Respect
Channing Church, Newport, RI
Date:___________________
Small Group Ministry 
Group Session Plan

Opening Words:	Come into the circle of love and justice.
			Come into the community of mercy, holinesss, and health.
			Come and you shall know peace and joy.	
								-Israel Zangwill
Check-in

Reading:  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Namaste 
(Pronounced Nah-mah-stay) is a South Asian greeting originating in India, which is used when both hello and goodbye would be used in English. It is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with the hands pressed together, palms touching, in front of the chest.  This word can be taken to mean any of these:
•	The Spirit in me meets the same Spirit in you. 
•	I greet that place where you and I are one. 
•	I salute the Light of God in you. 
•	I bow to the divine in you. 
•	I recognize that within each of us is a place where Divinity dwells, and when we are in that place, we are One. 
•	My higher energy salutes your higher energy. 
In other words, it recognizes the equality of all, and pays honor to the sacredness and interconnection of all, as well as to the source of that interconnection. 

Topic:  Respect
The first principle of Unitarian Universalism is “We covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.”

•	Was there a time when you felt your worth or dignity was not being respected?

•	In what ways have you personally respected the inherent worth and dignity of a person or persons?

•	How can we deliberately put respect into practice in our daily lives?

Sharing/ Deep Listening
Conversation
Likes & Wishes
Closing Words:  Namaste