NEW! Social Justice Work: Preparation, Action, Reflection Through Small Group Ministry
The publication includes
--The Process of Social Justice work, with distinct phases of preparation, action, and reflection.
--Background and use of Small Group Ministry, and
--34 session plans for Social Justice work
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NEW! Small Group Ministry with All Ages, June 2011
Imagine a congregation where all ages are talking together. From its firm foundation in adult programming, Small Group Ministry is evolving to become an inclusive opportunity for all ages to connect, listen, reflect, and learn with each other. From young children through elders, this publication explores small group ministry by age group and with mixed ages and presents ways to make covenant groups an integral part of the movement toward multigenerational congregations. Includes implementation strategies, leader training, session plan development, and sessions for single and multi-age groups. Also available on CD.
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Small Group Ministry 2010: Celebrating Congregations
The 2010 compilation acknowledges and celebrates the work of over 80 congregations that have contributed to the UU Small Group Ministry movement since 2004. Now all in one place, this collection features articles published in Covenant Group News, the SGM Quarterly Journal, and the UUA e-list in the last year. Each article is introduced by a profile of the contributing congregation, including when and how their program started, how many groups and participants, and their unique challenges and success stories. The vitality of covenant group ministry programs across the denomination is clearly demonstrated in this compilation, the only one of its kind. Available at General Assembly and for mail order in June 2010. Advance orders welcome.
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Spiritual Journeys: 101 Session Plans for Small Group Ministry Programs
Looking for fresh, inspiring topics for your small group ministry program? This exciting new book offers a wide range of original, ready-to-use sessions covering Getting Started in a Group, the UU Seven Principles, Spiritual Journeying, Attitude Adjustment, Personal Beliefs and Values, Spiritual Challenges, Holidays, Just for Fun, Being Human, and Special Use subjects for events and national tragedies that affect our lives. Themes are drawn from art, literature, UU liturgy and hymnals, current events, and religious scriptures. Available at General Assembly and for mail order in June 2010.
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Implementing Small Group Ministry:
For Starting, Restarting and Enhancing a Program October 2009
How do congregations decide on group duration and meeting frequency? Does it take a team to manage a program? Drawing on current information from congregations, the SGM Institutes, and Covenant Group News, this evolving document presents a series of considerations for Small Group Ministry program development, ongoing administration, groups, facilitators, session plans, and visibility, with a new section on uses of small group ministry in multiple settings. Mix and match features to build a SGM program that meets your ministry objectives.
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Ten Years of Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry

Ten Years of UU Small Group Ministry, UU SGM Network, June 2009: Imagine joining a group that was meaningful to you. Then imagine finding that its beginnings and development is even richer than you thought. That is what happened when we reviewed the archives of the early years (1998-2004) of the Small Group Ministry and Covenant Groups. Included are writings by Rev. Bob Hill and others in the Covenant Group News, several classic articles and formative conference proceedings, and an historic timeline. And just as vital are ongoing writings in the last year as people continue to implement Small Group Ministry and Covenant Groups. Ten Years of Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry, in conjunction with Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry (June 2008) that focused on writings from the formation of the Network (2004-2008), comprise the most comprehensive collection of past and present information on Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry and Covenant Groups. June 2009
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Facilitator Training Manual
By Diana Dorroh and Susan Hollister

Fall 2008 SGM Program Ministers and Coordinators: This guide for implementing an in-house training and development program covers facilitator selection, initial training, on-going facilitator support, and enrichment training. Included in the manual is the Facilitator’s Guide, a training module to customize for your program, use in your training sessions and distribute to all group leaders. The manual will help ensure the growth and health of your Small Group Ministry program as you prepare facilitators and support them in successful group leadership.
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Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry
By the Rev. Helen Zidowecki.

Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry is a compilation includes 50 articles that have appeared in the UU Small Group Ministry Network Quarterly and on the website in the last five years, as well as several new items, especially on religious education. Content includes discussion of SGM in general, oversight, the role of ministers and shared ministry, facilitation, groups, session plans, visibility and uses of small group ministry. June 2008. $25 plus shipping.
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Small Group Ministry with Youth
By the Rev. Helen Zidowecki. Commissioned by the UUSGM Network.

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.
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An Interview with the Rev. Glenn Turner
by Peter Bowden, UU PLANET Ministry & Media (Audio CD) November 2006
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The Complete Guide to Small Group Ministry
By the Rev. Bob Hill. Covenant Groups are transforming Unitarian Universalism, giving churches a new way to serve their congregations’ need for spiritual uplift and connection. Here is an accessible and thorough guide to this growing grassroots movement by one if its most ardent proponents and practitioners. Readers will learn why we need small Covenant Groups and how best to convene, nurture and encourage them.

Book includes a complete list of resources, sample handouts, agendas, and other tools for creating Covenant Groups. Foreword by Thandeka. (Skinner House) 2003. 136pp. ISBN 1-55896-457-6

Adapting Small Group Ministry For Children's Religious Education: Volume 1 and 2. .
August 2010 - Note: This item is temporarily out of print. The author is revising it this summer and preparing it for publication this fall as a "Tapestry of Faith" resource. We will update this information when it becomes available.

By Gail Forsyth-Vail, Director of Religious Education, North Parish of North Andover, MA, Unitarian Universalist. The ninety-four-page soft cover book is divided into two parts:

Volume One covers the implementation process during the first year and the modifications and improvements made during the second. It contains copies of memoranda, a letter to the congregation, a plan for educating small group facilitators, and other documents. It contains step-by-step information about what we did and what we learned, as well as some description of the effect the small group ministry model has had on our youth program.

Volume Two contains thirty-one sample worship and session plans for children’s/junior youth small group ministry. Worship plans include information about sources for stories used. Small group activities and reflections are suggested for three different developmental levels. All sessions were written for the children and junior youth of the North Parish, and reflect the North Parish liturgical calendar, ongoing social justice projects, and events and issues of importance to the congregation. All would need to be adapted to reflect the calendar, projects, and events and issues of other congregations.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
By Donna Moore
Experiential Exercises for Building a Spiritual Community and it is now available to be downloaded for a small donation for the Cedars UU Church.Word Doc flier. To download your copy, go to www.cedarsuuchurch.org.

Small Group Ministry Books
Looking for books on Small Group Ministry? Check out Peter Bowden's recommended Small Group Ministry reading list on Amazon's Listmania.