Make connections, learn, and grow your soul at church this fall!

We’re offering an exciting variety of Soul Matters and Spiritual Deepening Circles, piloting Beloved Conversations – a curriculum exploring the role of race and ethnicity in individual and congregational lives – and offering a number of other opportunities to connect and learn at church this fall.

Registration is now open! Please register for Circles and Beloved Conversations now through Sept. 25 at: firstucircles.weebly.com

Soul Matters Circles encourage participants to reflect more deeply on our monthly worship theme. At the start of each month, you will receive a packet of resources that includes poems, articles, YouTube videos, and more. This packet is your go-to text as you meet with your group and attend services. It also includes questions for contemplation and spiritual exercises that invite you into deeper relationship with our worship theme.

We offer Soul Matters Circles that are open to all, as well as ones that are open to those who share a particular identity or experience. Shared identity/experience circles this fall include circles for:

• People in their 20s and 30s
• Parents
• People of Color and Indigenous People
• LGBTQ & Gender Nonconforming folks
• People Living with Grief, Loss, and Endings
• People Living with Mental Illness

View details and schedules.

Spiritual Deepening Circles explore a particular topic or spiritual practice. As our commitment to racial justice guides us into deeper hospitality and relationship, all of our Spiritual Deepening Circles this fall offer opportunities for mindfulness, embodiment, and interpersonal connection:

• Brave Connections: Interrupting Bias and Systemic Racism
• Kundalini Yoga for Disembodying Oppression
• Storytelling as Spiritual Practice
• Mindfulness Through Art
• Meditation in the Way of the Mystical Poets: Heart, Breath, and Words
• Weekly Meditation Group
• Chi-Gung for Health and Peace of Mind
• Peace Circle

View details and schedules.

Newcomer Circles offer an opportunity to learn more about our liberal faith tradition, reflect on our spiritual journeys, and connect with others who are also getting to know First Universalist. This fall, Newcomer Circles are offered:

• Tuesdays, Oct. 9, 16, 23 & 30, 7-8:30 p.m.
• Wednesdays, Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7 & 14, 2-4 p.m.

New! Beloved Conversations: Meditations on Race and Ethnicity
A curriculum for exploring the role of race/ethnicity in individual and congregational lives
This fall/winter, First Universalist is piloting Beloved Conversations, a teaching and learning curriculum that holds both the tensions and joys of an intentional multicultural community. Beloved Conversations creates a learning laboratory for how to live healthily in a multi-racial, multicultural, theologically diverse community, and how to use those learnings to work for a racially just world, both within and beyond the congregation. This curriculum is geared towards people who have already done some grounding in their own racial identity and learning around systems of racism and oppression. Participants must attend the 1.5 day opening retreat, followed by an eight-session group.

More information about Beloved Conversations, schedule, and registration is available here.

And More!
Schedules and information for Daytime Connections, Young Adults, Racial Justice Learning Opportunities, 12-Step Spirituality (new), and Membership Classes are now available. Download our Fall 2018 Adult Programming Catalog for complete details about all of our offerings.

Registration for Circles and Beloved Conversations is open through Tuesday, Sept. 25 at firstucircles.weebly.com.

Childcare is available free of charge for circles by submitting this online form at least 7 days in advance.

Questions? Contact Rev. Elaine Aron Tenbrink at elaine@firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701.