06/01/17

Spotlight on Kevin Kubota, Unity Community of Central Oregon

Rev. Jane Hiatt of Unity Community of Central Oregon in Bend has recently recruited Kevin Kubota to take the role of SpiritGroups Program Leader for their ministry.

Rev. Jane shared what a wonderful thing it is to delegate to Kevin and have a teammate working on the SpiritGroups Program. 

To introduce Kevin to you, I asked him to share some things about himself as well as his experience and passion around SpiritGroups. 

Read on and get to know Kevin. It’s an awesome story! 

"It might be a stretch to say that SpiritGroups saved my life, but it’s not a far-fetched stretch.

I’ve been a photographer, photography educator, and business owner for over 20 years. I’ve grown several successful photography related businesses and have had a marvelous career teaching, traveling the world, and photographing beautiful people and places. Some have called it an enviable, perfect life — and I can’t really argue that.

In spite of the outward appearance, I began to experience serious mid-life depression. I know, it doesn’t make any sense. 

I called Reverend Jane for her counseling practice before I had even heard about Unity, or knew she was a Reverend. Towards the end of our sessions, she gently suggested a book called, The Five Principles. I devoured it and my inner wheels began turning.

She then offered that I might be interested in joining an upcoming Spirit Group, focused on the same book. I had no idea what a Spirit Group was, but I assumed it did not involve ghosts, and I definitely felt a call to explore my new spiritual questions, so I signed up.

After my first meet-up with the group, I knew this was going to be a safe and engaging place to discuss the things I had avoided for the past 50 years of my life. My heart opened up and my defenses went down, and I realized that there was God in me waiting to be brought to light.

The other members of my Spirit Group were already Unity-goers at our local branch, and before the end of our meetings, I was a member too.

I fell in love with Unity, our Reverend Jane, and all the welcoming hearts at our charming little gathering place at the edge of town. I quickly volunteered to be a SpiritGroup host with my wife, Clare. We underwent training, then soon hosted our own Spirit Group — giving both of us an amazing experience and deeper connection with friends, old and new.

We are now in the process of hosting yet another SpiritGroup, and my belief in the power of this connective gathering is strong. 

I’ve had a few grumpy days since my first Spirit Group encounter, but signs of the debilitating depression I barely endured for the previous 2-3 years are gone. Poof. If you knew me just a year ago, you would be very surprised to know that I’m also enrolled to start studying to be a Unity minister this summer. That is one direction I never would have guessed I’d be heading.

I can’t imagine where my life would be right now if I had not followed my intuition, and Jane’s loving suggestion to explore Unity and the SpiritGroup. So, I guess my true reason for choosing to be our program leader is because Jane asked me — and it felt good to say “yes.”

I am a true believer in the power of small, safe and supportive groups like our SpiritGroups. I hope to empower others the way my first group empowered me, and changed my life."