Unity of Fairfax in the News
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Buddhist monks bring mandala sand painting to Oakton church, by BRIAN TROMPETER, Staff Writer, Sun Gazette, Volume 36, No. 51
Tibetan Buddhist monks did more than create and destroy a brilliantly colored, symbol-laden mandala sand painting this past week at Unity of Fairfax Church in Oakton. The red-robed men also awed their suburban onlookers into quiet reverence.
Ten monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery in India constructed the painting from Aug. 4 to 9 at the church, and gave lectures and musical and dance performances as well.
Friday, September 12, 2014
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The Unity Leaders Magazine featured Unity of Fairfax contributors, Karen Skelton (supported by the Communications Team), Lisa Colburn and Stacey Guenther in the latest issue: "Communications in Ministry" CLICK HERE>>
"Getting through. Everything we do in ministry relies on communication. Whether we’re connecting with the Divine, interviewing for a ministerial position, holding a hand, posting on Facebook, tweeting about a meeting, reaching out to newcomers or opening to congregation feedback—all we do and say is about communication, and hopefully we’re getting through.
We hope this issue will facilitate greater ease in your ministry's communication. Take a look below to see all of the various aspects of communication that you can tap into -- from creating a communication plan, strategy and content to attracting new members, millennials and small group connections. Be sure to click in to check out the new column “What’s Working” in ministries (p. 47)."
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
The Washington Post featured Unity of Fairfax's Burning Bowl Ceremony in the print edition. However, it was not published in the online version.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
The Vienna and Oakton Connection, a local newspaper, featured an article today: "Environmental Peace Makers to Visit Unity of Fairfax in Oakton" CLICK HERE>>
The article begins, "Few bodies of water in the world are as revered, as fought over, or as polluted as the lower Jordan River, whose vital waters are shared by Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians. Yet this river of historic conflict has become a symbol of peaceful cooperation, largely through the efforts of Friends of the Earth Middle East (FOEME), a unique, award-winning, tri-national organization that unites Jordanians, Palestinians, and Israelis around one very simple idea: the peaceful stewardship of the Earth.
On Monday, Sept. 30, these gentlemen, who were named Heroes of the Environment by Time magazine, will be making a rare visit to the U.S., stopping in Oakton to speak to faith communities to raise awareness, build political momentum, and share their reasons for hope with Americans possessing strong spiritual ties to the Holy Land. They will be appearing at churches, mosques, synagogues and houses of worship in the Washington area from Sept. 27 to Oct. 5, followed by events in Chicago and New York.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
The Vienna and Oakton Connection, a local newspaper, featured an article today: "Mystical Arts of Tibet Visits Unity: Monks create elaborate mandala sand painting with multiple meanings" CLICK HERE>>
The article begins, "For five days last week, Unity of Fairfax Church hosted The Mystical Arts of Tibet, a touring group of 11 Tibetan Buddhist monks who worked in shifts to create a mandala sand painting on a template etched on a 4x4-foot wooden platform. They are from the Drepung Loseling Monastery near Lhasa, Tibet, but cannot return due to Chinese oppression.
The mandala that was created July 23-28 honored “Akshobhya,” the Buddha of conflict resolution and peace. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning sacred cosmogram. ..."
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
The Herndon Patch, a local newsletter, featured: Gallery: Tibetan Monks Create Mandala Sand Painting
"Tibetan Buddhist Monks will create a work of art in Oakton this week, only to wash it all away by Sunday.
The monks are visiting the Unity of Fairfax Church from the The Mystical Arts of Tibet, a traveling troupe from the Drepung Loseling Monastery.
During their visit, they are creating a mandala sand painting at the church. The paintings are created by laying grains of sand onto a flat platform. ..."
Thursday, July 25, 2013
The Vienna and Oakton Connection, a local newspaper, featured an article today on the Ramadan "Iftar Tent" on the Unify of Fairfax campus. CLICK HERE>>
The article states, "In celebration of Ramadan, The American Turkish Friendship Association held its Ramadan Tent and Turkish cultural exhibitions July 17-19 at the Unity of Fairfax Church in Oakton. The Ottoman’s tradition of the “Iftar Tent” is still practiced in modern-day Turkey. The tent accumulates the community to observe the breaking of its daily fast. ..."
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
NEWS FLASH
- A news crew from NBC 4 taped an interview with the monks' spokesman. The segment will air on NBC 4 at around 6:56 pm tonight. If you have a DVR, you might want to start recording at 6:45 pm. They seemed very excited and may return on Sunday.
Friday, July 19, 2013
The Washington Times Hot Topics page features the visit of the Buddhist Monks from Tibet to Unity of Fairfax: CLICK HERE>>
The article begins: "The Drepung Loseling monastery was founded in Lhasa, Tibet, in 1416 and served as the home of tens of thousands of monks over the centuries, including the Second Dalai Lama. After China invaded Tibet in the 1950s, thousands of monasteries were closed or destroyed, but 250 Drepung Loseling monks escaped and rebuilt their center in India, where 2,500 monks live today. ..."
Monday, July 15, 2013
The Fairfax City PATCH, a website with local news, is featuring two upcoming events at Unity of Fairfax:
- Flag Raising Ceremony Honors All Veterans - CLICK HERE>>
- Celebrate Ramadan at Unity of Fairfax This Week - CLICK HERE>>
Monday, July 1, 2013
The Wall Street Journal is featuring an article "Castles in the Sand". Here's a link: CLICK HERE>>
The article begins, "Until relatively recently, if you were not a monk in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the chances of seeing a sand mandala were slim. Today, however, opportunities abound. In July alone, monks from the Atlanta-based Mystical Arts of Tibet will create shimmering, colorful sand mandalas in New York, California, Pennsylvania and Virginia. ..."
Unity of Fairfax is the upcoming Virginia location where the monks will perform their sacred arts.
Reference: www.unityoffairfax.org/auspicious-event
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
The Vienna and Oakton Connection, a local newspaper, is featuring an article "Monks Make Mandala at Unity of Fairfax". Here's a link: CLICK HERE>>
The article begins, "Tibetan Buddhist monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery will construct a mandala sand painting and perform related ritual ceremonies July 23-28 at Unity of Fairfax Church, 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton (www.unityoffairfax.org). The sand painting and performances are part of The Mystical Arts of Tibet world tour (www.mysticalartsoftibet.org). From all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, that of painting with colored sand ranks as one of the most unique and exquisite. Millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform over a period of days to form the image of a mandala, which is then dismantled as a symbol of impermanence."
Reference: www.unityoffairfax.org/auspicious-event
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Unity of Fairfax held its fourth annual “Who is My Neighbor” benefit concert, entitled “Breaking the Silence: Finding Your Voice,” on May 10. The concert raised funds for The Women’s Center in Vienna while promoting awareness of the issues of abuse, bullying and mental illness. Funds were also allocated to Kiva micro-finance charity.
- The Vienna and Oakton Connection, a local newspaper, featured the "Who is My Neighbor" benefit concert. Here's a link: CLICK HERE>>
- Who Is My Neighbor concert this year raised $1355! We have just sent a check for $680.50 to The Women's Center in Vienna, and have fully funded the KIVA micro-loan of Nelly, a woman in Kenya (Mary's home country!) who is making sure her children all get educated! We also partially funded the loan of an anonymous woman in El Salvador who is living with her mother and two children and working to provided for her family--the fact that she is anonymous, and her face is hidden in the photograph, speaks volumes. The links to these two women's stories are below:
- http://www.kiva.org/lend/561649
- http://www.kiva.org/lend/559884
- Lusine, the woman whose story was highlighted during the concert, already had her loan fully funded by the time we got our funds in the bank.Thanks for making a difference in the world!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
The Association for Global New Thought has created a special photo and video collage to honor the 16th Anniversary of the Season for Nonviolence, and to acknowledge all of the efforts to promote peace and nonviolence during the 64 days.- As a movement, the association is already making a statement with the power of collective actions and now we can increase the visibility of our message even after the Season! CLICK HERE>>
Saturday, April 6, 2013
The Vienna and Oakton Connection, a local newspaper, featured the closing ceremony for A Season for Nonviolence. Here's a link: CLICK HERE>>