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Small Group Ministry
Need a "Look Inside" Break every week or two?
Chalice Groups nurture individuals in the warmth of community.
Imagine suspending the busy-ness of life for a couple of hours every week or two to sit with a group of people who trust, listen, and share. This is the gift folks are experiencing in small chalice groups at First UU in Rochester.
Brief readings on an important topic provide a framework for personal insights which participants may share as desired. Chalice Groups provide a place where it is safe to take time for introspection. Participants are encouraged to speak from their hearts about that week's topic. Personal sharing time is respected and uninterrupted. In this way trust grows, acceptance is nurtured, and diversity within the group becomes a welcomed strength.
...welcome new members ongoing. Contact Director of Lifespan Faith Development for information about groups currently meeting and to arrange a brief orientation prior to attending.
Chalice Groups are six to ten people who gather regularly to explore a topic and to share deeply. They offer us a way to go beyond the coffee hour connection, to explore and reflect in a safe setting.
In addition to sharing personal thoughts around a selected topic, an important focus of the groups is on the careful, intentional, spiritual practice of listening. Thus the groups do not include discussion, cross-talk, advice giving, or debating as part of their makeup. In this, the Small Chalice Groups are different from affinity groups or other traditional fellowship groups. They are not intended for or equipped to be psychotherapy or issue-resolution sessions.
People learn to be in close relationship and to share their deepest thoughts and beliefs. Then they bring the care and close community they have started developing for themselves into the larger congregation. They are transforming the Church from the inside into a more cohesive and caring community.
People are saying ...
One of the things I most appreciated about my Chalice Group is that it gave me the opportunity to step away from my hectic schedule and think about where I'm going with my life. The questions and the silence prompted me to think, deeper. I also enjoyed getting to learn about the lives of the others in the group. And the connections we made have lasted beyond the group.
- Beth Atkinson
The Chalice Group was not a "normal" discussion or support group. We had to learn to listen-a most difficult task for some of us-but worth the effort, for we were given the luxurious opportunity to speak on the topic at hand if we wanted to, knowing we had the group's full attention. Their energy didn't go into planning their next insightful reaction to what we had said, but listening to us completely. That was a gift.
- Laurel Phelps-Bowman
In our Chalice Group,
everyone heard others and was heard;
comfort established,
we ventured growth;
connections deepened.
- Chris Haydock
The Chalice Group was an active rather than a passive lesson in spirituality.
- Jay Hoecker
The Chalice Group gave me a profound sense of connectedness. The listening was the gift.
- Jeanne Hoecker
As a task oriented person, I found that the Chalice Group process gave me a chance to stop and contemplate the larger issues of life. It brought depth and meaning to me every two weeks, and I enjoyed hearing the thoughts of others as they expanded my thinking.
- Patty Trnka
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