Covenant Groups

A covenant group is a small relational group made up of six to twelve people who meet regularly to establish and nurture themselves in their own beloved community. Covenant groups provide an opportunity for group members to build strong relationships with each other and with the larger organization of which the small group is a part.

Covenant groups encourage people to talk, learn, work and play together over time. Members may tell their life stories, offer support, and engage in work to serve the larger community. Covenant groups offer expanding opportunities for growth, caring and connection within a congregation. Covenant groups offer caring affiliative networks, mutual responsibility, leadership opportunities, and a way for people to build and strengthen their communities.

In a covenant group, people experience a relational individuality which affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every person. People experience themselves and each other as part of the interdependent web of existence of which we are all a part. Together, people establish communities which embody the values of justice, democracy and human dignity. Each person is treated equitably. Each has a voice and is heard. And each person is respected for his or her own intrinsic humanity. The defining purpose of a covenant group is to bring people into right relationship with each other and with the larger world.

Covenant Group Resources

A Covenant Group Source Book

Engagement Groups: Bringing Forth the Future From the Past
Small Group Ministries are transforming the religious landscape of Unitarian Universalism in the United States. Known as Covenant Groups, Chalice Circles, or Shared Ministry Groups, these groups are revitalizing the spiritual life of our congregations. Engagement Groups, as they are to be called in England, have the power to similarly revitalize Unitarian and Free Christian churches here. Thandeka explores five perspectives needed to understand the transformative power of Small Group Ministries.

Developing a Roadmap to Covenant Group Ministry, A Seven-Hour Workshop
Description of CCV facilitator led "Developing a Roadmap to Covenant Group Ministry" workshop, including requirements and preparation. 32 Pages.

Covenant Group Start-up Procedure: A Guideline for Religious Leaders
Based on A Covenant Group Source Book, published by The Center for Community Values

Covenant Groups: What They Are and How They Work
Excerpted from A Covenant Group Source Book , Published by The Center For Community Values

Designing and Implementing a "Small Group Ministry" Focus For Your Congregation
by the Rev. Glenn H. Turner

A Small Group Ministry Resource Book
by Rev. Calvin O. Dame, the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Augusta, Maine

Training Covenant Group Ministry Leaders
Consultants recommended by the Center for Community Values. Includes contact information and rates.

Links

Reverend Bob Hill's Covenant Group Newsletters

Small Group Ministry at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Augusta, ME (Rev. Calvin Dame)

Covenant Groups at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington, VA (Rev. Michael McGee)

Resources for Unitarian Universalist Small Ministry Groups

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