First Parish Unitarian UniversalistCovenant Groups
Building Connections, Creating Community
What people say about Covenant Groups:
"My life feels richer, more meaningful now."
"It helps me build personal relationships."
"I feel more connected to our congregation."
"This is the spiritual development group I have been looking for."
"It makes me excited about coming to church."
About Covenant Groups
As we grow as a congregation, it becomes more of a challenge to know one another and to be a community. Small group ministries known as Covenant Groups are designed to help us build stronger relationships with each other and strengthen the fabric of the congregational community of which we are all a part.
A Covenant Group is made up of six to eight people who meet regularly to give each other intentional and meaningful opportunities to connect in the context of Unitarian Universalism. Group members offer support to one another as they meet to explore individual stories of faith and spiritual topics of interest.
Each group develops its own style, but in general follows a format that begins with an uplifting reading from a Unitarian Universalist source followed by a personal check-in time. The heart of the meeting is the sharing that comes when participants share stories and questions of meaning from the wellspring of their own lives. Groups can initiate and explore spiritual and ethical themes of their own choice as well as depend on provided materials covering a wide range of topics such as loss, wonder, yearnings, God, living simply, community, money and spirituality, love, death, friendship, and many other topics. The discussion is followed by a time for personal feedback and a closing reading.
Early in the group's formation, participants are asked to create and agree to abide by a set of covenants. The primary covenant is about procedures for the group and how members will treat each other. A second covenant is that every group is always open to new members. Agreeing on how to welcome newcomers and how to form new groups when the group grows too large is expected.
Meetings — When? Where? How Long?
Groups meet either in people’s homes or at First Parish, as they decide. You need not be able to host a meeting to join a group. Groups are encouraged to meet twice a month for the first three months, and then decide together on an ongoing schedule. Meetings should last no more than two hours. Once a year, usually in the fall, group members will be asked if they want to recommit to the same group or be placed in another, and new participants will be invited to join.
All groups are facilitated by conveners who are trained by and meet regularly with our parish minister.
How To Join
Groups can be joined at any time during the year and are open to all First Parish members and friends. If you are interested in joining a covenant group, contact the Minister.