Open Letter from the President
Board Members and Others Who Provided Service
Open
Letter from the President
of the Study Group
Dear Study Group Members and
Keepers of the Flame in the Greater Manchester Area,
The growing threat of terrorism in
America has shown us just how vulnerable we are in spite of all our nation’s
great might. It has shown us that the day-to-day lifestyle that we take for
granted can come abruptly to an end. It has shown us that we must go back to
basics – to our personal trust in God and to walk the path of our individual
Christhood – in order for our families and nation to be safe. The Ascended
Masters had warned us through the years that the day will come when war and
disaster will come to our own shores – and it surely has come. It is time for
us to put God first in our life, and to decree for the safety of our families,
communities, nation, and our world.
We should not wait for another
terrorist attack or a major cataclysm to strike before rushing to pray and
decree! We must hold the vigil in our
community at all times. This is an incredible opportunity to serve God, I AM
THAT I AM, in mitigating personal karma and preventing planetary war and
cataclysm. Participation in regular decree services with our local study group
makes decrees more effective and powerful, for oneself and for humanity, and
goes a long way in protecting our nation from terrorism. It will also serve to
protect our families and communities from potential disaster.
Also, as you may be aware, we in
New England are part of Region-4 in our organization. The new regional concept
presents a great opportunity for growth and vitality for all local study groups
and members, as it decentralizes the organization and brings responsibility and
resources for success to the regional and local level. We can now come together
at the regional level and have our own “conference” experiences and strengthen
our Community of the Holy Spirit! We can build new relationships with our
brothers and sisters across the region!
Some of us from the Manchester
Study Group recently attended our 1st Region-4 Convention in
Maryland. The event was the result of two planning meetings; the first was held
in Washington DC in June of 2002, and the second in Philadelphia in September.
The next Regional Conference is being planned to take place in Washington DC,
tentatively during the weekend of May 31st of 2003.
The Convention in Maryland was
truly an incredible spiritual event, with the release of Light by the Ascended
Masters being readily evident. The convention consisted of workshops,
fellowship, celebration, and a service to Saint Germain on one day, followed by
a Sunday Service and Communicant Initiations on the next day. Surprisingly, the
highlight of the convention was the “skits” that were presented by the
different groups in our region. They became the centerpiece of our celebration
and fellowship in Christ at the regional convention.
You are also invited to participate
actively in our Study Group and our Region-4 activities. It is in Community
that we are strengthened and have protection in Christ. Community is the key to
our spiritual and physical survival. The Messenger has said that if we do not
stay together as a community, we will be unable to succeed individually. Mother
has also said that there can be no guru-chela relationship without community,
and therefore, the teaching, the Word, the messenger and the students will not
survive without community. Please participate in the Community of our Study
Group! It is the Community of the Holy Spirit! It is the key to our survival!
Your input – your flame – is a vital part of the study group, and the course the study group takes will not be the same without it. We should search our hearts and attend the services that we are compelled by God to attend. Personal matters will fade as God finds a solution for each and every problem that we have. With a strong participating membership, our study group could make a global difference in achieving a gentle transition into the golden age, as Saint Germain envisions, instead of through war and cataclysm that is likely.
The Ascended Masters have said that
if we do not individually take advantage of this dispensation and
opportunity to be a part of the Community of the Holy Spirit, in applying the
Teachings of the Ascended Masters, and in walking the Path of the Ascension, it
may be another 50,000 years or more before we will have another opportunity to
embody on this planet again. Let us not
procrastinate and loose this opportunity. Let us not fail individually. Let us
come together and be victorious in the Light together! Always Victory!
Please do not hesitate to contact
me if I can be of any assistance to you personally.
Sincerely,
Srinath Balachandran
Covenant Membership
“The first three strategies of
darkness are related…separation from the body of God…separation from
hierarchy…isolation and aloneness…[The answer of Light:] study the lives of the
saints…reconnect with hierarchy…be part of the community of the Holy
Spirit…Take time to reconnect with community in social activities as well as
services and decree session.” – On Strategies of Light and Darkness by the Staff
of Summit University
To build the connective-ness of
this activity and to help all think through their commitment to what the
Masters have called us to, the board has established the offer of Covenant
Membership as well as other opportunities for participation and connection.
Our interaction with others is a
catalyst to progress and our commitment to the cause of the Masters is played
out through our work together.
COVENANT
MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT
Having participated for at least three months in the activities
of this group or in membership of the Keepers of the Flame Fraternity, I
____________________________ hereby hold covenant with the Summit Lighthouse
Study Group of Manchester New Hampshire as of this day ___________ in the Year
of Our Lord ___________ accepting the responsibilities and benefits involved.
The community shall hold me up in prayer. They shall provide a
contact to communicate my prayer needs and godly desires in order to provide
specific direction to theses calls. They shall render a loving and reasonable
service of practical assistance and spiritual support. They shall provide a
place and occasion of gathering, instruction and fellowship.
I shall have the right and privilege of voting on matters brought
before the community by the Board of Trustees, readily providing input, voting
in board elections, and (if an active Keeper of the Flame Fraternity member)
running for the office of Trustee.
I pledge to be an active support in the community, to participate
as regularly as feasible, within the context of the demands in my life, in the
weekly spiritual services of the group and its various activities.
I pledge to be open to opportunities to apply my talents towards
the advance of the group’s mission and purpose and the support of others in the
community as the Spirit of the Lord may lead from time to time.
I pledge to support the activities of the group financially or
through other tangible contributions, as I am able.
I pledge to include calls for the group’s activities, supply,
direction, and reach in my regular spiritual practices and to be responsive to
member’s prayer requests.
I affirm:
I am
part of and shall help build and maintain a loving spiritual community that
helps people to attain and sustain a one-on-one relationship with God and that
teaches a path of soul liberation. As a member, I strive to:
v Study, apply
and uphold the teachings of the Ascended Masters and the truths of the world's
major religions;
v Use the science
of the spoken Word and the violet flame to bring about self-transcendence and
world transformation;
v Honor and
cultivate a personal relationship with God and the Ascended Masters.
Ours
is a community of divine love and an organization that learns and grows. Based
on the understanding that we are all one, I strive to:
v Share practical
tools and spiritual insight that help people lead a spiritual life;
v Nurture and
support the community and its families;
v Promote and
foster service to others.
Through
such efforts, many will look to the teachings of the Ascended Masters for
comfort, guidance, enlightenment and a practical way of living a spiritual
life. Therefore, I strive to:
v Walk in the
honor and integrity of the Divine Self, understanding that each is accountable
for their thoughts, words and deeds;
v Avoid gossip
and condemnation of myself and others, accept the mercy and forgiveness of God,
and act responsibly to make amends;
v Uphold and
strengthen unity by contributing my talents, resources and spiritual support as
able.
“Let
this Church upon the mountain of God be known universally as the church of
Divine Love. So let it be...each one is the living church.” -Saint Germain
The Board of Trustees, on behalf of the community, gratefully
accepts and commits to ____________________________as a covenant member of the
Summit Lighthouse Study Group of Manchester New Hampshire. This is to be
released or reaffirmed annually.
_______________________________________ __________
(Representative of the Board of Trustees) (Date)
_______________________________________ __________
(New Covenant
Member) (Date)
We sincerely hope that you will consider helping build this community of the Holy Spirit. Other opportunities for participating and connecting are noted throughout this report.
Worship
“In every city where there are found chelas of the will of
God, let them come together in the Master's name. Let them come together to agree upon earth that the light of the
eternal Christos shall be victorious in this age and that there shall be an
imploding and an exploding of that light in the hearts of all mankind.” Vol. 18 No. 10 - El
Morya - March 9, 1975
Respond to the Masters’ call and
commit to participate in services weekly, biweekly, monthly – to whatever
extent is reasonable in your life. We have to carve out time set aside for this
work of the Masters. If you are not the service conductor, you are guaranteed
to have at least one other person present for the multiplication of the Light.
If all take the calling seriously, we will have an abundant and vibrant group
working together strengthening each other in our walk and directing a mighty
flood of Light. Each person brings a new strength and a multiplying action that
makes a true difference.
Our weekly services include:
Our Sunday Service is held at 10am
A service of union for the Mystical Body of Christ, the antahkarana of Light, for the World Wide Ashram of Chelas of the Will of God and the Ascended Hosts. Includes Sacred Ritual, application of the Science of the Spoken Word, focused meditations, a message from the Ascended Masters or presentation of the Teachings, adoration and Holy Communion.
On Saturday, for Keepers of the
Flame and for Covenant Members, we hold our Saint Germain Service from 6-9pm
Standing with the Knight
Commander conducting the decree work for healing, wholeness, and personal and
world transmutation invoking the Violet Flame of the Holy Spirit.
The special services we have held this past year
include:
Easter service (3/31) – joining in the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus and
making calls to the Spirit of Resurrection and the regenerating flame for the
community
Two services with our new regional
minister – one in May (5/26) and one in
September (9/1) strengthening and inspiring our dedication and connective-ness
Michaelmas (9/29) – dedicated to the Archangel Michael and joining with him
in the resolving of personal and world struggles
Service to Krishna (11/3) – near Divali, celebrating his victory over the demon
king and his rescue of Lakshmi and invoking this action in our world and life
Reflection on Ramadan (11/17) – celebrating the gift of revelation and the mystic path
with songs, decrees, and a reflection on the Koran, reclaiming the ninety-nine
names of Allah, and the mystic teaching of the Sufi Muslim
Christmas Eve service (12/24) – coming together to listen to the inspiring story of
Christmas and celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, thanking Jesus for
his mission and service, and making calls for the birth of Christ within
Worship brings the overwhelming
reality of the Divine before our faces – expanding our consciousness in a
transforming action. Directing the action of the Light through the Word of God,
we are called to come together for the abundant multiplication of these
energies.
Outreach
“I say, Share the Teachings! Quicken people's
understanding of them! And open the door of enlightenment to all!” Pearls of Wisdom Vol. 39 No. 25 - Saint Germain -
June 23, 1996
We have been called to bring the
Teachings to all. While this year has been more focused on reconnecting, we
have also reached out.
We have continued our mailings to
invite inquirers to presentations on the Teachings and small-group studies. We
have an inquirers package that is sent out as names are added to the list. This
includes a brochure about our group, its activities and its vision, fliers for
upcoming events, an invitation letter with a prayer, a Chart of Your Divine
Self wallet card and a contact card. We also insure headquarters has their
information if we received it through another means.
We have maintained the group our
web site and continue to post contact information and upcoming events on the
New England Directory of Holistic Resources (NEHolistic.com). The web presence
has allowed us to connect with several seekers beyond our area and even beyond
the U.S. this past year.
We plan to work to increase our
person-to-person contact this coming year. We have been able to purchase a
Violet Flame workshop that we intend to use in community centers or libraries
with small-group study follow-ups to share this key teaching.
We ask for your calls on behalf
of these efforts and for your help. Please let us know if you are willing to
participate by distributing fliers in your area at community billboards or the
like. Also, contact us if you would like to host a study or presentation in
your area.
Share your ideas with us as well.
We look forward to your insight and what the Masters have placed upon your
heart.
Community and Communication
“In the name
of my mighty I AM Presence, I affirm that I AM a part of the Community of the
Holy Spirit!” – On Strategies of Light and Darkness by the Staff of Summit
University
The Masters have consistently
called us to come together as a community of chelas to facilitate the balancing
of karma and to help propel one another on the Path. We cannot burn as brightly
alone nor be as effective as when connected with other students of the Masters.
This past year we have sought to
come together for study and fellowship.
Local and Regional
A member of the study group
conducted Classes of the Spirit exploring the Science of the Spoken Word weekly
in January and throughout February.
On May 25th we had our
first community meeting with our Regional Minister, Rev. Kenneth Frazier. This
was attended by members of the Manchester study group as well as many from the
Boston study group. This was followed on the 26th with an
inspirational Sunday service conducted by Rev. Frazier and a pot-fortune
get-together for fellowship.
At the meeting, members of the
Boston group decided they would attend the Manchester Saint Germain service
once a month for six months to increase the connection between the two groups.
They followed through with this and we are very grateful for their
participation and heart.
To organize a Regional Convention, a planning meeting was
held in DC on June 15th and 16th. This went beyond the
goal of a simple meeting and was used as an event for fellowship and decree
work as well.
The second community meeting with
Regional Minister, Rev. Kenneth Frazier, and participants from the Manchester
and Boston Study Groups was held on August 31st. A display of the
flags of our region was setup as a focus at our center by our group president,
and was dedicated and blessed by the Regional Minister. Rev. Frazier also blessed us with a service
the next day and we again shared in a pot-fortune.
Planning for the Regional
Convention was finalized at another event on September 14th and 15th
in Pennsylvania.
Our first Regional Convention was held November 8th
through the 10th. Two couples from the Manchester study group
attended with their children and received communicant initiations. It was a
powerful experience. We encourage all who are at all able, to participate in
the regional events and be charged with the sacred fire.
On December 8th the
study group held its Christmas party at a member’s home connecting in the flame
of the Christ. At our Christmas Eve service we made a collection for the Saint
Germain’s Children fund. We want to thank those that contributed for their
generosity. This is a foundation run by a chela in Massachusetts responding to
needy families with a mission to strengthen, heal, educate, and inspire (for
more information go to http://saintgermain.org).
We continue to mail our schedule with a holy days calendar to Keepers of the Flame and study group participants. This now includes the Retreat Cycle for the University of the Spirit to help all in connecting more deeply with the Masters’ offering.
We are also forming a Prayer
and Decree Network. Please contact us if you are willing to be involved and
connected in this way to be held up in prayer by the group, regularly pray for
this activity, and to exchange prayer request with other committed members.
If you are unable to participate
at the center in Manchester but wish to connect with members, contact us. We
would love to be a support to you and find ways of connecting and visiting with
you.
Also, let us know if you wish to
explore the idea of hosting a small-group study in your area with our support
and assistance.
Let us know of any ideas for
fellowship, community work and connecting you may have.
“Beloved ones, our tutoring of your hearts is to show you
the necessity of the oneness of the flame of community. It is to show you that
there is nothing more important in all of earth than the protection of the
birth of this consciousness” Vol. 28 No. 1
- Beloved Mother Mary -
January 6, 1985
Connection with Headquarters
As headquarters made an effort to connect more, several
members from the area including a member of the Manchester board were invited
to participate in a focus group conducted in Newark, NJ. This was a wonderful
opportunity to provide feedback and share ideas. It also was a good way of
connecting with members from headquarters and other members in the region
during shared meals and an inspiring trip to Lady Liberty.
As had been previously announced,
headquarters has set up a communication network by providing communication
facilitators for local areas. Through this network, headquarters communicated
issues they wanted feedback on. Members can also contact the facilitator with
issues they wish to generate discussion on for group feedback to be submitted.
Our local communication facilitator is Dave Sevigny, who can be contacted at
603-437-3949 or by emailing the group.
We have been posting the topics for
feedback with the relevant documents on a Members Communication Forum page on
our group web site at the bottom of the Announcements section or at http://oocities.com/summitnh/communication.html.
This past year, we have provided
feedback for the Study Groups and Teaching Centers Speaker Policy, the regional
minister selection process, and the organization’s principles of governance, as
well as presenting headquarters forest management information.
Spiritual Education
Our group has developed a wide
range of presentations for members and seekers. In the first half of the year
we presented the following at our center.
2/10 The Mission of
the Lightbearers, Are You Called?
4/20 The Way of the Christ
5/19 The Path of the Buddha
During January and February a study
group member conducted Classes of the Spirit, a small-group study focused on
the Science of the Spoken Word.
Other
teaching modules that were applied included, the Sacred Adventure (seven level
course), I AM Light (part one of the Sacred Adventure for children), and First
Holy Communion instruction.
In October, the study group also
helped get the word out about a presentation offered by a Keeper of the Flame,
George Lagos, on Ascended Master Astrology sponsored by the chelas in Concord,
NH.
Let us know if you are interested
in bringing a study or presentation to your area. Visit the ‘Presentation’
section of our web site for a list of topics already prepared that can be used
for discussions. We can also help you organize a small-group study.
Contact us with what topics you
want to explore, as well.
“Transform, then, your Being
by a renewing of your mind and let a new sense of Cosmic possibilities flood
forth through you.” Pearls of Wisdom Vol. 7 No. 21 - Beloved Kuan Yin
- May 22, 1964
Reflections
This group has done well in developing avenues for exploring the richness of the Teachings. We have worked well together and increased the intensity of our decree sessions. We see that the Masters have clearly called us all to come together.
To be a useful, affective and viable work, we need your
participation. We are not asking for you to take on added responsibilities. If
you believe you are called to leadership and service within the group, it is welcomed,
but it is certainly not held as an expectation. What is deeply needed is your
presence and connective-ness.
We see a vision of a study group that is vibrant and alive
with decree work and fellowship, a group that joins in community events and service.
One that is a support to each member, connecting with heart-to-heart visits, a
prayer and decree network, and holding workshops and discussion groups in
various places for the renewing of mind and heart. This vision is not far
beyond sight. The chalice is there. Much of the matrix is laid out. Your
participation and connection are needed.
We sincerely hope that you have read through this report
and taken note of the various opportunities to connect and participate. Please
contact us and let us know how we can connect with you and provide us with any
of your own ideas for the group or its members. We all must work out our own
salvation, but we must work it out in the context of community. Love is
revealed in relationships. One of the most productive and effective aspects of
community is found in relationships with fellow chelas (disciples) on the Path.
“The Path of the Ascension is the Path of Love.” – Serapis
May the Masters bless you along the
Path this year and may your Walk be side-by-side and hand-in-hand with fellow
travelers.
Board Members and Others Who Provided Service
Board Members
Srinath Balachandran President (4 years 7 months)
Presentation
team, Service Conductor, Regional Representative
Prior
Service: Vice President (1 year 5 months)
David Sevigny Vice President and Treasurer (4
years)
Presentation
team, Service Conductor, website administer,
Communication Facilitator
Prior
Service: Treasurer (1 year)
Lorraine Chungu Secretary – in the first part of the
year (2 year)
Service
Conductor
Prior
Service: Trustee (1 year 6 months)
Laura Balachandran Trustee (4 years)
Fellowship
team
James Taylor Trustee (3 year)
Contact
for Western NH and VT
Others Who Provided Service
Theresa Doe – Small-group Study
Facilitator, Service Conductor
Pat Sevigny – Fellowship team
Your offering of time and talents
has been greatly appreciated!
We also offer our gratitude to
Reverends Kenneth Frazier and Bonita Frazier for their work with this region
and particularly their work with our local group. God bless and guide you in
all your efforts.
Study Group Victory Call
In the name I AM THAT I AM, in the name of the I AM Presence
and Holy Christ Selves of members of the Summit Lighthouse Study Group of
Manchester New Hampshire and Lightbearers of the area:
I invoke an anchoring and expansion of the Sacred Fire at
the sanctuary of the study group with a heart-tie to each member and the
guardianship of the Holy Angels.
Shatter and transmute all opposition to the intensifying,
expansion, and abundance of this Summit Lighthouse Study Group!
Cut loose and set free all who should be involved and
touched by this group and resolve all matters in their life or mind that have
been holding them back!
I call for:
The raising
and expansion of consciousness,
The
perfection of love,
And the
extinguishing of unreality
Through the worship engaged in by this group;
The conveying
of Divine Truth
And the
preparation for
And
realization of Divine Gnosis
In the teaching activity of this
group;
Alignment
with the Will of God,
Harmony of
spirit,
And the
mighty strength and effectiveness of clear conviction
In the spiritual warfare of this group;
The
expression of oneness and support
In the establishing of a community of the Holy Spirit;
The surrender
of self,
The uplifting
of one another
And a witness
to the Teachings
In the service of this group.
By the Light of God that never fails:
I AM the Victory of the Summit Lighthouse Study Group of
Manchester New Hampshire!
I AM the Victory of Region Four of the Summit Lighthouse!
I AM the Victory of the Summit Lighthouse and the Church
Universal and Triumphant!
I stand a
Living Channel of the Light of God
And by the
application of my time, talents, treasures,
And the Light
of my Spirit,
I AM Victory!