Welcome to Chalice Circles at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Rochester! We are very excited about this program and hope you will find friendship, caring, an opportunity to minister to fellow congregants and an avenue for personal growth and spiritual exploration.
The primary emphasis of Chalice Circles is to care for participants – to serve them, to encourage them to spiritual growth, and meet their needs for affirmation and acceptance. By creating an open, supportive, and nurturing environment, Chalice Circles promote and facilitate spiritual growth and mutual interactive care for one another, therefore providing a quality of caring that most people can only wish for.
Additionally, Chalice Circles offer opportunity to search and grow at the member’s own pace and in the member’s own way through learning together and loving one another. As members identify and use their own spiritual gifts, they will be moved to contribute of themselves and their resources.
We have tried to anticipate what your questions might be about Chalice Circles and have answered those questions. Please join us in this gift of ministry to each other.
What are Chalice Circles all about?
Small Group Ministry, which includes Chalice Circles, meets our needs for belonging and meaning. It builds friendships and provides opportunities to talk with others about the big questions of life. Chalice Circles are designed to enrich our community with the sort of conversation and attentiveness that can be difficult in the busy life of a growing congregation. Small Group Ministry has the potential to grow congregations, not just in numbers, but in feelings of generosity, cooperation, and well-being. When we know a person’s story, we are less likely to be contentious or defensive. When congregation members are having their needs for connection and spiritual deepening met, they want to give back to their faith community.
What happens at a Chalice Circle meeting?
Session plans are provided for each meeting from the book Heart to Heart, the book that every Chalice Circle member will be required to purchase. Some topics are spiritual in nature, such as gratitude, balance, nature, God. Other topics reflect universally human themes such as listening, loss and grief, forgiveness, friendship. Topics will sometimes mirror the Minister’s sermon topics. Members respond to the topic questions by sharing personal experiences. Chalice Circles are not study groups or debate teams. Chalice Circles follow a consistent pattern that includes the following elements:
Ingathering & Housekeeping
Greet each other, apply nametags as needed, give announcements, and discuss logistics of next meeting.
Candle Lighting
Found in Heart to Heart with a short reading
On Our Hearts
Each member takes a few minutes to share a major high or low for members to keep in their hearts and prayers
Silence
Shared Readings
Found in Heart to Heart - To further deepen and broaden the theme of the gathering
Sharing
Speak personally and talk about something that touched you, share feelings, tell a story about your experience
Announcements
Share plans, give reminders
Closing Activity
Interactive exercise – a question for members to comment on or a ritual to help wrap up time together
Closing Words
Found in Heart to Heart for reflection
Where and when do Chalice Circles meet?
Each Chalice Circle decides whether to meet in participant's homes or at the church. Some feel that sharing at homes deepens the intimacy among members. Other groups feel that same closeness to each other when meeting in “their” church. Groups meet once a month. Sessions are designed to last two hours, and members are encouraged to be respectful of the start and end times.
What is the size of a Chalice Circle group?
The ideal size is 6 – 8 members. The group should have at least 5 members plus the facilitator. As the circumstances of people’s lives change, the membership of a group may change over the year. New members will be welcomed in an ongoing group with an opening or in a newly formed group.
How long does the group stay together?
Signing up for Chalice Circles will take place each September, with groups beginning in October and running through May. If the group chooses to, meetings can continue through August. In September, groups will disband and new groups created to start again in October.
What make Chalice Circles work?
The three agreements or covenants between Chalice Circles and the participants which set Chalice Circles apart from any other kind of group or program are:
· To abide by a set of relational ground rules: The Group Covenant
· To welcome new members to the group and to the program
· To engage in service to the congregation and larger community
Chalice Circle members are supportive of each other, but Chalice Circles are not support groups or therapy groups. When a member is in need, the other group members may provide assistance as a way of connecting with each other. Group members listen to each other, but don’t attempt to solve each other’s problems.
Service or outreach is one of the three covenants of Chalice Circles and an expectation of group membership. Service to others is a reminder that a life of faith is a life of service. Chalice Circles are a gift from the church, and service back to the church or community is your way to give back. It is a bonding activity as group members work together toward a common goal. Service is a way of putting our UU Principles into action.
What is expected of members?
Members are expected to bring to the group a positive attitude, a desire to learn more about themselves and other members of the group, and a willingness to share. Other expectations are:
· To commit to participation.
· To give attendance at Chalice Circle meetings a high priority.
· To commit to listening to other group members.
· To help write a covenant for the group or to participate in a review of the group’s existing covenant, if the member is joining
an ongoing group.
· To commit to the growth of the Chalice Circle Program
Is what is shared in Chalice Circles confidential?
Chalice Circle facilitators and members agree to engage in respectful sharing - a mindfulness and sensitivity to information shared in one’s small group and the avoidance of taking heart-felt comments outside the group. Respectful sharing is the middle ground between total confidentiality, which leads to closed groups, and “anything goes,” which undermines trust and intimacy.
How does a person join?
Contact either program coordinator, Dave Kraemer or Sarah Rothwell, if you would like to join a group. You will be asked to complete a registration form. In placing people in groups, the primary consideration is the day and time the member is available and what group has an opening. As new people sign up, they are welcomed into a group that has openings. New groups will be started as needed.