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Covenant
Groups - Small Group Ministry
Purpose
Our purpose in developing covenant groups - small group ministries
is:
*to nurture and inspire each other to be the best we can be;
*to have deeper relationships with each other, with the church
and the Unitarian Universalist tradition;
*to create intimate sacred space;
*to develop a more meaningful commitment to service both to the
church and to the larger community;
* and to have fun!
Membership
The membership of each group will be between five and ten, including
the facilitator. Until a group reaches ten there will be at least
one opening in the group. When the group reaches ten active members
the group will split into two groups of no less than five, with
leadership provided by either the current facilitator or an apprentice
facilitator.
The commitment of the group is open-ended but there is an annual
re-assignment date when everyone has the opportunity to recommit
to the group they are in. or ask to join another group.
Any withdrawal from the group will be announced at the beginning
of a meeting and the member will stay in the group for at least
one additional meeting.
Leadership
Covenant group leaders facilitate the life of the group. They
make sure that the group starts and stops on time, or they delegate
someone to make sure. They remind people of the next meeting or
delegate someone to do so. They contact group members who've been
absent to let them know they are missed, or they ask someone to
make that call. At the meeting they read from the Sessions Plan
( the program agenda for that day) and, if necessary, guide the
discussion, or they. may delegate that responsibility.
Groups will be led by a trained facilitator and assisted by an
apprentice. Apprentices will be chosen by the facilitators in
consultation with the minister. 'there will be a monthly facilitator's
group, led by the minister, which will provide a separate small
group ministry for the facilitators and an opportunity for ongoing
training and problem-solving.
Small Group Ministry will be using as the curriculum Small Group
Ministry Resource Book written by the Rev. Calvin O. Dame in order
for there to be a consistency in content and practices. This will
be evaluated and expanded at a later date, at the latest at the
end of the first full year of small group ministry.
Ground Rules
These are the procedural and behavioral covenants that will be
consistent among all of the groups:
1.
Each group will meet at least once a month-
2. Each member will attend in a state of mind to be as filly
present as possible.
3. Members shall be mutually respectful.
4. What is said in the group will stay in the group.
5. Members will practice non judgmental and reflective listening.
6. Any inter-group membership changes will be resolved and
determined by the Minister.
7. Each group will covenant to provide one service project
to the church and one to the larger community per year.
8. Members will give priority to arranging their schedules
to attend each meeting.
9. Members will gather at the appointed time and end no more
than two hours later.
10. Any foreseen absences or lateness will be announced to
the group ahead of time.
11. Any unforeseen absences or lateness will be called into
another member as soon as possible.
The
Covenant Group Source Book may be Downloaded (pdf
format) at:
http://the-ccv.org/projects.html
More Background: Left Click Here
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