Small Groups
Small Group Ministry – also called Covenant Groups or Affinity Groups – is an invitation to dive deep together.
Here is a space to build connections, to explore values and meaning-making, and to deepen spirituality.
Within a group of peers or across generations we explore what it means to be Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist living our values out in the world.
What makes a small group “ministry”?
The answer lies in the name itself.
- “Small” means a group with a maximum of 8–10 people. Groups of this size provide an opportunity to relate on a more intentional level.
- “Group” is a gathering of individuals, formed based on availability or around a specific interest or characteristic. What separates these groups from others is a focus on “ministry”.
- “Ministry” is the process or act of caring for another. This relates to the spiritual as well as the physical and emotional well-being of the group participants.
Small Groups build strong relationships, engage with meaningful issues, develop confident leaders, and inspire action. Groups are lay-led with the key focuses of intimacy, or building community and deepening relationships, and ultimacy, the opportunity for deeper spiritual exploration and search for meaning. The members in a group make an intentional commitment, or covenant, to one another, thus the name “Covenant Group”.
Groups consist of 6-10 people and meet once or twice a month from the fall through June of the next year–at a time and place decided by the group. They are co-facilitated by members who have gone through facilitator training or orientation and receive ongoing support from our minister. Covenant Groups are supplied monthly themed material based on Soul Matters from Rev. Shawn and the Lifespan Programs Office.
Small Groups
Please click below to explore our different small group areas
Discussing and exploring shared reading with other people can deepen our understanding and connection to ideas, practices and each other.
Sometimes it helps to connect deeply with people who share your experience in one way or another.
Covenant Groups using our monthly themes are supplied materials for reflection, reading, and spiritual practice based on Soul Matters from Rev. Shawn and the Lifespan Programs Office.
Many people connect with spirituality best through ritual, movement, meditation or other embodied practices.
