CALENDAR for upcoming classes.
Reverend Sherri James
Sherri James’ lifelong passion for the Bible began after hearing the late Rev. Dr. Mary Tumpkin preach for the first time. She has never been the same.
Eventually, she emerged as a leader in her home church, Understanding Principles (UP Church). In 2015, Rev. Dr. Della Reese Lett tapped her to succeed her at UP Church once she retired, and today, Sherri serves as UP Church’s Senior Minister. In March of 2020, Rev. Sherri joined Stacy Macris Ros, LUT, as co-minister of Unity of the Oaks.
An avid student of ancient wisdom, Sherri revels in the fact that she shares a birthday with Ralph Waldo Emerson. Believing there might be others who love the study of ancient wisdom, Sherri created the Metaphysical Bible Hangout in 2013 — a weekly metaphysical Bible study that broadcasts live on YouTube every Thursday.
Sherri’s love of the Bible is matched only by her passion for teaching. She received the 2017 Barbara Kimble Award for Excellence in Spiritual Teaching. Ironically, for most of her professional career, Sherri tried to run from teaching. She was taught and believed that “teachers don’t make any money.” But your essence always finds a way to express itself. No matter what she did professionally — film producing, event planning, tele-fundraising — Sherri always felt compelled to add a workshop or a class or a seminar or something that might benefit people.
As a spiritual mentor, speaker and teacher, Sherri works with creatives, coaches and trainers, and spiritual entrepreneurs who want to align their spiritual values with their material pursuits. In addition to her spiritual mentoring practice, Sherri travels North America giving workshops and keynotes on spiritual topics.
Convinced that each person has their equivalent of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony they must share with the world, Sherri obsessively looks inside herself for the divine gift that is only hers to share. Her latest divine gift: The Money Poems: A Simple System for Daily Abundance.
Our Board
The Board of Trustees is the volunteer body that is voted in by the membership to make decisions about the business of church operations.
They meet monthly, but are present at Sunday Services to assist, and are available to answer your questions.
We are so grateful for the work they do!
Our Current Board
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Mattea Nichitta
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Rev. Molly Rock
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April Juels
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Jane Brown
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Richard Guyer
Our Previous Board
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Grace Hollow
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Art Castillo
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Mattea Nichitta
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Christie Keith
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Rene Folse
Music Ministry
Our Music Ministry is jointly directed by Sherry Hursey and Jack Lee.
Sherry Hursey
Passionate about music, her spiritual journey and sharing her passions with young people, Sherry built upon her career as an actress, vocalist, voice over artist, writer and producer, by creating the one-hour family musical special, Lilly’s Light, and it’s companion foundation, “Lilly’s Fostering Hearts” a non-profit organization advocating for children in foster care. She is now the lighthouse at the center of Turning On the Light Entertainment which creates positive media and music to brighten the world.
Jack Lee
Composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Jack Lee has performed and recorded meditation music with Mary Manin Morrissey, Lynn Andrews, Wayne Dyer and many other teachers, authors and seminar leaders. He toured as lead guitarist for the band Mother Earth and pianist with Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs. He has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Isabel’s South Sea Island Bar & Grill in Ocono mowoc, Wisconsin. Previously co-musical director at Unity Church of Ventura CA, he works as a composer and producer in the Los Angeles area and is now part of our community at Unity of the Oaks. Learn more about Jack at his website, www.jackleecomposer.com
We are also blessed to have the talents of Paula Lurvey, Tom Hollow and Rick Cowling!
About Unity
About Silent Unity
120 Years of Silent Unity
For 120 years, Silent Unity has been a window into the hearts of people around the globe seeking prayer support. Literally millions of people have contacted Silent Unity for affirmative prayer. And there are countless extraordinary prayer stories of people’s faith being uplifted, health renewed, relationships restored and prosperity realized.
Those who call, write or email are encouraged to use affirmative prayer, the same method of prayer Jesus taught when he said, “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).
Introduction to New Thought
Charles married Myrtle in Clinton, Missouri, on March 29, 1881, and the newlyweds moved to Pueblo, Colorado, where Charles established a real estate business with the brother-in-law of Nona Lovell Brooks, who was later to found the Church of Divine Science. After the births of their first two sons, Lowell Page and Waldo Rickert Fillmore,
the family moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Two years later, in 1886, Charles and Myrtle attended New Thought classes held by Dr. E. B. Weeks. Myrtle subsequently recovered from chronic tuberculosis and attributed her recovery to her use of prayer and other methods learned in Weeks’ classes. Subsequently Charles began to heal from his childhood accident, a development that he, too, attributed to following this philosophy. Charles Fillmore became a devoted student of philosophy and religion.
A Growing Movement
In 1889, Charles left his business to focus entirely on publishing a new periodical, Modern Thought. In 1890 they organized a prayer group that would later be called “Silent Unity” and in the following year, the Fillmore’s Unity magazine was first published. On December 7, 1892, Charles and Myrtle penned their Dedication and Covenant.
We, Charles Fillmore and Myrtle Fillmore, husband and wife, hereby dedicate ourselves, our time, our money, all we have and all we expect to have, to the Spirit of Truth, and through it, to the Society of Silent Unity.
It being understood and agreed that the said Spirit of Truth shall render unto us an equivalent for this dedication, in peace of mind, health of body, wisdom, understanding, love, life and an abundant supply of all things necessary to meet every want without our making any of these things the object of our existence.
In the presence of the Conscious Mind of Christ Jesus, this 7th day of December A.D. 1892.
Charles Fillmore
Myrtle Fillmore
Dr. H. Emilie Cady published a series titled Lessons in Truth in the new magazine. This material later was compiled and published in a book by the same name, which served as a seminal work of the Unity movement. Although Charles had no intention of making Unity into a denomination, his students wanted a more organized group. He and his wife were among the first ordained Unity ministers in 1906. Charles and Myrtle Fillmore first operated the Unity organization from a campus near downtown Kansas City. Unity began a formal program for training ministers in 1931.
Myrtle Fillmore died in 1931. Charles remarried in 1933 to Cora G. Dedrick who was a collaborator on his later writings. Charles Fillmore made his transition in 1948.
Silent Unity Today
Currently, Silent Unity receives more than 3,700 calls a day. A staff of dedicated and well-trained prayer associates answer calls with a greeting familiar to many through the decades: “Silent Unity.How may we pray with you?”
Compassionate listening is followed by an invitation to focus on the presence and power of God within. Affirmative prayer is spoken, acknowledging God’s constant good and envisioning its demonstration in the lives of those uplifted in prayer.
To reach Silent Unity any time of day, call 1-800-NOW-PRAY. (669-7729)
The Daily Word is available as a spiritual resource for a daily affirming thoughts and inspiring messages.
You may also submit your prayer request online through Silent Unity’s web site at www.unityonline.org/prayer. Additional resources are available here to support you in prayer and meditation.
Now that you know about Unity’s heritage, click here to learn more about our community at Unity of the Oaks in Thousand Oaks, CA.
Learn more about the entire Unity organization at Unity.org .
Unity Fountain image courtesy of contractors David E. Ross Construction , who built it.