SMALL GROUPS

Small groups are a great way to connect with others and to deepen your religious life.  All members and friends of our congregation are welcome to participate in a small group ministry.

Find the complete UUCville Events Calendar here

Discussion Groups

Discussion groups are meet-ups where you can drop in to participate anytime. They follow a more open-ended, informal structure than Covenant groups. Some groups focus on limited topics or invite only certain social groups.

Active Minds: An affable group of inquiring Elders that meets by Zoom to share interests and stories from our lives and to discuss the issues of the day. We open with a poem, followed by personal check-ins, and then a discussion – often free-wheeling, sometimes with a topic to bring focus. We close with another poem or reading. All ages are welcome to attend.
Meets every Thursday 1:30-2:45 pm online. Contact: Co-Facilitators: Mark T. Day, Diana Scott for the Zoom link via activeminds@uucharlottesville.org

Women’s Spirituality Book Group: Women of UUCVille—would you like to deepen your spiritual practice and nurture meaningful friendships? Join the UUCVille book group. We’ll read and discuss a book a month on Zoom (evening meetings) through the end of May, with rotating, shared leadership.
Contact: Laura Horn and Jeanine Braithwaite via office@uucharlottesville.org

Zooming with Tim: Rev. Tim hosts a gathering every Thursday called “Zooming with Tim.” These gatherings are informal, social, and fun. There isn’t an agenda or a pre-determined topic. This is just a time to talk, to laugh, and to get to know each other.

Social Fellowship Groups

UUGuys: an adult men’s group with the goal of building stronger bonds of brotherhood among our members. UUGuys follow rules of confidentiality like a covenant group, but is open to all men any time. Learn more
Meets the first Thursday of each month at 7-9pm online. Contact: Griff Griffiths

Worship Groups

Women Spirit: This group will gather 8 times a year, to celebrate the 8 Sabbats: the seasonal festivals comprising the Wheel of the Year. This is a drop-in group: You may come to any single ritual, or all of them throughout the year, and you may begin participating or drop in for a single event at at any time. Our group is always open to all women.

Covenant Groups

A Covenant Group is a small group of 6 to 10 people from our congregation who agree to meet two times each month from October through May. Please contact covenantgroups@uucharlottesville.org if you have any questions.

Please fill out this Covenant Group Form to register for a 2023-24 Covenant Group.

Covenant Groups meet to explore and support each others’ spiritual development as well as to build friendships and a deeper sense of closeness within the congregation. A structured discussion process ensures that everyone has a chance to participate. Groups meet to:

• • • Form deeper, more intimate relationships
    • Share spiritual struggles and growth
    • Deepen religious commitment
    • Support and minister to each other

Whether the topic is “good and evil,” “mindful living,” or “letting go,” the conversation is respectful and caring and leads to greater understanding. In each session, facilitated by a member of the group, all participants have opportunity to share their perspectives, tell their stories, and listen deeply. The time together is structured: Groups begin and end with centering readings and often include a time of silence before the sharing begins. Many groups engage in annual service projects, putting their faith into action.

Most covenant groups begin in the fall, and new groups will be formed throughout the year as needed. Ask Cathey Polly, the Covenant Group Registrar, for more information.

What Covenant Groups Mean to Me

In these small gatherings, with a simple format that encourages trust, we share joys and sorrows in a context that deepens dialogue and encourages growth. Friendships that start in covenant groups can last forever—and topics take conversation to amazing places! It’s wonderful to get to know people over time, in a space quieter than church itself. Covenant groups are the heart of this community, and I can’t imagine my life without them.”    —Laura W.

How Is A Covenant Group Different From Other Small Group Activities?

Covenant groups prove meaningful and satisfying for some and not as well for others. Key to the covenant group experience is having a clear expectation of what a covenant group is and is not. Covenant groups provide a space for:

• An exchange of ideas (but are not discussion groups)
• Meaningful relationships (but are not support groups)
• Spiritual sharing (but are not a formal worship experience)
• Socializing (but are intended as more, as a space for reaching a deeper understanding of ourselves, our church and our world)

What Happens During A Covenant Group Meeting?

Every Covenant Group agrees on its own format and rituals. Generally, meetings include:

• Opening words/ritual, usually a chalice lighting
• Check-in time for each person to share, uninterrupted, how they are
• Reading on topic of the session
• Sharing responses to questions on the chosen topic
• Check-out time for sharing parting thoughts (Likes and Wishes)
• Closing words or ritual

Covenant Group Steering Committee

The Covenant Group Steering Committee helps coordinate, evaluate and promote the activities of covenant groups. Contact one of us to learn more about covenant groups at covenantgroups@uucharlottesville.org.

Patsy Swindler: 434-295-7630
Cathey Polly (Registrar)