Covenant Group Information
for Prospective Members

This document has been created to help all people (especially Non-UUs) and Covenant Group leaders cooperatively decide if there is a good match between the personal interests and values of people who wish to explore participation in a UUC Covenant Group, the interests and values of the broader UU Community and those of a specific UUC Covenant Group. From our local Covenant Group history, we have found that our commitment to opening our doors to the minds and hearts of all interested people, including non-UUs, is very important and that it is also important, as much as possible, to reach understandings about the essential congruence of personal and group values on some of the ideas, principles and behaviors which lead to the long-term success and transformative effect of Covenant Groups within our UUFC Community.

We, the Covenant Group leaders, believe that this document will help individuals decide if they want to participate in this important aspect of our community.; We particularly urge non-UUs to meet with at least one of our Covenant Group leaders face-to-face to explore the important values, concepts and expectations which are the underpinnings of our Groups.

Unitarian-Universalist Principles and Traditions

Our Covenant Groups accept these statements, the principles of our denomination, as guidelines for our interactions and discussions. If you cannot accept them, joining one of our Covenant groups is not advisable.

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote

  • The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
  • Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
  • Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
  • A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
  • The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
  • The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
  • Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:

  • Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
  • Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
  • Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
  • Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
  • Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
  • Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.

UUC Covenant Groups

Covenants:

In a Covenant Group's early stages, it will negotiate and agree to abide by a set of covenants; these are a key part of what distinguishes a Covenant Group from other kinds of gatherings. Each UUC Covenant Group covenants the following:

  • Ground rules for relationships and interaction
    A primary covenant will be about how the members agree to relate to each other over time.
  • Commitment to generate new groups by growing and dividing
    When a group grows and becomes too large for everyone to participate in a full manner (usually about twelve members), it will divide into two groups. The method of dividing will be up to the group.
  • Service to the Fellowship and broader local and global communities
    This covenant helps reinforce the group's connection to the whole Fellowship and to the interconnected web of existence and helps group members develop and maintain an external focus, providing opportunities for members to put their values into practice. Each Covenant Group is strongly encouraged to define and participate in an active service effort during each six-month period.

Unique Purpose for a Given Group:

Within the context of the stated aims of Covenant Groups, each Group defines its own purpose. There may be unique aspects of a particular groupâ's ground rules; there may be unique aspects of a particular group's plan for inviting and extending groups within the Fellowship, and there will almost certainly be unique aspects of the way a particular group chooses to articulate and create its service relationships to the Fellowship and the broader community. We believe that having a clearly stated and agreed upon purpose helps ensure long-term success; for instance, when the purposes of groups are clearly stated up front, it makes it easier for new people to visit and get a sense of which group best fits their personal goals, purposes and needs.

Meeting Format:

The basic format permits substantial flexibility in the longest section of the meeting, the Content section.

  • Opening: The welcome and statement of group purpose generally includes a UU reading or ritual which ties the group to its purposes and to the broader Fellowship community
  • Check-in: What, briefly, would you like to share about what is going on in your life?
  • Content: Experiencing, learning, discussing, planning, acting, reflecting: it is the group's choice
  • Check-out: How are you feeling now? Have you anything you would like to share with the group as a result of our time together?
  • Closing: UU ritual which ties the group to its purposes and the broader Fellowship

Shared Leadership

Each group is encouraged to incorporate some style of rotating leadership for its regular meetings; responsibility for leading will generally change from meeting to meeting. The responsibility of the meeting leader is to help the group follow the meeting format. The benefit of this style of shared leadership is that all members of the group have a sense of ownership of and responsibility for the group. The members are not guests visiting a group; rather, they are at home in their own group. Facilitators of all Covenant Groups meet together with the minister on a regular basis as a more narrowly defined Covenant Group of the Whole for ongoing problem-solving, reflection, training and support.

Key Concepts

  • Safety: Groups create safe spaces for their members.
  • Therapy: Covenant groups may make some members aware of personal needs for intense and/or ongoing therapeutic support. It is appropriate for members to initiate professional relationships when this level of support is needed, given the lay nature of our covenant groups.
  • Judgments: We always welcome exploration and discussion — sometimes even debate; still, all dialogue needs to be guided by our UU principles, always treating one another with respect and appreciation and being sensitive to the diversity of ideas and shared experiences in our midsts.
  • Accountability: Groups have a right to expect all members to participate and to be held accountable for the Group's covenants.
  • Democracy: Groups operate by consensus; they are leaderless in terms of content and activity; each Group is accountable for maintaining its processes and activities consistent with the general agreements.
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