Beyond Our Walls focuses on expanding our traditional special services, events, and teachings beyond the church walls to the broader community, exposing more people to the core teachings of Unity.
Beyond Our Walls is being UNITY, subtly or not so subtly, presenting Unity concepts and Truth teachings outside the church building by being who we are and spreading the gifts of love, acceptance, and affirmations. This is accomplished by taking Unity to more public locations and expanding inclusivity.
“Let’s Take Unity Beyond Our Walls!” – Reverend Daybree Thoms
FRESH EYES
Have someone take a fresh look at your building and operations. A “fresh eyes” approach is a problem-solving technique that involves bringing in someone new to a situation to gain a fresh perspective. This person, who may be unfamiliar with the existing routines and assumptions, can identify potential issues, inefficiencies, or opportunities for improvement that may have been overlooked by those already involved.
Unity of the Key’s Peace Garden Entrance
Ensure your entrance is appealing, clean, and serene.
VOLUNTEER IN THE COMMUNITY
We assist when the Drepung Gomang Monks spend a week each year creating a mandala at a local Presbyterian church.
PLOGGING
We volunteer to keep the Florida Keys clean by picking up street trash on Friday mornings! We also sponsor some of these events.
Cooking with Love Program – We help MCC Church as they cook and deliver meals to those in need in our community.
40 Days of Giveaways – During the 40 days of Lent, we ask congregants to donate an item a day to bless others.
Our donations benefit a local thrift shop that supports the Cornish Memorial AME Zion Church.
Each year, we host an Animal Blessing, where animal companions receive a special blessing from our Reverend. 
People can share their photo(s) or name(s) for a blessing in absentia. We also remember and bless beloved pets who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
The police department brings in their mounted patrol horses for blessings each year.
And the Police K9 Unit German Shepherds receive blessings. Each animal gets a signed blessing certificate.
We visit the SPCA, the Aquarium, the petting zoo, and any other location where our animals reside to offer blessings.
The Animal Blessing is extremely popular and receives considerable local press and social media coverage.
We offer a popular Easter Service at Sunrise on the beach.
Over 150 people attend this annual Easter event, which includes live music, meditations, readings, and prayers.
Our traditional Easter service is a Flower Service where we transform a large cross by covering it in fresh flowers.
We invite community members to stop by after the service to decorate the cross by positioning it near the street with a bucket of flowers.
Our prayer chaplains offer Guided Labyrinth Walks at a local labyrinth. We make sure to provide a walk on World Labyrinth Day, May 2nd.
The Labyrinth Walk includes prayers, music, social time, and handouts about Unity’s upcoming events.
Every year, Unity proudly supports our LGBTQ+ community by being in their annual Pride Parade.
Unity offers meditations and healing events as part of Pride and other events, including Womenfest.
A”Love Wins” concert was held during Pride Month.
Throughout the year, we offer several “Positive Music” live concerts.
Some very popular “New Thought” musicians draw great audiences.
To keep our name out there, we will display large signs near the busy corner near the front of our building for passersby.
Another tradition is our annual trolley ride, where we view the beautiful holiday lights around town together. We love to sing carols.
Everyone expects to see Unity in the annual Christmas Parade. We make a beautiful float each year. Congregants decorate and ride on the float.
Our float theme is usually, “Shine Your Light.”
There are so many angels on the Unity float. We also lightly toss candy or tiny toys to the children as we pass by them.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at the Beach.
Every year, we offer a Blue Christmas Service to honor those who have passed with a candle lighting ceremony. This is a healing service for those who are missing family and friends during the holidays.
RELEASE AND RENEW
We take our burning bowl ceremony to the beach each year. However, to avoid dealing with fire, we use special paper that melts in water. So we call it a Melting Bowl Event. The Tibetan Monks are usually in town that week, so they always join us for this special event.
The Monks offer blessings to the attendees.
I Release and I Let Go!
After the Melting Bowl Release Ceremony, attendees renew by writing their intentional new name on a white stone.
We distribute 100 Daily Word publications around the community to the hospital, senior centers, nursing homes, doctor offices, laundry mats, and more…
During every Sunday service, a volunteer congregant reads the daily word to the attendees.
Several times per year, we create large sand sculptures at the beach.
The sculptures are usually hearts and peace signs decorated with our painted kindness rocks and shells.
Our large sculptures are frequently photographed and featured in local newspapers and on social media.
We hold monthly Kindness Rocks painting workshops. 
This is a fun social event where our creativity flows.
We always include our name and website on the back of each decorated rock.
Congregants spread the rocks throughout the community and beyond.
Our church consistently donates food to the local food bank in Key West. We also put up a box outside our gate that holds food and books for free.
Please feel free to contact me to discuss ideas for Beyond Our Walls. Thank you ~ Reverend Daybree Thoms. 