Covenant Groups
Starting in October 2016!
What are Covenant Groups & why might you want to participate in one?
Covenant Groups began in the UUA back in about 1982 as a way for congregants to explore their values and ideas of spirituality (however you define that for yourself) in an intimate setting. They are based on deep listening & sharing of stories and personal experiences from the heart, rather than discussion from an intellectual perspective. Some of the reasons for a Covenant Group are to answer a yearning to explore what it means to be human in relation to the universe, to find meaning in existence and to develop deeper friendships and a community of trust. Topics of discussion are not ends in themselves, but rather a means to the goal of getting to know one another & ourselves. Each person speaks their own truth, and as each person listens to another’s truth, their connections deepen.
They are called Covenant Groups because each group establishes its own covenant with guidelines of how the group will “be” with each other. Groups are small, from 7-10 people to provide an opportunity for all to share, if they wish, and to ensure intimacy. Joining a group requires a commitment to attend all groups as you are able. The groups will run from October through May.
If you are interested, please sign up soon as the number of group members are limited. These will be “closed” groups after the second session.
Some of the primary goals we strive for with Covenant Groups are:
The basic format for each group is:
What are Covenant Groups & why might you want to participate in one?
Covenant Groups began in the UUA back in about 1982 as a way for congregants to explore their values and ideas of spirituality (however you define that for yourself) in an intimate setting. They are based on deep listening & sharing of stories and personal experiences from the heart, rather than discussion from an intellectual perspective. Some of the reasons for a Covenant Group are to answer a yearning to explore what it means to be human in relation to the universe, to find meaning in existence and to develop deeper friendships and a community of trust. Topics of discussion are not ends in themselves, but rather a means to the goal of getting to know one another & ourselves. Each person speaks their own truth, and as each person listens to another’s truth, their connections deepen.
They are called Covenant Groups because each group establishes its own covenant with guidelines of how the group will “be” with each other. Groups are small, from 7-10 people to provide an opportunity for all to share, if they wish, and to ensure intimacy. Joining a group requires a commitment to attend all groups as you are able. The groups will run from October through May.
If you are interested, please sign up soon as the number of group members are limited. These will be “closed” groups after the second session.
Some of the primary goals we strive for with Covenant Groups are:
- an atmosphere of mutual trust
- confidentiality - what happens in the group, stays in the group
- deep listening
- exploration of significant questions regarding life, spirituality, and relationship
- honoring one another through giving all the option not to share any time they are uncomfortable doing so
The basic format for each group is:
- Opening Words
- Sharing/Check In
- Focus/Topic and questions related to it to guide sharing
- Check Out
- Closing Words