Community Unitarian Universalist Church is getting serious about Covenant Groups, also known as Small Group Ministry. The Board of Trustees recently issued a charter to a newly formed implementation team "to establish a sustainable ongoing covenant group ministry to serve the spiritual/religious lives of the members and friends of the Community Church…and the broader community."
So, what is a covenant group? Peter Bowden is co-founder of the UU Small Group Ministry Network. He writes,
"Small Group Ministry (is) a way of 'doing church' which strives to deepen and expand the ministry of a congregation using an intentional system of lay-led small groups. Imagine all that your congregation is trying to accomplish, everything your minister, staff, leaders and members are called to do as a community. We have learned that we can design lay-led and clergy-supported small groups to accomplish this work and ministry. At the heart of healthy congregations and life/world changing ministries we find 1) strong relationships, 2) engagement with meaningful issues, 3) leadership/leadership development, and 4) inspired action. You might think of Small Group Ministry not as a new program, but an alternative model for doing what Unitarian Universalist congregations have been doing for years."
For more information about Covenant Groups, and Peter Bowden please visit http://www.smallgroupministry.net/start/index.html.
Exciting News! Peter Bowden will be conducting a regional training workshop at our church. Here are the details taken from the Events section of the website inked above:
Saturday, January 10, 2008,Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry Facilitator Training
PLANO, TX, Community Unitarian Church of Plano
Program 9:00 am – 3:00pm, doors open at 8am
Presenter: Peter Bowden, UU Small Group Ministry Consultant
This training has been designed for congregations launching or
re-launching an intentional congregation-wide small group ministry with
synchronized session-based groups. That is, a network of ministry
groups coordinated by the minister(s) and a steering committee with all
groups using the same session-based content.
The training will include:
- The vision and purpose of small group ministry
- Presentation of the congregation-wide session based model
- Essential skills and practices for small group facilitators
- Group dynamics and life cycle of small group ministries
- Approaches to common group challenges
- The role of ongoing coaching and training
- The transformational role of service and action in group life
- Question and answer sessions
Peter Bowden is a Unitarian Universalist consultant specializing in small group ministry and UU outreach and evangelism. Peter is one of the founders of the UU Small Group Ministry Network, a national organization and non-profit dedicated to supporting small group ministries within our movement. Through this network and independently Peter has led workshops on small group ministry throughout New England, at General Assemblies, at Ferry Beach and Star Island. You may read more about Peter's work and this event at his site uuplanet.com.
Cost: $ 30.00 per person, or $ 25.00 per person for congregational teams of three (3) or more. Lunch provided.
Registration: Registration limited to 60 participants.
To register download registration form at http://www.uuplanet.com/events/jan10-2008
For local information, contact the Rev. Patrick Price at: RevPprice@CommunityUUChurch.org or go to CommunityUUChurch.org.
For more information, contact Covenant Groups
