Spiritual Development
Welcome to First Unitarian Church's Adult Spiritual Development program! The small groups listed here offer you the chance to listen to your deepest self by engaging life's big questions and by being open to the gifts of the world through the words and experiences of others.
In this context of shared relationships, we can't help but grow. That's the gift of these small groups. None of us can feed others if we're not feeling spiritually fed ourselves. Again, here's where small groups help hold it all together; they anchor us, allowing us to go out and serve from a stronger and more centered place.
We hear it all the time: "I just don't have these kinds of conversation in my regular life. Most of my conversations barely reach beneath the surface of things. It's rare to have a place to talk about things that really matter!" Honest conversations. Safe conversations. Conversations that go deep. In a world where most folks struggle to find one or two people in their life with whom they can really connect, we offer the gift of small groups that help us to listen to our deepest selves and open to the gifts of life. This is why the discipline of meeting once or twice a month with a committed and trusted group of church friends is such a gift. These groups help us not only discover and remember who we most want to be, they give us the motivation and the courage to become the people we most want to be.
Being in a small group gives us a sense of home in a big church where one could easily get lost in the crowd. In fact, close to 400 First Unitarian Church members and friends are in a spiritual development small group or class here. And while 400 may sound like a lot, our hope is to double that someday soon. Not because we want a "big program," but because we recognize the big need - the big need we all have for a group of trusted friends to go with us on the journey.
And now is the perfect time to join!
Check out the variety of groups we offer here, and if you have any questions or want to talk further about what group might be best for you, don't hesitate to be in touch with Rev. Jen Crow or David Messner. You can also contact the facilitators directly to ask any questions you have or learn more about the group you are hoping to join; their phone numbers/email addresses are under their program's heading.
On behalf of all of the leaders and facilitators who make these groups happen, we can't wait to welcome you on this journey.
Reverend Jen Crow (jen@rochesterunitarian.org) oversees our Spiritual Development Ministry and would be happy to answer any of your questions about our small groups. If you have an idea for a new small group or feel the calling to lead a group or a class, she'd love to hear from you as well.
December 5 2011