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CGNEWS
* Vol. 7, No.5 - Sept/Oct 2005
CGNEWS * Vol. 7, No.4 - May 2005 CGNEWS * Vol. 7, No.3 - April 2005 COVENANT
GROUP NEWS IN THIS ISSUE
* UPDATED WEBSITE
Mid South District - Oct. 8th, 2005 * SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE Covenant Group News is a free monthly electronic newsletter on Small Group Ministry read by 1275 forward-looking Unitarian Universalists. CGNews is edited by Peter Freedman Bowden and distributed by the UU Small Group Ministry Network. ________________________________
UPDATED WEBSITE Over the Summer I learned that many people have been confused about the resources our network offers. We have FREE resources (our clearinghouse function), resources for members (our membership program), this FREE email newsletter (CGNews), and there are a number of great resources for sale. Our website has just been updated to make it easier to locate these resources. The site now has five main areas: 1.
FREE Public Resources New features include: A)
More info on who to contact regarding various aspects of our
work and ministry on the CONTACT US page. Please
take a moment to look the site over. Visit www.smallgroupministry.net.
As always, if you have feedback or resources you'd like to share
email me, Peter Bowden, at peter@smallgroupministry.net. JOIN OUR NETWORK
Join by Oct. 10th and Our Network is now a year and a half old. We went from zero to 100 members our first year. Over the Summer we added another 50! Its clear that people are LOVING our resources and word is spreading fast. Those of you who would like to join, just visit our membership page: http://www.smallgroupministry.net/membership The FALL issue of the SGM Quarterly is coming out soon. The theme is LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. Join by October 10th to get be included in the FALL mailing. If you miss the 10th you may access this issue and all past issues via our online member area AFTER you join. Remember, when you join you get access to every SGM Quarterly EVER PRODUCED! ________________________________
NEW RESOURCE The background of Small Group Ministry gives the basis for developing ways in which this dynamic format can be available for Youth. This resource includes a session for facilitators, and discussion and session plans for The Five Steps to Building Community and Six Components of a Balanced Youth Program. A total of 25 session plans are included. Resource is punched and ready to be placed in a three ring binder. All proceeds from this resource in excess of development cost go to support the ministry of the UU SGM Network. SHARE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT: Small Group Ministry is helping to create a continuous ministry model for children, youth, young adult and adults. This is removing the "GAP" in our ministry where we traditionally lost youth & young adults. Help us provide SGM for all ages -- get this great new resource into the hands of youth, youth advisors, and religious educators so they may . Print out the order form and/or forward this message to them. Thank you! - PB ________________________________
TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT! Not sure if you want to join our network. The best way to decide is to get a look at what your missing! Last Spring we made a copy of our Spring SGM Quarterly journal available as a sample - 3,000 people downloaded it. Check out the sample resources below. TOWARD
A TRUE LIFESPAN MINISTRY ________________________________
THREE REGIONAL/DISTRICT EVENTS Ultimacy and Intimacy: Small Group Ministry as a Spiritual Practice will be the focus of a track for the annual Mid-South District Healthy Congregations conference Saturday,Oct.8 in Auburn, Alabama. This workshop is part of an all day program featuring a variety of sessions on the theme of "Living Simply,Spiritually,and Sustainably." The small group ministry portion will be led by Rev.Marti Keller, a Board member of the SGM Network, and Rev. Dr.Paula Gable, associate minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta. Paula recently attended the Ferry Beach conference on Small Group Ministry and is responsible for its formation and nurture at her large congregation. Marti has been creating and facilitating small spirituality groups in religious communities for the past decade, including UU congregations, homeless shelters and ministries, and at Candler School of Theology,Emory University. Information on registering for the MSD Healthy Congregations conference is available online at www.uua.org/msd.
We are pleased to announce that District Executive, Ken Brown and others in the L.A. area are planning a regional conference for the fall. For more information contact Ken at UURev@aol.com or Mellen Kennedy at mellen@smallgroupministry.net. A regional conference is an opportunity for area congregations at various stages in development --from those just considering to those already well established -- to receive help and encouragement in developing successful programs. 3.
Madison, Wisconsin Save the date for this daylong Small Group Ministry enrichment program for lay and professional Unitarian Universalist leaders! We've designed this program to help UU congregations with Small Group Ministry programs take the next step in deepening and expanding these ministries. Ministers, DRE's, lay coaches, facilitators, facilitators-in-training, and lay ministers of every label and classification - we welcome you. Calvin Dame and Mellen Kennedy of the UU Small Group Ministry Network will lead this day of exploration, problem solving, connection, inspiration and growth. Topics will be based on emerging patterns in small group ministries throughout our association and issues raised by participants. Contact Mellen Kennedy at mellen@smallgroupministry.net. For
full details and REGISTRATION FORMS please visit out event page
at _______________________________ SUBSCRIBE / UNSUBSCRIBE To subscribe send an email to: cgnews-request@smallgroupministry.net with the subject: subscribe To unsubscribe send an email to: cgnews-request@smallgroupministry.net with the subject: unsubscribe _______________________________
COVENANT
GROUP NEWS CONTENTS
* How do you keep things hoppin' over the summer? Covenant Group News is a free monthly electronic newsletter on Small Group Ministry read by 1253 forward-looking Unitarian Universalists. CGNews is edited by Peter Bowden and distributed by the UU Small Group Ministry Network. Don't forget to register for our Star Island Small Group Ministry Week at http://www.ferrybeach.org ________________________________
In the upcoming issue of the SGM Quarterly we would like to offer a list of ideas on things you can do to "Keep your Small Group Ministry hopping" over the Summer. Do you have ideas? Success stories? If so, send you ideas and stories to Peter Bowden. ________________________________ How do I get the SGM Quarterly? I loved the sample issue.
Q:
How do I do that? Q:
Where can I download it? Q:
Does this mean I'm not a member even though I get this monthly
email? Q:
Who pays for the time it takes to produce CGNews and answer
follow up emails? Q:
Oh! I get it. I didn't donate yet. Is it too late?
Last GA the first ever General Assemlby Covenant Groups were a huge success. This year the program is continuing but on a larger scale. Connie Grant, the registrar of this program, submitted the following call for volunteers. Covenant Group participation was integrated into the GA registration process. From Connie: Volunteer facilitators are needed for Covenant Groups at General Assembly in Fort Worth. We anticipate filling 50 groups, which will meet four times in hour-and-a-quarter sessions. If you have facilitated a group in your home congregation for one year or more, you are invited to apply to facilitate a group at General Assembly. For an application form or for more information, please contact the Rev. Connie Grant at GAcovenantgroups@aol.com. Hey!
It isn't too late to go to GA. ________________________________ Resources/Books for Sessions Content? In response to the growing list of Small Group Ministry sessions on our website a number of people have asked for great books to base sessions on. Maybe you haven't written up all your sessions or submitted them to our Network, but you have developed you own content. What books have you used? I have spoken to the UUA Bookstore staff and they love the idea of building a collection of books that are ideal for use with Small Group Ministry and Covenant Groups. By building a list of book titles we can make it easier for people to produce their own sessions. And hey, it doesn't hurt the bookstore either. We might add these titles to our session page or, if the response is good, encourage the bookstore to highlight titles in their e-newsletter. You may share book ideas by responding to this message or using the FEEDBACK link on any page of our site. ________________________________ Skinner House Books Launches Session Page Last GA I spoke with Skinner House Books about using Small Group Ministry sessions to both support this ministry AND get the word out about their books. People are hungry for session topics and Skinner House would like people to read there books. Here's an idea -- make sessions based on Skinner House Books! By making a session on a great UU book, most often published by Skinner House, the need for quality session content is met. When people use the session they get to hear some readings from the book, discuss the core issues it addresses, and know where to go for more reading on that topic. How perfect is that? Skinner House has now launched a Smal Group Ministry Session Page where they would like to list ALL THE SESSION you have designed based on their books. There are some sessions I developed on the site, plus some basic guidelines for writing them. Many people do not share sessions because of the bother of seeking permissions. Skinner House is making this easy for you. Here is a blurb from their site: "Book-driven session plans serve to meet the critical need for prepared session plans and support the work of our congregations in promoting spiritual growth. Both reading and small group work are forms of spiritual discipline. Preparing session plans based on book titles is a way to connect the two and support our congregations in a way that encourages deeper exploration of our values and experiences through reading." Isn't that the truth. On your mark, get set, go - write - sessions! Write them, then submit them through the Skinner House website. They will handle the permissions and post them online. That is, unless there is a permission issue. You may also email it to them directly at sgm_skinner@uua.org Visit
the Skinner House Website
Resource for sale/download by Donna
J. Moore UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Experiential Exercises for Building a Spiritual Community Designed for those who want to conduct adult interactive exercises within their churches, fellowships, and covenant groups, this book contains: 5 Ice Breaker and 6 Closure Exercises, 7 Getting Acquainted Activities, 6 Mini Programs (Applied Spirituality and Values for the 21st Century are just two of the titles), 5 Rituals and Ceremonies, Complete instructions on how to conduct Experiential Exercises We Unitarian Universalists often miss opportunities to build relationships within our congregations. All too often our programs consist of "talking heads" and participants leave feeling hungry to be heard and participate on a deeper level. The exercises in UP CLOSE are all built on the experiential model: They are designed to involve participants! Abstract ideas must be experienced and reflected on, personally and with others. In the process, deeper learning is accomplished; intimacy is fostered, which leads to a greater sense of community. Just the kind of thing covenant groups are all about! Donna J. Moore, a veteran trainer and designer of adult training materials, first published this book in 1997 based on programs she created especially for UU groups. Hundreds of copies were sold at $18.50. Out of print for several years, it’s now available as shareware at a suggested donation of $10.00. Make checks or money orders to Cedars Unitarian Universalist Church and send them to PO Box 10175, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. All proceeds go to the Church. To download your copy, go to www.uufbink.org. (The UU Fellowship of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap recently changed its name to Cedars UU Church. However, the website is still listed under the old name.) About half way down the first page, you’ll see the link to UP CLOSE. Copy any of the pages you wish to use or the whole book. For more information of if you have any questions, contact Donna directly at djmoore@bainbridge.net or phone her at (206) 842-2170. ________________________________
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How
do you keep things hoppin' over the summer?