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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Who We Are - The UU Small Group Ministry Network

We've just made some updates to our website to include more information about who we are. You may visit this page here or read the updates below.


About UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM

For more information about Unitarian Universalism, we suggest that you go to the web site of the Unitarian Universalist Association at www.uua.org, especially the Visitors Section. The Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry Network interacts with congregations and with the Association.

About the NETWORK

The UU Small Group Ministry Network is a grassroots organization of Unitarian Universalist congregations, small group ministry / covenant group, group leaders, and participants.

Our mission is to help create healthy Unitarian Universalist congregations and a vital Unitarian Universalist movement by promoting and supporting Small Group Ministry.

Small Group Ministry is transforming lives, congregations and our liberal religious movement. We are helping by facilitating the exchange of resources and information through this site and Covenant Group News, developing new resources, organizing regional small group ministry conferences. The Network has a booth, workshops, and discussion at General Assembly (the annual meeting of the congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association).

Our By-Laws
Contact Us

Meet the NETWORK BOARD

Steve Becker, Board, Seattle, WA
Steve is looking forward to serving the Board from Seattle, Washington, as a member of the University Unitarian Church. A lifelong Unitarian, Steve brings over 10 years of experience as an Adult RE teacher, Social Justice activist, and membership trainer, and most recently he has served at the East Shore Unitarian Church as the Chair of their Membership Committee. He has belonged to a Covenant Circle for four years while at East Shore, where he has developed new lesson topics and helped facilitate one of the
groups.

Diana Dorroh, Board President, Baton Rouge, LA
Diana was involved in the startup of the covenant group program at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge in 1999 and have served as program coordinator since then. The program now has about 190 members and 18 groups. She has participated in panels organized by Rev. Bob Hill, at the district level and at GA. She also serve as a volunteer staff Program Director at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge and was a participant at the UUSGM Network 2005 Ferry Beach Conference.

Anne Haynes, Board, Bloomington, IN
Anne has been a UU and a member of the UU Church of Bloomington, Indiana since 1981, and has held various lay leadership positions there, including congregational President. She and her husband Chris participated in the Small Group Ministry week at Ferry Beach in 2005, and for the last two years were involved in starting the Chalice Circles program in their congregation. Anne first experienced small group ministry as a member of an Evensong group, and passionately believes small group ministry meets many needs for our congregants and congregational life. She has been co-chair of the small group ministry implementation committee and now its executive team at UUCB and is looking forward to the church’s second year of Chalice Circles. She also facilitates one of the groups.

Susan Hollister, Board Treasurer, Newton Square, PA
Susan is a member of Main Line Unitarian Church in Devon, PA, near Philadelphia. She is a registered dietitian and mother of two grown children, Rebecca and Nathan, third-generation UUs. Susan first experienced a small group while attending the Unitarian Society of New Haven in CT. The concept was just in the talking stage when she and husband, Alan, moved to Pennsylvania and joined MLUC in 2002. Knowing SGM was an ideal way for newcomers to meet people and make connections, Susan joined the implementation committee and helped launch the program. She facilitates a Monday morning group, sits on the steering committee, and currently serves as co-chair of the SGM Program. Susan helped start a needlework group at MLUC and belongs to one of its book groups. An avid gardener, she heads to the woodland on most fine days to nurture native plants and create a wildlife haven.

Walter LeFlore, Board, Stow, MA
Walter has been involved in a small group ministry program for over three years at this point. Hewas a member of the planning and design team that initially introduced small group ministry to First Parish of Stow and Acton, MA. He is in his third year as one of many facilitators in a church with over 100 small group members. From his prior professional life as an organization consultant, he has long been a great fan of small group process. He joined the Network Board because he very much wants to support congregations using the Small Group Ministry process. If done well, he believes SGM has the ability to not only help but to enthuse and transform the life and spirit of individual congregations.

Mary Ann Terry, Isle of Palms, SC
MaryAnn is enthusiastic about Small Group Ministry. She is an active lay leader at the Unitarian Church in Charleston, South Carolina where she serves as coordinator of Connecting Circles (their name for SGM) where, among other things, she helps train group facilitators. She participated in the Small Group Ministry Week at Ferry Beach in Saco, Maine in 2005. She spends her summers in New Hampshire where she attends the Star King UU Fellowship in Plymouth. She is pleased to be serving on the Board, helping promote Small Group Ministry in our movement.

Helen Zidowecki, Litchfield, ME
Helen has been involved with Small Group Ministry for over 10 years. She is a member of the Augusta, ME, congregation, where she is a facilitator and on the Topics Committee. Her special interest is Small Group Ministry in Lifespan Faith Development, and smaller congregations. She leads workshops and writes materials, including curricula using Small Group Ministry (see www.hzmre.com/sgm ). Helen is a Minister of Religious Education, and actively involved in Small Group Ministry on the district level. She resides in Litchfield, ME.

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Sunday, March 25, 2007

Latest issue of the SGM Quarterly now online

Winter 2007 SGM QUARTERLY
Download as a PDF file.

ARTICLES

1. Reflections On Maturing Small Group Ministry Programs
Rev. Calvin O. Dame, NYC

2. Supporting the Vision Caster
Diana Dorroh, Baton Rouge, LA

3. Small Group Ministry Magic for Ministers
Rev. Dena McPhetres, Laconia, NH

4. Small Group Ministry at Interweave Convo 2007
Rev. Jonalu Johnstone
President, Interweave Continental

5. Why Do I Come to Sunday Services?
Jay Wolin, Orlando, FL

News, events and resource announcements from the SGM Quarterly are available in the PDF version and posted online in these areas of our website:
Covenant Group News
Events
Free resources
For purchase

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Friday, March 16, 2007

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.

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Thursday, January 4, 2007

Q & A in Interconnections Newsletter

Q We started a small group ministry program two years ago and the groups really took off, but now we're starting to see problems with several of them. Is that normal?

A Peter Bowden, a church consultant and a cofounder of the UU Small Group Ministry Network, smallgroupministry.net, says, "In my consulting work I have yet to find a congregation with a 'mysterious' reason for small group ministry failing. Across the board, problems are the result of some failure to implement a viable model or a failure to support this ministry prior to launching. Sustaining a healthy small group ministry requires a great deal of time, energy, and resources. Small group ministry isn't rocket science, but it is hard work. And well worth it."

"After the establishment of a new program," Bowden continues, "it is common for congregations to let small groups run on autopilot, especially when more urgent matters demand attention. However, it takes regular vision casting and support between group facilitators and skill training for small group ministries to not only stay on track, but to thrive."

Another reason for failure, he says, is that while groups are designed to build intimacy and connections they can sometimes become too inward-looking, at the expense of being open and welcoming. Also, over time the focus of groups naturally drifts toward the interests of group members, Bowden says. Such "small group drift" can move the focus of the group away from leadership development, shared ministry, and outreach.

The UU Small Group Ministry Network offers members a quarterly newsletter addressing the "perils and promises" of small group ministry. An email list, covenant_group_ministry, is available at uua.org/lists.

To join the UU SGM Network mail a check made out to "UU SGM Network"($35 individuals/$60 congregations) to UU SGM Network, 155 Evarts Street, Newport, RI, 02840. Include an email contact and a brief description of your program.

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