An occasional newsletter about Covenant Group Ministry read by 812 forward-looking Unitarian Universalists.

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The Southwest District plans to produce this fall a CD version of the book I am now completing entitled "Covenant Group Ministry: Saving the World Ten at a Time." Skinner House Books at Headquarters has also agreed to look at it for possible publication in their format.

A year or more ago, when I hoped to finish this project much sooner, I asked for information from readers of CGNews about the state of small-group organization in your congregations at that time.

Now, I ask again. Regardless of the name you use for your Covenant Groups or Small Group Ministries, I'd appreciate it if you'd send me the answers to some questions listed below. (And if you don't know the answers, could you forward this to someone who might?) I'll use as much of what I receive as I can, being careful to identify your contributions unless you ask for anonymity.

Also, if you have forms, brochures, or handouts in electronic form that you could attach (or, better, include in the body of your reply), I'd like to consider them for the Appendix of this book on CD. Please include full identification of the source.

If you know only some of the answers and want to send those, fine. Please don't skip questions 1. and 2., though.

SEND REPLIES BY EMAIL TO BHILL@UUA.ORG, not by hitting "Reply" above, please.

1. Name of your congregation
2. City and state
3. Month and year when your congregation began its first Covenant Group(s)
4. Number of groups and number of participants then
5. Number of groups and number of participants today
6. How often do your groups meet?
7. What is the maximum size allowed for your Covenant Groups?
8. Do your facilitators meet regularly with the minister(s)? [If no minister in place, with a Covenant Group program leader? How was that person chosen?]
9. Have your created and agreed to covenants of behavior in group sessions?
10. Have your groups covenanted to do services projects for the church? For the larger community?
11. When a group reaches maximum size, what happens?
12. Have you noticed changes in your church as a result of Covenant Group Ministry?
13. What have been the greatest successes of your groups?
14. What have been the greatest failures of your groups?
15. What help does your program need from the UUA, your district, or from other Unitarian Universalist resources?

Thank you, thank you. I will, of course, let you know when the CD is available. -- Bob

P.S. After the last CGNews, I got a message from Rob Cavenaugh of the UUA's Washington office saying, "I was surprised/delighted (as was my Dad) to read that "the Rev. Rob Cavenaugh" is working on Covenant Groups at All Soul's, but in fact I am not ordained and it is the Rev. Rob Hardies that is working with Meg Riley there." Oops! My apologies.

Know someone who might be interested in this topic? Feel free to forward Covenant Group News to others. Unitarian Universalists may feel free to use this material in any manner consistent with the growth of our liberal religion. Otherwise, all rights are reserved.

Archived back issues and a sign-up link are available at the Southwest District web site: http://www.swuuc.org. Look for my page.

The Rev. Robert. L. Hill,
District Executive for the SW District, UUA,
405 701-2917
E-mail: bhill@uua.org