Our Mission

Founded in 1995, the Pocono Family Ministries is the first independently organized Unification community in the Pocono Mountains and Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. Pocono Family Ministries is the legal organization that runs the Shehaqua Family programs. More than 50 local members and several hundred associate members actively enjoy, appreciate, and promote family activities in the outdoors. The Pocono Family Ministries is motivated and inspired by the life and ministry of Rev. & Mrs. Sun Myung Moon. In the words of our mission statement:

The Pocono Family Ministries will serve as a catalyst and support for local and regional activities that promote a God centered world view encompassing all aspects of human life, centering on the family.

The Pocono Family Ministries is an international, interracial, and intercultural community comprised of families striving to embody the ideal of true love and to establish a world of peace and unity among all peoples. We are committed to educate young people to be responsible citizens who will keep their purity before marriage and fidelity within marriage, who will serve the community by becoming a model for others. Eventually they will form the ideal family that manifests the eternal ideal of our creator. We will collaborate with other clergy and community leaders in order to achieve an ideal world.

We fulfill our mission through the three interconnecting pillars of the Pocono Family Ministries: restoration, education, and recreation.

Restoration

We work to re-bind and restore relationships with the living God, our original True Parent, and to provide a healthy spiritual environment for future generations. We view marriage as the most important religious sacrament or blessing in our life of faith. The commitment of a man and a woman to eternal and absolute unity and love brings us into a harmonious resemblance to God, our original parent. We utilize prayer, community outreach, education, and place a value on strong independent families.

Education

People of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds participate in our family oriented Bible and Divine Principle based family camps and other educational experiences. We work to develop the skills and understanding needed to enjoy a satisfying and accurate sense of self, a meaningful awareness of our inter connectedness with God, with others, and our natural environment.

Recreation

We provide programs that encourage families to spend time together and with others. We have found that doing so increases the quality of communication and the overall experience in all our programs. We teach outdoor skills, develop trust, and provide needed and useful information. Integrating the process of learning with having fun as families deepens the overall learning experience and provides memories that last a lifetime.