*A clear ministry objective
*A mission and purpose statement
*A clear model that incorporates all the essential elements of Small Group Ministry.
*Leaders who are carefully selected because they are:
good listeners
able to implement your small group ministry model
willing to implement the model
a non-anxious presence
have a strong connection to the church
willing to attend Facilitators Meetings and accept direction from the minister and program coordinator
*Shared Leadership - Responsibility for the group belongs to everyone.
*Session plans that challenge the groups and encourage sharing of the participants' lives.
*Ongoing orientation for new facilitators
*Coaching, support, and continuing training for facilitators
*Support from the church leadership, especially the minister


*A committed Coordinator to provide oversight and coordinate leadership, membership, content, and visibility June 2013 addition:
*Continued communication and networking with program leaders from other churches, to learn how to adapt and enhance your SGM program.

Meet, Greet, and Share

The GA Booth is a great place for conversation and for meeting others interested in and involved with Small Group Ministry/Covenant Groups.

You are key to providing opportunities and enhancing SGM/CG in congregations and throughout Unitarian Universalism!

Staff the Booth
To join the GA Booth Team and share your own enthusiasm and experience, contact us at office@smallgroupministry.net or come by the booth to sign up for times that work for your schedule.

Get involved with the SGM Network

We invite active Network members to serve on our Board of Trustees

Partner with the Network to support small group ministry programs in UU congregations.

This is a working Board that manages membership, finances, resources, publications, consultation, and training for SGM programs.

What role would you like to play with the SGM Network? What gifts and talents do you bring?

Talk to us at the GA Booth about opportunities to help keep the SGM Network strong.

GREETERS: Diana Dorroh, Susan Hollister

WHERE WE ARE TODAY....Let us celebrate what has been achieved in twenty years of Small Group Ministry!

WHAT IS NEXT.........Love Beyond Belief
Thandeka and Constance L. Grant identify and demonstrate what distinguishes Love Beyond Belief small group ministry programs from other forms of small group ministry: the inclusion of embodied practices and the deep awareness of feelings within a spiritual context.

THE ROADMAP......... Helen Zidowecki
We are connected through a dynamic form of Unitarian Universalist literature from laity and clergy -- the Small Group Ministry Session Plans! There are more than a thousand plans on (or have links on) the Network website. Many more have not yet been shared.

LET'S TALK.....
A conversation with the presenters as participants share their insights and questions, their hopes and dreams for Small Group Ministry in the 21st Century.

You are invited to
Get your copy of Small Group Ministry: GA 2018 at the Workshop or Booth.
VISIT THE SMALL GROUP MINISTRY BOOTH # 114. There are many resources for developing and sustaining Small Group Ministry. Meet people who have been involved.

This booklet will be available at the General Assembly Networking Session, "Small Group Ministry for These Times," on June 22, 2018 (See flier in this CGN edition), It will also be available at the Small Group Ministry GA Booth#114, and will be posted later on the website.

The Network invited people who had been involved with UU Small Group Ministry/Covenant Groups in the last twenty years to send reflections. The booklet includes reflections from:
Rev. Glenn Turner, initiator of SGM in the Northeast,
Rev. Bob Hill, initiator of SGM in the Southeastern Conference;
Peter Bowden, consultant on SGM and a founder of the Network;
Rev. Marti Keller, who provided early leadership in SGM at the UU Congregation of Atlanta, was on the Network Board, and active with UU Women's Federation;
The UU Community Church of Augusta ME, with an early Small Group Ministry program led initially by Rev. Calvin Dame.

The section also includes discussion of who is involved in Small Group Ministry, regardless of congregational names for the groups (Covenant Groups, Chalice Circles, etc.).

The What Next section of the booklet includes the handouts and some background notes from Thandeka related to Love Beyond Belief initiative that is part of the GA Networking session.

The Roadmap section addresses Small Group Ministry Session Plans are a dynamic from of UU literature, including some samples and ideas for writing session plans, based on the article on session plans in the March CGN.

Your thoughts about the first 20 years of Small Group Ministry, may be shared with the Network on office@smallgroupministry.net. We look forward to hearing from you.
Helen Zidowecki

SESSION PLANS ONLINE

The SGM Network invites session plans from individuals and congregations for listing in the Session Plan Directory http://www.smallgroupministry.net/public/sessions/index.html or the new section on Celebrations http://smallgroupministry.net/public/sessions/celebrations.html. Please include a suggested topic and key words with session plan submissions.

Send sessions to office@smallgroupministry.net

SHOP THE NETWORK'S ONLINE STORE
Purchase books and CDs from the SGM Network using PayPal, credit card, or debit card. Titles are listed below under "Publications."

Visit the store: http://www.smallgroupministry.net/sgmstore

CONNECT ON FACEBOOK
Share ideas and enrich the SGM community

Small Group Ministry Network Group - Now 259 members strong!
http://www.facebook.com/groups/158837360893790/

WEBSITE RESOURCES
Complete archives of Covenant Group News and the SGM Journal
Online Resource Directory
Over 750 session plans for download
Network member list. See "Who We Are: Our Members"
Event Announcements
Resources for Sale
Example SGM Brochures
Facebook

UU SGM NETWORK PUBLICATIONS - Order online or by mail
See http://www.smallgroupministry.net/forsale.html for pricing & ordering information

Implementing Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry - A resource for creating Small Group Ministry for your congregation or other setting. Sections include Overview, Life Cycle, Oversight/Direction and Coordination, Leadership, Group Formation and Process, Sessions, Service, Visibility, and Expanding Small Group Ministry.

Social Justice Work Through Small Group Ministry - Thirty-four sessions for preparation, action and reflection on topics of multiculturalism, radical hospitality, immigration, racism, marriage equality, and earth justice.

Small Group Ministry with All Ages - Implementation strategies, leader training, session development, and session plans for children through elders.

Facilitator Training and Development Manual - A guide for training and support plus a handbook on CD to customize for group leaders and facilitators.

Spiritual Journeys: 101 Session Plans for Small Group Ministry Programs - Sessions on Spiritual Journeying, Personal Beliefs and Values, Spiritual Challenges, Just for Fun, Being Human, Holidays, and Special Use subjects for life events.

Small Group Ministry for Youth - Twenty-five sessions for middle and high school youth.

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

The purpose of the Network is "to support small group ministry and related shared ministry models in Unitarian Universalist congregations through developing new resources, networking, and training opportunities."

In addition to the SGM Journal for members and the free, online Covenant Group News, we publish new resources for program coordinators and facilitators, sponsor a consultation booth and SGM workshops at General Assembly, offer a week-long SGM Summer Institute, help local leaders plan regional SGM conferences, and give workshops in congregations and districts across the nation.

The UU SGM Network is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization supported solely by congregational and individual memberships, donations and publication sales revenue. Network Board members donate their time and personal resources to spread the good news of small group ministry.