What does a Fellowship Circle look like?

Circles have from 6-10 people and meet once or twice a month.  Circles are led by facilitators, who are members of the Fellowship.  In consultation with the minister they make sure the circles run smoothly.

How do Fellowship Circles work?

Circles meet at the Fellowship or at the homes of participants, or wherever the group feels comfortable.  Meetings usually last about two hours and follow a simple format:

• Opening

• Check-in and brief update on members' lives

• Discussion of the day's topic

• Closing thoughts on how each participant felt the meeting went

• Closing

What do Circles talk about?

Circles discuss such questions as

• How do we want to be in community?
• Can you describe a time when you had to take a stand?
• How has my life been shaped by faith, love or fear?
• How can I balance the need for spirit of community and spirit of solitude?
• What experience of loss has been a significant part of my life's journey?
• What would my bumper sticker for life say?

What is expected of participants?

After several get-acquainted visits, members have the option to join a circle for three to six months.  Participants are asked to make meetings a high priority and bring a willingness to share and learn.  Most circles desire that information exchanged in meetings remains confidential.  As circles grow, new groups will be formed.  Groups are encouraged to undertake projects to benefit the Fellowship and the community.

How can I become involved?

Fellowship Circles are open to everyone; it is not necessary to be a UUFP member to join a group.  All that is required is to share a commitment to develop relationships with meaning and depth. 

To join and/or for more information, please contact Jerry Dingus , Fellowship Circle Coordinator at 867-7363, or the minister. 

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For more information in printed form:

Bob Hill, a district executive from Oklahoma is author of The Complete Guide to Small Group Ministry, a good introduction to the nuts and bolts of SGM. There are a couple of copies of his book in the bookcase at the Fellowship.

Two books by Calvin Dame, the Small Group Ministry Session Book and Small Group Ministry Resource Book, are both in-depth looks at setting up, conducting and sustaining small group ministry. Corinne Ware, author of Connecting to God: Nurturing Spirituality through Small Groups provides a very practical model for self-directing groups informed by a Christian perspective. 

Hill's and Dame's books are available from the UUA bookstore at http://www.uua.org/bookstore/

The Center for Community Values www.the-ccv.org has a number of helpful resources including a good five-page summary of what "covenant" groups are and how they work.

The resources section of the Small Group Ministry Network at http://www.smallgroupministry.net/ includes links to churches with small group ministry web pages and tips for "great small groups," among other helpful stuff.