Many Paths, One God

Alysa has been a proud member of Unity of Omaha for over 12 years. She has volunteered from day one, teaching youth classes most Sundays for nearly 3 years. From there, she was blessed to be the youth director for 7 more. She has a passion for creating vibrant programs, writing or supplementing most of the curriculum to create a truly engaging experience. She has served on numerous visioning teams and volunteered extensively both in and out of the youth programs. She is now a member of our Platform team, sharing the opening prayer during Sunday Celebration. She offers unique representation for modern families, not only as a mother of three, but in her current profession as a parent coach and program director working with local families. Her greatest strengths include creative problem solving and bringing a positive energy to the team experience that is backed by forward-thinking action.

I was born and raised in and around Topeka Kansas.  After graduating High school in 1972, I joined the USAF in 1973. After my service I worked several jobs until 1982 when I was educated in solar technology. I ran a solar installation business for a short time. In 1988 I was hired by IBM and worked for them for 20 plus years as a printer technician. Then eight years with Richo corporation doing the same work.  Retired in 2016 due to medical issues.  

LeAnn and I married in 1978. Adopted Amanda and Cody, then got Anthony as a bonus. They are now adults and a positive influence on the world. We also enjoy our two grandchildren. LeAnn and I provide before and after school care for them, so we are very busy during the week. My wife LeAnn and I started attending Unity in 2020, soon after we became members. Accepting an offer to be on the greeting team seemed a wonderful way to get acquainted, it has been a great experience.  

Being offered an opportunity to serve as an alternate trustee seems to be the next step in my efforts to help Unity of Omaha grow, and to serve the community/ society as a whole.  

I enjoy reading, gardening, and cooking. A lot of my time is also spent on the stock market. I find that to be a good way to keep my mind active.  

I started my spiritual journey in my mid-fifties after being brought up Methodist, Unity is a much closer fit to what I believe.  

Jackie has been an active member at Unity of Omaha for several years. She is currently the Human Resource Manager at Werner Enterprises, where she has been since 2007. Jackie has a multitude of skills including, but not limited to, event planning, event management, volunteer management and training. Her hobbies include hiking, volunteering, yoga, reading and spending time with her family and pets. Jackie received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UNO in 2006.

Michelle was raised in Christ Church Unity in Orlando, FL. Growing up in the Unity youth programs has certainly shaped her life in wonderful ways.  

After moving to Omaha in 2003, Michelle struggled to find a new spiritual home. After many years of waffling through different churches, she found her way back to Unity. Again, because of working most Sunday’s, she couldn’t be consistent, but in 2020, with a new job, decided to make church a priority and became a member. 

Michelle has volunteered in the past with the youth program and is currently a member of the Cafe team. She enjoys lending a hand when and where she can. 

Michelle is a licensed Cosmetologist, graduating from Xenon in late 2007. She has been working behind the chair since 2008. She managed for 4 years and taught new incoming stylists for 2 years. 2020 taught Michelle that it was time to slow down and take the time for herself and her family.  

Sherry began attending Unity services in 2007 and has been a member of Unity of Omaha since 2008.  She serves as the Usher Team Lead, is on the count team, has served as a greeter, and is currently an alternate board member.  Sherry has a compassionate heart and a desire to be of service to others.  She has helped friends and family with her training in the energy therapies of Healing Touch and Reiki.  She has volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sisters and for the Nebraska Humane Society. 

Sherry graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln with a BS in Education and has a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Doane University.  She has been teaching elementary school students for 30 years and has taught numerous graduate classes for Doane University.  She is an active member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary organization of women educators dedicated to educational excellence, altruism and world understanding. 

Sherry enjoys reading, kayaking, and spending time with her three Yorkies, Rusty, Macy, and Zoey. 

Rev. Brenda Peters has officially been named Unity of Omaha’s Senior Minister. We are excited she is with and will be supporting your spiritual journey here at Unity. 

Rev. Brenda has a passion for transforming lives, being of service to others, and learning continuously. She accomplishes this with her inspirational talks, which she conducts at different Unity churches and other organizations. Rev. Brenda has a BA in Journalism with a concentration in photography and broadcasting and a minor in English. 

After working over 20 years in many different positions as an administrative assistant and support roles, she felt the pull to be of service and inspire others to be their true selves. She also wanted to explore spirituality and become more self-aware. This led her on a spiritual journey looking for a faith in which she felt she could do all this and much more. That’s when she found Unity and felt aligned with its teachings. 

After becoming a member at Unity of Omaha, she heard the call to ministry and became an ordained Unity minister on June 15th, 2020. As an inspirational speaker, she speaks from her heart and connects with audiences by sharing her life experiences. As she shares and shows a different way to look at life, she is able to help people see how they can incorporate such ideas into theirs and truly live their dreams. 

Connection is what it is about for Rev. Brenda—connecting with people one on one and making that type of bond in which others feel they are accepted. Before she came to Unity, she knew in her heart there was no separation between any of us. In fact, the “Coexist” sticker was her favorite, and she didn’t know then that Unity embraces that type of thinking. When she found out much later, it clicked in her mind even more that what she felt all those years was true for her and many others. It is this connection to others that drives Re. Brenda to learn about other cultures, faiths, and traditions. She has learned about them by doing research and reading on her own. Although recently, she has also learned through the ministerial programs at Unity about many different faiths. This drive to understand and honor other cultures, faiths, and traditions is important to Rev. Brenda. She knows there is much more than her own personal world and is always ready to explore. 

With everything she does, Rev. Brenda brings her own personal touch. Music is another way she expresses her feelings. She does this through dance and by enjoying different genres of music. One of her favorite bands is Kiss, and they have a lyric in one of their songs that she likes to live by. They sing, “You've got to live like you're on vacation,” and she tries to do this every day.

Alysa has been a proud member of Unity of Omaha for over 12 years. She has volunteered from day one, teaching youth classes most Sundays for nearly 3 years. From there, she was blessed to be the youth director for 7 more. She has a passion for creating vibrant programs, writing or supplementing most of the curriculum to create a truly engaging experience. She has served on numerous visioning teams and volunteered extensively both in and out of the youth programs. She is now a member of our Platform team, sharing the opening prayer during Sunday Celebration. She offers unique representation for modern families, not only as a mother of three, but in her current profession as a parent coach and program director working with local families. Her greatest strengths include creative problem solving and bringing a positive energy to the team experience that is backed by forward-thinking action.

I am honored to be considered as a candidate for the Board of Trustees for Unity of Omaha.  I have lived in Omaha for the past 23 years and have been a member of Unity for the past 21 years.  I found Unity when I was a new mother with a two year old child and living in a new country, looking for a spiritual community.    

I have lived in three different countries - India, Britain and United States.  A few years after moving to the United States, I found Unity and for the first time after leaving India, I felt like I was home.   

I work as an Ergonomist with CHI Health.  My job is concerned with creating healthy workplaces, injury prevention and optimizing work design for human performance. 

I love being part of the Unity family and the busier my work life gets, I more I appreciate and cherish the breathing space that is Unity. I love our Sunday Services and really enjoy facilitating the Meditation Circle on Wednesday evenings.  I see the beautiful space we are creating and an expanding community, as more people discover what Unity has to offer.