Many members and friends of the Fellowship participate in Covenant Groups by supporting each other on their spiritual journeys while forming meaningful relationships with one another. These small ministry groups usually meet monthly to explore spiritual themes, listen deeply to each other, and celebrate the connections in their lives. Some of these groups have a specific orientation (e.g., LGBTQIA+, Mothers, Parents, Men’s Group).
Are you interested in joining a group? We are currently organizing groups for the September 2026-May 2027 season. Please fill out this form so we can match you with a group.
Covenant Group meetings include inspiration, reflection, and sharing. Many of the covenant groups follow the Soul Matters themes and format or adapt them to fit the needs of the group. (See below to learn more about The Soul Matters Sharing Circle.) These same themes are often included in the Fellowship’s services and faith formation programs as well.
Covenant Groups run seasonally September through May. If participants are interested, they may choose to continue to another season if desired, either with a different group, day, or time, or continuing with the same people.
Covenant Groups are a great way to grow in meaningful connections with others in the Fellowship.
The Soul Matters Sharing Circle, which developed the Soul Matters Small Groups concept, is a network of UU congregations who follow the same monthly themes so we can more easily share covenant group material, as well as worship, sermon, music, and children’s religious education resources. Like other small group programs, the central goal of Soul Matters is to foster circles of trust and deep listening. However, Soul Matters adds five unique components to the model of its program and to the resource packets it develops.
The following summary of what makes a Soul Matters Small Group unique is excerpted from the Soul Matters webpage.
Soul Matters small groups are not a stand-alone program. They are designed as a companion to a congregation’s worship and religious education ministries. Congregations using Soul Matters position their small groups as “an opportunity to explore our congregation’s monthly worship themes in more depth.”
We know that spiritual development requires more than analysis of a topic. There is a deep hunger in all of us for experiential engagement. Honoring this, we include spiritual exercises in each monthly packet that allow participants to move beyond just hearing what theologians have to say about a theme to having an actual experience of that theme in your daily life.
