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| Serving the Seeker |
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Before the creation of FindTheChurch.org, if a seeker could find the directory of one New Thought denomination, she would still have to continue to search for the other seven or more additional directories to find the New Thought Church nearest her home. Even if she could find and search all the denominations directories, some of the strongest New Thought communities are independent New Thought Churches and these were left out in the cold as the large denominations refused to give any listing to a church that was not paying a membership fee. In the meantime the seeker of New Thought was never aware of the existence of a nearby New Thought Center right around the corner because the prevailing turf wars persisted in creating a fog upon the beach obscuring her path to the sea of knowledge. The Directory is independent, non-denominational and dedicated to all the individuals and groups of the New Thought Movement. |
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| What is required to be listed in the Directory? |
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Thus the directory was born, meeting a universal need with a universal solution. Any New Thought Church, Center, or Study Group may be listed in the directory as long as that group teaches or shares New Thought and is in congruence with INTA's Universal Declaration of Principles. Since the humble beginning of the directory, it has grown to include most if not all New Thought Churches, Centers and Study Groups around the world. When people around the world are seeking a New Thought Center, Church or Study Group, they come to FindTheChurch.org ! because we do not participate in Spiritual Politics, this means that we list all New Thought communities. Whether you are a small group or a member church of a large denomination, you are treated equally. Our only requirement is that your group is a New Thought community rooted in the Univeral Principles.
A valid phone number and email are required to be listed in the directory. We do verify updates and new listings. |
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| Is there a charge to be listed? |
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The Directory is supported by your tithes which are voluntary. By tithing to support the directory, you are supporting your church, your denomination and Global New Thought. New Members are often discovering your center online at FindTheChurch.org or one of the other Global New Thought Webs supporting your ministry and community. If your center is floundering in Poverty Consciousness and cannot presently support the directory through tithing, don't worry, we will still list you and we will pray for your prosperity. The work of the directory is presently done mainly by the Webmaster but on occasion volunteers do run the phones or make phone calls to verify listings, updates or information. Your tithes in combination with the Webmaster's personal funds make it possible to pay for a telephone service to call and verify the validity of listings and updates submitted from around the world. Each year the directory has become more comprehensive and useful to seekers and sharers of New Thought. Thank you to the people who send in tithes and get web services to support our work.
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| Your Suggestions are put into action |
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We not only add or update your listings, we listen to your suggestions and make changes which will improve the directory. Over the years, since the creation of the directory, your suggestions have resulted in the creation of GlobalNewThought.org
Global New Thought Ministries was created because of your many wonderful suggestions for an expanded New Thought web presence. Some of our supporters had domain names that they had originally acquired to support New Thought but had never developed. They gave them to us and we manifested their visions. Sometimes they were letting go of sites that they did not feel they could maintain or develop or simply felt were not productive, they turned them over to us and we insured that these sites meet your needs and suggestions. When people turn to us, we insure that their work is preserved and expanded in our mission to "serve New Thought."
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| The idea of the Universal Directory of New Thought Centers |
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FindTheChurch.org began in 1993 in response to the need for a universal directory of New Thought Churches. Such a directory is not a new idea either in New Thought or in the field of ministry. Pioneers of New Thought such as Annie Rix Militz included listings of all New Thought Centers in the back of their magazines. With the evolution of New Thought came denominations and with the formation of denominations and institutions, "Spiritual Politics" reared its ugly head. This all too human phenomena gave rise to "turf wars" and with the death of Annie Rix Militz and later her sister Harriet the esteemed Master Mind Magazine stopped being published and thus the universal directory of all New Thought Churches & Centers was discontinued. |
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| The Potential of the Internet vs Spiritual Politics |
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Almost a century after the last publication of Master Mind magazine, the internet emerged as a potent public medium with the potential to empower billions of people, yet, Spiritual Politics were still in play. Even as New Thought denominations created their first websites, they didn't link to each other. Perhaps part of the reason for this fearful perspective, was the resounding emotional memory of the decline of the Divine Science denomination. Older denominations were still engaged in these "turf wars" and thus were afraid of linking to each other and especially to the newer denominations for fear that they in turn would be supplanted. Some denominations have even taken to emulating Mary Baker Eddy's penchant for law suits as they seek to suppress new growth within New Thought. Strange indeed are the actions of individuals under the potent hypnosis of Spiritual Politics. It should be noted that the largest New Denomination with 5 million members is Seicho No Ei which is headquartered in Japan. |
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| Spiritual Politics & Lessons of History |
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The deadliness of Spiritual Politics can clearly be observed in the near demise of the Divine Science denomination as their various members bickered their way into oblivion fighting each other and other denominations instead of celebrating diversity and working to share the great teachings of Malinda Cramer and the Brooks Sisters. This once large denomination is now struggling to rekindle the spiritual fires that once burned so bright. While we pray for their successful rennaissance, let such lessons of history be steady reminders to us all that it is important to understand the principles of spiritual dynamics and to work together to insure that diversity is respected and in fact encouraged within New Thought. Often under the guise of "good intention" people go in the direction of homogenization and lose the diversity that holds the key to future expansion and prosperity. Let us let go of "Turf Wars" and be joyful that a variety within New Thought means a vaster appeal.
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| Creating Clarity |
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That type of thinking is in fact contrary to the very essence and spirit of New Thought and would surely surprise Albert Grier and other early leaders within the movement who believed in abundance and sharing. The result of this fear based consciousness is that it left the seeker of New Thought teachings or a local New Thought Center stranded upon the shores of a tumultuous New Age sea of teachings and at the mercy of magazines with no universal directories and lots of advertisements for the latest fads and gurus. The problem of the pervasive confusion of New Age with New Thought continued in great part because of Spiritual Politics. Even today some New Thought ministers don't even know that Seicho No Ei is a New Thought Denomination or that Ernest Holmes and Emmet Fox were both orginally ordained in Divine Science. |
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| Other New Thought Services |
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Some of the New Thought Services that you can avail yourself of are:
NewThoughtLibrary.com - Public Domain New Thought Text Archive
NewThoughtPrayer.org
DivinitySchool.us - An online teaching center for New Thought Ministers, Teachers and Practitioners.
NewThought.info - a universal information web with a bulletin board for New Thought Seekers and Sharers
and more...
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| The Future |
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The future of Global New Thought:
Global New Thought will continue to expand the frontiers of New Thought through all media becoming the best and most essential media messenger of the New Thought movement. We will continue the tradition of ministers such as Albert Grier and Charles Fillmore that "truth should be told not sold." We know that our supply is through and from God and so our success and prosperity is assured.
When the webmaster departs from this body and timeline, GlobalNewThought will continue because the work is not simply poised prcariously on a profit margin but is rooted in the timeless principles of spirit and prosperity and thus will expand for all time. At the time of his transition, perhaps Global New Thought and its services will be fully merged with another existing institution which shares these principles or it will continue under new leadership fulfilling its mission.
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