To “listen” another’s soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another. ~ Douglas V. Steere

Covenant Groups are small groups of 6-9 participants, with two co-facilitators. They gather monthly to reflect on the church-wide theme, broadening personal spiritual growth, and forming connections and deepening relationships as they go. They are a wonderful way to create community.

Covenant Group members

• attend monthly meetings from October to May
• co-create a covenant (a draft template is provided), and then practice living into that covenant every month
• share their experiences and reflections, and hold space for the experiences and reflections of the others in the group
• practice deep listening. Deep listening is a way of focusing intently on what another person is saying without interruption or simultaneously formulating a response. Deep listening also gives an individual an opportunity to speak without interruption or comment.
• participate in a service project chosen by their group (each group to decide on their participation)

All adults are welcome: long time congregation members and people newly exploring Unitarian Universalism, past Covenant Group participants and newcomers.

Details

Covenant Groups are led by trained lay facilitators. The program will run from October 2026 through May 2027. Groups are intentionally disbanded at the end of the year, though your friendships will have a life of their own. Participants are welcome to register again the following year, to make new connections, with another group of people.

Covenant group are not open to drop-in participation. With advance notice to facilitators, though, the circle of each group may widen to embrace new participants.

What are Covenant Group sessions like?

• Opening Words: Gathering in, settling down, reflecting the theme of the session. The meeting begins with the lighting of a candle or a chalice and a land acknowledgment.
• Check-In: Participants share what they are carrying in their heart and mind.
• Readings from the Common Bowl: Before the meeting, various shorter readings related to the theme are shared with participants. Participants take turns reading these, leaving a few moments of silence after each to invite reflection on the meaning. Each group develops its own customs around discussion of the readings.
• Sitting in Silence: We sit in silence for a couple of minutes to allow the readings to resonate and to cultivate a sense of calm and attunement with our theme before we explore questions about the theme.
• Living the Questions: Several questions that will elicit thoughtful discussion and significant reflection are shared. Participants may explore one question at length or find that several questions can be explored meaningfully.
• Likes and Wishes: Sharing our observations around what we like and wish for around group dynamics helps us shape the groups in ways that work for all participants, and helps us share responsibility for holding the covenant.
• Check-Out: An opportunity for feedback of where participants are now as a result of the time spent together and the experience of exploring the theme.
• Closing Words: This brings the formal session to an end. Groups are encouraged to start and end on time.

Monthly Themes

For 2026/2027 we are again using monthly theme packets from the Canadian Meaning Making project, created collaboratively by Revs Arran Morton, Fiona Heath, Meg Roberts, and Karen Fraser Gitlitz.

The overarching theme for the year is Facing the Future Together: This year, we are exploring our interdependence from the perspective of community. How do we make space for the flourishing of both the individual and the community? What personal values and practices nurture the kinds of communities that will help us meet the future? We may not know what the future holds, but we know it will be better if we face it together.

The monthly themes are:

• October 2026: Agency and Acceptance How do we practice agency today, whether in our personal circumstances or as groups in
  society? What systemic factors make our agency possible (or limit it)? What does acceptance of others look like, and how can it be life-giving?
• November 2026: Change and Stability How do we practice adapting to change, especially when change is unexpected or challenging? How do we practice ways of creating stability for ourselves and others in times of profound change?
• December 2026: Humility and Pride How do we understand ourselves and our place inside a larger frame? How do we celebrate our own gifts – and our communities’ gifts – while leaving room for others?
• January 2027: Responsibility and Integrity How do we develop a practice of responsibility to our community in a culture that promotes self-interest? Can we be empowered by contributing to the whole without also taking ownership?
• February 2027: Power and Powerlessness How do we become aware of our personal power and use the power that we have to leverage our values? How can we encourage communities to distribute power equitably and how do we interact with systems when they are inequitable?
• March 2027: Expectations and Surprises How do our expectations shape our relationships and communities? What practices can we use to discern when expectations could be higher and when we might broaden them? How can we stay open to surprises and the unexpected gifts they may offer?
• April 2027: Forgiveness and Repair How do we practice forgiveness and repair within and beyond our UU Communities? When can these practices strengthen our relationships and communities? How do we see others as more than their mistakes?
• May 2027: Community and Individuality How do we practice community while managing the diversity of individual needs? How do we carefully choose what is best for the whole?

As noted above, all adults are welcome but we do require pre-registration so that the facilitators know who will be there. Time and format for this year’s Covenant Groups

1. Second THIRD Tuesday of the month, 2-4 pm in the church living room. First meeting October 20, 2026.
2. Second (except for October) Monday of the month, 7-8:30 pm in the church living room. First meeting October 19, 2026 — Due to Thanksgiving the first meeting will be the Third Monday, in the youth group space, but the next meeting will be November 9.
3. Third Tuesday of the month, 9:30-11 am on Zoom –  this group is for those identifying as women or non-binary (who of course are welcome in the other groups too), first meeting October 20, 2026.
4. Third Wednesday of the month, 6:30-8 pm at the church, first meeting October 21, 2026.

Using your preferences entered in the registration form, we will assign you to a group and share further details with you. If there are enough people who want to join a group later in the year, we’ll start another one in January, running until August.

This congregation and our resources are committed to providing programs to all, at no cost whenever possible, without requiring membership or financial contribution. We hope you’ll join us!