CGNews Issue #87

Friends,

I just sent out CGNews Issue #87. You can view the message as it was sent here or read the posts below.

It has been a little while since CGNews has gone out. All quiet on the UU small group front? Not a chance! The board of the UU SGM Network has been working hard on planning for General Assembly and getting incorporating us as a non-profit. More on this below. This is particularly exciting for me as it happened magically while I've been busy commuting to Boston every day. I'm doing an eight month training in television/digital film so I can be an even bigger UU church geek and spend my life flooding the internet with UU media. I plan on dragging our movement into the 21st century. I'll be sure to make some small group related materials while I'm at it. Feel free to send me any special requests.

On to what the majority of you really want - group sessions. This is still the hottest item on our site. Those of you hungry for peace, justice and small group sessions will be happy to know the following:

1. The UUSC is developing a series of small group ministry modules related to their social justice campaigns. I spoke with the UUSC intern working on this project again this morning. Carie Johnson reports that of the four modules being published, two will be distributed at GA. One on Civil Liberties. The other on the genocide in Darfur. These resources are scheduled to be on their website this May. The UUSC will let me know as soon as they go online and I'll pass the word on to you. Keep posted!

2. Judy Morgan of the Peacemaking Congregational Study Action Issue Core Team has announced that small group ministry sessions based on the peacemaking Study Action Issue are now online. You can read more about these sessions and find the link below. I have not had a chance to read over these, though I did speak with members of that team before the sessions were produced.

My take on these efforts?

I think they represent a step forward for our movement -- provided the sessions are well done. Small groups are the ideal place to reflect on the spiritual, moral and ethical issues underlying the problems of our world. I think that if we discuss these issues we will find the strength to take action. We can't go on like we are.

As organizations realize that small group ministry sessions are a great way to engage with UU's across our association -- be it the UUSC, CSW, or others -- we need to make sure that the resources they produce stay true to the purposes of this ministry. It is a fine line. Ever have your congregation's stewardship committee want to canvass people in their small group meetings? From my conversations with representatives from the UUSC and the CSW these organizations are working hard to honor the nature of this ministry while trying to get us to wake up and engage with a big long list of critical issues. This weekend I went to a used bookstore that had a wall of books labeled "See what happened while you weren't looking" -- I won't go into the contents of the shelf. Needless to say, genocide and the need for peacemaking were represented. I bet you could name some more...

I love small groups and I want to change our world. I suspect that you do to. If so I hope you'll take the time to give these new session resources a look and tell me what you think of them.

In faith,
Peter

Peter Freedman Bowden
Editor, CGNews

OUR NEW NON-PROFIT STATUS

We are pleased to announce that the Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry Network is now officially incorporated as a non-profit! Special thanks to our treasurer Susan Hollister (Main Line Unitarian Church) for leading this effort.

What does this mean for all of us? NOW we can get serious about fundraising. More on that later. For now lets all just send thoughts of thanks and praise to Susan.

In honor of this task being completed a special thank you message ....
http://www.careerbuilder.com/monk-e-mail/?mid=20066314

Coming soon....
More information on making tax deductible donations.
How to organize a Sunday to raise funds for Small Group Ministry.
AND.... a message from Peter on why you should choose our network as the recipient of your generosity.

EVENT: Sustaining a Strong Small Group Ministry Program

Sustaining a Strong Small Group Ministry Program
Thursday, April 12, 7-9 PM
First Unitarian Congregation of Cleveland, Ohio


This First Unitarian Congregation of Cleveland is pleased to offer a training opportunity for SGM enthusiasts.

The workshop will cover the following topics:
- the power and purpose of Small Group Ministry (or Covenant Groups)
- the essential components of a Small Group Ministry program
- addressing common challenges in an SGM program
- developing shared leadership within a small group
- handling group difficulties.

This event will be of particular value to those serving as group leaders or facilitators in a small group ministry program. Others, including professional ministers, those serving on steering committees for SGM programs, or those with an interest in being part of small group ministry are also welcome and will benefit from this workshop.

The workshop leader is the Dr. M'ellen Kennedy, a UU community minister and community psychologist. She is co-founder and co-coordinator of the UU Small Group Ministry Network and serves as editor of this organization's "Small Group Ministry Quarterly." Dr. Kennedy has been working with lay led small groups for over 20 years and has offered facilitator training to hundreds of lay and professionals leaders. She also serves as a consulting minister for the Universalist Society in Strafford, Vermont.

The church is located at 21600 Shaker Boulevard, Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Please contact mellen@smallgroupministry.net if you'd like to attend.

Submitted by Mellen Kennedy

Small Group Ministry at GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2007

Representatives and members of our Unitarian Universalist congregations and organizations will be gathering for our General Assembly (GA). Programs about Small Group Ministry or Covenant Groups are among the many exciting offerings at GA in Portland, OR, this year. The UU Small Group Ministry Network Is Offering the Following Workshops:

Facilitator Training for Small Group Ministry
Small Group Ministry or Covenant Groups are transforming how we do congregational life. One of the challenges that lay and professional leaders face is how to adequately train facilitators. In this workshop, members of the Small Group Ministry Network will share our collective wisdom on what makes for quality leadership development.

Emerging Models of Small Group Ministry
Congregations across our denomination are developing successful and exciting variations on Small Group Ministry or Covenant Groups. This panel of members of the Small Group Ministry Network will share our significant innovations including theme groups, short-term groups, groups in the community, use in Religious Education and by religious professionals.

UUSGM Network Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the UU Small Group Ministry Network will be held at GA in Portland. Details on the Meeting will be announced closer to GA.

UUSGM Network Booth
An Opportunity to Help Out & Learn More about SGM ... The UU Small Group Ministry Network plans to have a booth in the Exhibit Hall again this year at General Assembly. If you would like to help staff our booth, please contact M'ellen Kennedy at mellen@smallgroupministry.net. Staffing the booth is a great opportunity to share your enthusiasm about and experience with Small Group Ministry. You also get to meet and learn from folks from all over the country who are engaged in this vital work. We'd love to have you join us!

Are You planning an SGM event at GA?
Let us know and we'll help You get the word out in the Summer/GA Issue of this Quarterly and future issues of CGNews.


Submitted by M'ellen Kennedy