Small Group Ministry with Peter Bowden

Covenant Groups video from Emerson Unitarian Church

2009-07-09T22:59:00.001-04:00

Groups are the key to building a Lifespan UU Ministry

2009-06-15T11:59:00.005-04:00

Friends, this is an article I wrote in 2004. Given that we are electing a new president of the Unitarian Universalist Association and we are still working on re-structuring our youth and young adult ministry it seemed like a good time to share it.

We've been working on restructuring our youth and young adult ministries. We can take everything we have learned about adult SGM and everything we know, love and value about youth & YA ministry and share across the age-spans.

Anyone interested in this topic, feel free to contact me - peter@uuplanet.com

Toward a True Lifespan UU Ministry
Solving the problems of retaining born UUs via a lifepan group ministry model.
(c) 2004 Peter Bowden

In our Unitarian Universalist congregations, we retain only 10% of the children we raise as UU’s. Why do we lose 90% of our born UU’s? I believe it is because they are not integrated into our community early enough and that ministry to children and youth is perceived as being significantly different from our adult offerings. Though our culture is starting to change, historically we have maintained a system that is designed to encourage them to leave.
Ministry with children has a tradition of strong small groups (classes) and worship (chapel). After coming of age, ministry for our youth has focused on a single strong group (the youth group) lead by adult advisors, with little worship outside of the group and minimal connection to the larger church. Our adult ministry has been centered on Sunday worship.

In the context of small group ministry the problem of retaining born UU’s makes sense. We start children off with strong small groups and dynamic participatory worship, move them to a nearly 100% small group experience, and then ask them to move to attending adult church services.
For the majority of born UU’s, pew-based church isn’t going to cut it. Once you give them intimate and meaningful small groups you can never take that away. If you do, you lose them. It doesn’t matter how old they are. As an adult who has participated in a small group ministry would you attend a church without a small group ministry?

Where does this leave us today?
To retain them we have to create small groups for adults of all ages – youth, young adults, and adults. In doing so we can create continuity in the ministry we offer and move youth into our adult community efficiently, preferably before they have the chance to graduate from high school.

How to keep them
It is my opinion that we need to focus our attention and resources on cultivating an explicit culture of small group ministry in our congregations for people of all ages. Just as we talk about integrating small group ministry into the life of the church (the adult church), so too must we integrate it into our children and youth ministries. This involves using similar meeting formats and language with people of all ages and starting formal small group ministry at an earlier age.
Small Groups: Instead of talking about classes, talk about small groups. This alone will create a connection with “small group” ministry and further serve to distinguish church groups from school classes.

Common Format:
Right now a huge percentage of all groups in our congregations have adopted a basic format for their gatherings. This includes an opening ritual, check-in, core topic or activity, likes/wishes (a group process check) and closing ritual. Regardless of what core content is covered, this basic format can be used with children of all ages.

Empowerment with a goal:
When our children “come of age” we start to shift from teaching to empowering and advising. In many congregations the meaning of empowerment is not clear. Leadership development is very clear in the small group ministry model. We empower individuals to lead small groups of 8-10 people, ask them to mentor less experienced group members helping them step into leadership roles, and expect new leaders to share our faith with others by leading new groups. Can we do this with youth? Absolutely! Go ahead and ask them…

Creating Continuity:
In our youth small group ministries we can share a Lifespan vision of small groups, give all youth experience both participating in and leading small groups, show them how to mentor their peers as leaders and equip all outgoing youth with the resources they need to start small groups wherever they go.

Closing the Gap:
The best place to create leaders for our young adult and campus groups is in our youth small group ministries. When our youth leave youth group as seasoned small group leaders they will start ministries wherever they go. We need to equip them to do this important work.
Adult Ministry: An important step in creating a continuous lifespan shared ministry model is to see that our youth and young adult ministries are adult ministries. Instead of being the end of our children’s ministry, these should be intentional starts to participation in adult ministry. When we use a more intentional small group ministry model with youth leaders and advisors, they may be included in the support structure of the adult small group ministry system.

Age Affinity Groups:
There is no question that many youth and young adults desire to be in groups with their peers. When we support these age affinity groups but include them in a larger adult small group ministry system, youth will no longer be looking to get away from children. Instead, they will feel valued and respected as participants and leaders within the adult community. They will know they belong with us.

Interview with Rev. Glenn Turner on UU Small Group Ministry

2009-02-07T22:40:00.001-05:00

Over on my main blog, Live from UU Planet, I just republished the audio from an interview I did with the Rev. Glenn Turner. The interview discusses the history, challenges and future of our small group ministry movement. Check it out.

Video - Wanted: UU Small Group Ministry Questions

2009-01-30T01:49:00.006-05:00

Friends, this video explains how to submit questions and topic requests for discussion in my you tube small group ministry video series. You may also leave questions through the comments on this blog. Let the conversation begin!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S7KrxSZtFk

Small Group Facilitator Training

2008-12-24T15:47:00.003-05:00

This is a repeat of the posting from my Unitarian Universalist consulting site. The following event is designed for Unitarian Universalists working with small group ministry - see event flier for details on the model. If you are a Unitarian Universalist working with small group ministry I invite you to sign up for my free e-newsletter at uuplanet.com to receive timely event updates. Here is the event info:

Saturday, January 10, 2008 PLANO, TX
Program 9:00 am - 3:00pm, doors open at 8am. Hosted
by the Community Unitarian Universalist Church of Plano

Download Flier & Registration Form

The Community UU Church of Plano, TX is proud to offer a day long facilitator training with Peter Bowden, UU Small Group Ministry Consultant and co-founder of the Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry Network.

This training has been designed for congregations launching or re-launching an intentional congregation-wide small group ministry with synchronized session-based groups. That is, a network of ministry groups coordinated by the minister(s) and a steering committee with all groups using the same session-based content.

The training will include:

The vision and purpose of small group ministry
Presentation of the congregation-wide session based model
Essential skills and practices for small group facilitators
Group dynamics and life cycle of small group ministries
Approaches to common group challenges
The role of ongoing coaching and training
The transformational role of service and action in group life
Question and answer sessions

Peter Bowden is a Unitarian Universalist consultant specializing in small group ministry and UU outreach and evangelism. Peter is one of the founders of the UU Small Group Ministry Network, a national organization and non-profit dedicated to supporting small group ministries within our movement.

Through this network and independently Peter has led workshops on small group ministry throughout New England, at General Assemblies, Ferry Beach and Star Island.

Cost: $ 30.00 per person, or $ 25.00 per person for congregational teams of three (3) or more. Lunch provided.

Registration: Registration limited to 60 participants.

Download Flier & Registration Form

New Womens Circle resource from Margaret Starbird and Joan Norton

2008-10-25T08:11:00.007-04:00

14 Steps to Awaken the Sacred Feminine: Women in the Circle of Mary Magdalene available soon.

Last week I attended a fabulous lecture by Margaret Starbird in Newport, RI. Author of many books exploring the role of Mary Magdalene in Christianity and the sacred feminine, Starbird's work is among those sources inspiring Dan Brown's popular book and movie The DaVinci Code.

Margaret shared news of an upcoming small group resource by her and co-author Joan Norton on leading womens groups called "Magdalene Circles".

You can click here to sign up to be notified when this title is released or purchase it after the release date.

Related Sites
www.blog.MaryMagdaleneWithin.com
www.margaretstarbird.net

Here is the product description from Amazon.com:

A practical guide for inviting the wisdom of Mary Magdalene into everyday life

• Provides a unique workbook for use in the spiritual pathwork of Magdalene Circles

• Includes wisdom stories, guided meditations, journaling questions, and essays by Margaret Starbird, author of The Woman with the Alabaster Jar

• Designed for those involved in Magdalene Circles and those interested in applying the sacred feminine wisdom of the Goddess to their lives

Women’s circles have been called a “revolutionary-evolutionary movement hidden in plain sight” by Jean Shinoda Bolen and have been hailed as capable of affecting global change. Magdalene Circles are groups of women who focus their shared energies on the wisdom of Mary Magdalene to gain insight into the role of the sacred feminine in their own lives and to help them advance on their spiritual paths.

This book offers 14 lessons to help understand the wisdom offered by Mary Magdalene’s story and mythos. Among the lessons are prophecies of the bride, why we need the bride, Magdalene’s archetypal pattern of descent, and how modern women carry the Grail. Well-suited for the individual reader as well as a group, each lesson includes an introduction, guided meditation, questions for journaling, and an essay by Margaret Starbird as well as suggestions for group sharing. Placing Mary Magdalene within the pattern of “cyclic renewal” of earth-based religions, this book offers the chance to incorporate the sacred feminine wisdom of Mary Magdalene into everyday life for Christians and spiritual feminists alike.

Amazon.com Widgets

What small groups are NOT

2008-10-18T07:20:00.001-04:00

Fun video from SoutheastChrisitian.

Explore models at SmallGroups.Com

2008-10-18T07:08:00.003-04:00

If you haven't seen SmallGroups.Com lately, check it out. They've had a huge redesign of their site which looks great.

They offer some great introductory material including an overview of various small group ministry models. For each they list a congregation advocating for their use, a brief description, advantages and disadvantages.

Their list includes the following:

Open Small Groups
Closed Small Groups
Cell Groups
Free-Market Groups
Neighborhood Groups
Purpose-Driven Groups
Sermon-Based Groups
Organic Small Groups
House Churches
Host Groups

You can also download some free resource samples. For access to the full site you need a membership.

UU SGM Network acheives charitable org status

2008-10-08T09:55:00.003-04:00

As one of the three original co-founders of the Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry Network -- UU's like long names and acronyms! -- I'm delighted to announce that the UU SGM Network has achieved charitable tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

For those of you who are UU's this means easier fundraising for the network (easier, not easy) and through this more resources and support.

For other readers, UU small group ministry resources are, in many ways, like generic small group resources. Yes, the theology matters. But when it comes to making groups work, we're working hard on that. The way I see it we have a harder time as our membership is far more diverse theologically than the average church small group. If we can make groups thrive we must be on to something.

That something is the fundamentals of healthy human groups. Hence, great generic sgm resources!

You can visit the UU SGM Network online at
http://www.smallgroupministry.net

Small Groups in Retirement Communities

2008-10-04T21:46:00.003-04:00

I was very happy to get an email from a staff member of an assisted living facility inquiring about starting secular small groups for elders using learning from small group ministry. "Do you think there is a way for us to use groups to enhance our communities?"

No question. YES and you should get to it fast!!! When my grandmother moved into an assisted living community there were few opportunities to talk, share and explore ideas at a level worth of her intellect. Together we started a group that had structure, sharing and room for discussing issues of the day.

It was the best thing happening. I wish more organizations/companies serving our elders would learn from our small group ministries. I know of some chaplains versed in small group ministry who have done some consulting in this area. Unfortunately the groups they worked with were looking for a quick fix.

Uh, think again. Worthwhile, but not easy.

Small Group vs. Big Church

2008-10-01T12:25:00.002-04:00

This video goes into the benefits of small group participation. Funny...

Sticky Church = Sermon Based Small Groups

2008-10-01T08:24:00.006-04:00

I just received the book Sticky Church in the mail. I ordered it when reading Made to Stick and a Andy Stanley's Making Vision Stick. Not knowing quite what to expect, I started reading. Front doors, back doors, closing back door, focus on formation of those who have arrived vs. mighty marketing efforts then POW! Right around page 40, section II and beyond -- Small Groups. This book is about sermon based small groups and closing the back door.

So far, pretty good. The author, Larry Osborne, admits that this isn't a "hey, check out this new thing!" kind of book. It is built on years of experience and long term growth. I'm enjoying Larry's explanation of how small groups make our faith communities more sticky. Nothing revolutionary, just a different way of talking about why small groups can make a huge difference.

If you aren't looking for a book on small groups, this one won't stick. Need to communicate the value of small groups to people interested in church growth. Read it.

Read more at stickychurch.com
Purchase Sticky Church at Amazon.com

Dusting off the small group blog

2008-09-27T12:12:00.003-04:00

Friends,

After spending the majority of the last year on TV projects and related new media efforts, I'm dusting off this blog.

What prompts this? A great read.... Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups by Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas. This book got me thinking, well, entirely differently about the best life cycle of groups, focusing too much on "intimacy" versus real friendships, and a few other key issues.

I'd go into more detail but I loaned the book to my mother. Yes, it is that good. More when I get the book back.

SEEKING: I'm looking for some great resources on leading small groups for families. Unitarian Universalists haven't done too much with this that I'm aware of. Any resource suggestions?

New Covenant Group News blog

2007-01-04T14:22:00.000-05:00

I'm establishing a "blog version" of the popular Covenant Group News e-newsletter. This blog will be a place for me and other UU Small Group Ministry collaborators to post news as we find it. The edited contents of this blog will be shared via the CGNews e-newsletter.

You can subscribe to the blog feed here
http://feeds.feedburner.com/CovenantGroupNews

You can view the CGNews blog on the UU SGM Network Site at
http://www.smallgroupministry.net/cgnews

Subscribe to the email form of CGNews
http://www.smallgroupministry.net/cgnews/about.html

Evensong for Families

2006-11-25T11:36:00.000-05:00

Written by Barbara Hamilton-Holway, Evensong for Families is an eight-week series of gatherings for families using the format of the very popular "Evensong" gatherings.

For those of you interested in small group ministry with families or intergenerational groups, this is a great place to start!

Purchase from UUA Bookstore

This new addition to the Evensong series offers weekly worship gatherings to foster communication within families and church communities. Ninety minutes long, the 8 gatherings are ideal for 5 families, depending on size, or groups of 20. The orders of service, which can be photocopied for participants, include singing, readings and discussion suggestions. (Skinner House) 2006. 80 pp.

Gatherings: small group ministry for men

2006-11-25T11:30:00.000-05:00

Written by Tony Bushman and Bill Hamilton-Holway, Gatherings is an eight session small group ministry series for men.

Purchase from UUA Bookstore

Following the Evensong model of worship for small groups, this program provides a supportive group setting for men. The 8 worship gatherings are 120 minutes long and include singing, reading and discussion suggestions. The 64-page booklet is designed to be used by leaders and participants. Bushman has led men's groups for over 25 years and Hamilton-Holway is co-minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Berkeley, CA. (Skinner House) 2006. 64 pp.

The UU SGM Network is Evolving

2006-11-25T11:27:00.000-05:00

At the November 15, 2006 meeting of the UU SGM Network board it was determined that we will no longer restrict online access to the SGM Quarterly, our member journal. Until this time only members have been able to access electronic copies of the Quarterly.

We feel that our movement needs the resources we are developing and that keeping our best articles locked in a member area isn't serving our movement. We believe that as we make our resources more readily available more of you will join our network, make donations to support our work and ministry, and get involved with our efforts. Members of our network will continue to receive The SGM Quarterly in the mail.

In addition to seeking more members, we will be inviting congregations presently giving their Sunday collection away monthly or seasonally -- a growing practice -- to selecting our network as a recipient once each year.

Please note that while the formation of our network was initially funded by Unitarian Universalist Funding Program, we receive no other support from the UUA. We rely on the generosity of you and your congregation. As the fastest growing ministry in our movement, there is much to be done to support Small Group Ministry. Thank you for your continued support.

Not a member yet? Support small group ministry, join the UU SGM Network!

An Interview with the Rev. Glenn Turner -- SGM history, what we're missing, outreach, diversity, healing and more...

2006-11-18T01:10:00.000-05:00

Purchase the CD / Learn More

Unlike the recordings you get from workshops at GA, I've broken this one down into tracks by topic. One great coversation, 15 relevant tracks. ENJOY!

You can listen to clips of each track here.

Know a UU lay leader or minister you'd like me to interview?
Let me know.

The first disc in my small group ministry audio series is now available. On November 15th I interviewed the Rev. Glenn Turner. Glenn is one of the pioneers of small group ministry in the Unitarian Universalist Association. He is the one who introduced both Calvin Dame and Bob Hill to the concept. He has also spent years teaching congregations how to design and launch small group ministries.

During this interview we cover everything from how he came to be an advocate for this ministry, to outreach, growth and diversity issues, and why it is that we might need to heal more as a faith before we can tackle some of the big issues on our plate.

It is my hope that this CD will preserve some of our history and encourage some of our congregations (maybe even the UUA Board/Staff) to use this ministry to take our movement to the next level. We're only scratching the surface of what we can do with this ministry.

Purchase the CD / Learn More

All profits fund my efforts as a freelance UU change agent and the further development of my UU media studio.

October 3rd - Teleseminars on Small Group Ministry

2006-09-26T17:40:00.000-04:00

On October 3rd I will be leading the first set of Fall teleseminars. This series is on topics related to Small Group Ministry, UU Evangelism, Leadership Development, and growing our movement. Why offer teleseminars? So Unitarian Universalists across the US to have access the trainings I offer locally, have access to affordable consulting/ministry support in these areas, and so visionary UU's can take a bold step together.

Each seminar is limited to a small group of participants (ten max) and may be paid for by PayPal or via check.
Read more about this series and the schedule for October 3rd.http://www.uuplanet.com/teleseminar.html

CLICK HERE to sign up for future teleseminar announcements. This will take you to the UU PLANET E-newsletter sign-up page. If you would like to receive information on teleseminars ONLY please check that box.

Have an idea for a seminar? Let me know.
http://www.uuplanet.com/contact.html

Hope you'll join me on one of these calls.
Peter

Peter Freedman Bowden
UU PLANET Ministry and Media
http://www.uuplanet.com

Teleseminar: Models for Coaching UU Small Group Ministry Leaders

2006-09-26T17:26:00.000-04:00

Details on 1 of 3 teleseminars I am offering on October 3rd. More to come.

Title: Models for Coaching UU Small Group Ministry Leaders

Call time:
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
11 AM Eastern
10 AM Central
9 AM Mountain
8 AM Pacific
Call will run 1 hour

Registration: Open to UU ministers, lay coaches and small-group ministry program coordinators.

The most common model for supporting small-group ministry and covenant group facilitators is a minister meeting with facilitators monthly. This is only part of a more comprehensive model for supporting groups and leaders. The full "facilitator support" picture is often lost in UU translation.

This seminar will present those models which initially inspired our small-group revolution, including the role of ministers, lay coaches and mentoring relationships.
Understanding the role of coaching is essential to successfully cultivating leadership, building a culture of mutual ministry and growing a larger group system.

Seminar Cost: $30

# Participants: Maximum of 10

Registration Code:
103A (October, 3, Call A)
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS CALL

Registration process: Clicking the link above will open your email program and format an email with the date, call time and subject. Simply send this message. Upon receipt of your message I will verify that a space is available and then send you a PayPal invoice for your registration fee via email. Your registration will be complete upon payment. If you would like to pay by check simply notify me following receipt of your invoice. If you have trouble with the link above simply email the registration code to me at Peter@uuplanet.com.

Tele-Seminars on Small Group Ministry.

2006-08-11T13:36:00.000-04:00

I am preparing a series of conference call based seminars for the Fall. These will be an opportunity for a handful of ministers (or lay leaders) to explore and discuss a highly focused topic related to Small Group Ministry.

Each call will look something like this -- I'll introduce the participants (based on registration), introduce the topic, offer a brief presentation on this topic (or have a guest presenter), facilitate a discussion and then end with a Q&A session.

Features will include
Toll-Free Dial-in Number
Participant access to downloadable recording of call

I'm starting to map out the seminar topics for the early Fall and times that will work for people in all time zones.

So topics include
Models for Coaching UU Small Group Ministry Leaders
The Role of vision casting and the minister in keeping groups healthy, open, and growing
Small groups and UU evangelism/a relational growth strategy
Advanced Small Group Ministry trouble shooting

I would love suggestions on topics and your ideal call time. Ministers, what works for you? 9am Central? I want to know. What about lay leaders? A lunch call? Late night? 10PM?

Interested in hosting a tele-seminar? If you work with me to identify a topic of interest to you and help fill it, I'll waive your registration free.

Let me know your ideas.
Your partner in Small Group Ministry,

Peter Freedman Bowden
UU PLANET Ministry & Media
www.uuplanet.com
Office (401) 855-0037
peter@uuplanet.com

Ready to Get Dangerous with Small Group Ministry?

2006-07-14T07:56:00.000-04:00

UU Small Group Ministry leaders,

This August the UU Small Group Ministry Network is offering a weeklong Small Group Ministry conference at Ferry Beach. We offered this last year and it was a huge success. This is an opportunity for visionary and passionate UU's of the Small Group kind (SGM leaders, coordinators, ministers, lay coaches, etc...) to celebrate this ministry, learn new techniques, explore new dimensions in small group ministry and covenant groups, for us all to review the essentials for SGM health, growth and transformation and much more. Sounds fun, doesn't it?

Register on-line at www.ferrybeach.org

Whether your group ministry is just getting started or well under way, I'd like to personally invite you to join us for this exiting week. Come and share your passion, learning, questions and vision for our faith and this powerful ministry.

Why am I so excited for this week?

For me, its about us working together to figure out how to realize our potential, both individually, as congregations, and a religious movement. I'm looking forward to talking to you about taking our movement to the next level. My passion is sharing our faith, doing faith development and spiritual growth via ministry in groups, and turning our small group ministries into leadership (and ministry) development machines.

Have you noticed the buzz around growth?

Our congregations, the UUA Board of Trustees, UUA Staff -- seems like they are all talking growth these days. And remember the call a while back for us to "GET DANGEROUS" -- you know, the story about a top Mormon leader saying if we knew how to retain newcomers as well as they do we'd be the most dangerous church in America? For me, Small Group Ministry is the means by which we can accomplish this.

Take a look at this. The following is the Rev. Bill Sinkford's conclusion from his "The most dangerous church in America" UU World column:

How can we become the most dangerous church in America? We can stand up in
the public square and consistently and clearly voice our commitment to the
inherent worth and dignity of every person and our commitment to a world
community with peace, justice, and liberty for all. We can take action inspired
by these commitments. We can offer visitors to our congregations a liberal
religious home, a sanctuary from the uncertainty and isolation that may have
brought them to our doors, a community that will help them develop spiritually
and grow emotionally—and as we do, they will stay with us...

If you look at faith communities that are THRIVING, they know how to do their ministry via small groups. You can't retain masses of people without doing church in groups. SO, in my opinion the only way we’re going to thrive long term as a movement and realize our potential is if we MASTER accomplishing our work and ministry via intentional group ministries.

I hope you'll seriously consider mobilizing someone from your congregation to join us for this very special week.

In faith,

Peter Freedman Bowden

====================
Ferry Beach Small Group Ministry Week
A.K.A. the UU SGM Network Summer Institute
August 12 - August 18, 2006Ferry Beach, UU Conference CenterSaco, Maine

Register on-line at www.ferrybeach.org
====================

Additional facilitators needed for GA Covenant Groups

2006-06-14T14:36:00.000-04:00

This year there will once again be covenant groups at our General Assembly conference. Even better, this time there is a designated time slot for them. No more nomadic groups in search of free hotel lounge space!

Anyhow, the GA Covenant Group program needs some additional facilitators. The following comes from the GA Covenant Group Coordinator, the Rev. Connie Grant.

-Peter

GROUP FACILITATORS NEEDED

Are you willing to help enhance the General Assembly experience for six to eight other attendees (as well as for yourself)? Facilitators are still needed for Covenant Groups at General Assembly. If you have facilitated a Covenant Group (or Small Group Ministry by whatever name) for one year or more in your home congregation, you are eligible.

Facilitator training will be held on Wednesday, June 21, 1:30 – 2:30 pm.

Covenant Groups will meet in assigned rooms at these four times:

Thursday, June 22 11:15 am – 12:45 pm
Friday, June 23 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Saturday, June 24 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Sunday, June 25 8:00 am – 9:15 am

There will also be a debriefing and celebration for facilitators (with hors d’oeuvres) on Sunday, June 25, 6:15 – 7:45 pm (attendance at this event is encouraged, but not required).

Please email GACovenantGroups@aol.com with the following information:

Name:
Email address:
Home Phone:
Cell Phone:
Congregation:

Please include the name and email of minister or primary organizer of the Covenant Groups in your congregation.

Minister/Coordinator Name:
Minister/Coordinator Email address:

Please contact the Rev. Connie Grant at (216) 751-2320 ext 29 or GACovenantGroups@aol.com with any questions.

Thanks for your help in sharing the Small Group Ministry experience.

Join me this Summer! TWO CHOICES

2006-05-25T14:05:00.000-04:00

Friends,

Are you one of the lucky people with time off over the summer? Vacation, Study Leave, Retirement? If so, join me this summer at one of the two conferences I will be attending.

This Summer I will be one of the leaders at

1. The UU Small Group Ministry Network Summer Institute at Ferry Beach
At the SGM week I'll be one of a handful of conference leaders. This is a great time to take your small group minsitry to the next level (or learn how to start one right).

and

2. The Star Island Religious Education week
I will be leading (provided registration is sufficient) a workshop for young adults and leaders working with YA's. It is called "SUPERSIZE THIS! A Young Adult workshop on engaged spirituality, leadership and community." Note that THANDEKA, popular theologian, speaker on "Affect Theology" and president of the Center For Community Values (CCV) will be the theme speaker. My workshop will meet each morning of the week. Casual porch time with me to follow!

Here is the "SUPERSIZE THIS" workshop in a nutshell:

Everything our faith has to offer, young adults are ready for more of it.
Aren't you? During this week we're going to take Unitarian Universalism to the
next level. We'll start with an honest UU reality check, looking at the
assumptions, structures, language/terms that congregations have been using to
operate. After identifying what we think has been, we’re going to challenge the
status quo! Drawing on wisdom from small group ministry, life coaching and other
sources we will look at new ways of doing spiritual growth, leadership
development and community building.Topics will include spiritual leadership in
group ministries, covenants and group health, peer spiritual direction and
coaching, weaving spiritual disciplines into group life, cultivating
relationships that matter, and techniques for sharing our faiths with those who
are hungry for it.

As for the Small Group Ministry week, check out the Ferry Beach website for more information. www.ferrybeach.org and the Ferry Beach page of the UU SGM NETWORK.

If you know of anyone with time off over the Summer who might have interest in either of these, please forward this to them. I'm trying to help get PR out for both of these events.

UU BLOGGERS: Cross-Blog-Pollination of these events much appreciated!

Thanks,
Peter

PS-- Questions about either event? Email me at peter@uuplanet.com

Peter Freedman Bowden
Director, UU PLANET Ministries
Online at www.uuplanet.com

Evaluating Small Group Ministries & Covenant Groups

2006-05-22T18:56:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month I asked Covenant Group News readers to share how they evaluate their small group ministries. I have compiled the responses on our website. Note that my question was in response to a visitor to our website asking if we had any evaluation forms. At that time we did not. Thanks to all of you, we now have over a dozen evaluation forms! A special thanks to Ray for asking the question and to all who responded.

The URL of the compilation is:
http://smallgroupministry.net/public/evaluation.html

Here are a few thoughts on evaluations from my conversation with readers who wrote in.

Facilitator Meetings Many congregations have group leaders meet with lay coaches and/or their minister(s) for ongoing training and support. This is a great way to keep groups focused, to share feedback, and do skill training. One reader asked if they needed to have formal evaluations in addition to these meetings.

Facilitator meetings are great for giving facilitators a chance to share their sense of how things are going. But a facilitator’s perception may not always be accurate. If you want to know what group members think about their group, ask them. Chances are they will appreciate it.

Exit Interviews?
Considering the work congregations put into getting people INTO groups, I’ve been amazed at how few congregations follow up when people leave. When there is a problem with a group, if it is left unidentified and unresolved, it is common for people to drop out.

It is worth noting that many people leave groups because they think the group they were in was the only kind there is. “I tried Small Group Ministry and I didn’t like it.” If you have a program with multiple groups meeting with the same purpose (homogenous groups) a participant might think they are all the same. Every single group in your church is different.

Once when I was guest preaching I spoke with a man during coffee hour. He tried a group and didn’t like it. I followed up. “What didn’t you like about it?” I don’t know what was scarier, his group experience or the fact that he thought this was what small group ministry was meant to be like! After a five minute chat he was ready to give it another try.

Feedback in Groups
Many groups have a time for "Likes and Wishes" at the end of each session. This is a form of group process check. Some groups do this each session, others periodically, some never. If you give participants an opportunity to evaluate the group DURING the group time, consider the following from sales and marketing expert Harry Beckwith:

A basic principle in life applies to surveying… Even your best friends
won’t tell you, but they will talk behind your back.

Could this possibly be true for Unitarian Universalists? Shocking! You better believe it.

Keep in mind that asking for feedback is also a sign of respect and shows that we care. Beckwith notes that when we ask for an opinion it shows that we value that person’s opinion. We should all feel that our church values our opinion.

Other Feedback
While evaluations can identify problems or challenges, they can also highlight what you are doing well. Except for a handful of congregations, Small Group Ministry is NEW FOR ALL OF US. We should be learning what works, what doesn't, and strive to develop this ministry to the best of our ability. The only way to do this is to communicate with group leaders, participants, and even those who have yet to join a group.

Years Later…
When you evaluate your program consider checking in with your larger community. What's the understanding of small group ministry among those who are not in groups? Three years after your initial SGM launch do people still get it? Many congregations allow their Small Group Ministries to slowly fade into the background year by year. It is not easy keeping SGM front and center. When you ask non-participants what they know about this ministry it communicates to them that it is something important. It also lets you know how well you are educating members about your groups.

Excerpted from CGNews #84 (PDF)

PS: SGM = HARD WORK
It takes HARD WORK to maintain a healthy and growing Small Group Ministry. I've talked to some religious professionals who haven't evaluated their SGM formally because they know it isn't where it should be or it has lost focus or hasn't received their attention. If this is the case for you consider evaluating your SGM and use the feedback as an opportunity to work with your board and committee on ministry to prioritze what your congregation is doing. The large churches in other denominations that grow as a result of SGM prioritize it above other "programs." If you don't have time for SGM maybe you can work with the congregation to remove things from the ENTIRE CONGREGATION'S plate.

For SGM consulting and training contact me at UU PLANET.