Finding Your Community Within the Community: The Weekly Liberal Sept. 15
Read the full issue of the Sept. 15 Weekly Liberal here.
A note from Rev. Elaine Aron Tenbrink:
The adult programming catalog is out and registration is open! Whether you’re ready to engage in a spiritual practice, explore what it means to be resilient, or deepen your racial justice work, there is something for you.
But what’s this business about “Soul Matters“?
Soul Matters is a new way of engaging with our monthly worship themes. A small group of circle facilitators piloted the curriculum last year and they loved it. As a result, we decided to give the whole church community a chance to try it out this year.
How is Soul Matters different from Community Circles? Its focus is on bringing our monthly worship themes into your day-to-day life. At the beginning of each month, each participant receives a packet of materials based upon the month’s worship theme (such as “Invitation,” for September). From these materials, each participant chooses one spiritual exercise and a deep question to sit with for the course of the month. At the end of the month, participants gather in small groups of 8-10 people to share about their experiences of the spiritual exercise, of contemplating their question, and to reflect on the theme.
In contrast, Community Circles require no particular preparation besides attending worship services. They meet more frequently, but for a briefer duration. In Community Circles, participants listen to excerpts from the most recent Sunday service, and then respond to questions that bring them into deeper engagement with the focus of the service.
This helpful chart breaks down the differences between the two groups:
Why offer both Soul Matters AND Community Circles? We want to give you a chance to experience both formats and let us know what you think. Both offer spiritual grounding within a smaller “community within the community” at church.
Registration is open online at http://firstucircles.weebly.com and in the social hall through October 2. Please reach out to me at Elaine@firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701 x124 with any questions.
Whether it’s a Community Circle, a Soul Matters Group, or something else, take a look at the Adult Programming Catalog and find your “community within the community.”
I’ll see you in church,
Elaine
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