Materials for Activity Sign-in sheet and pen or pencil Name tags for participants (durable or single-use) and bold markers Optional: Music and player Optional: Snacks and beverages Preparation for Activity Arrange chairs in a circle and set out name tags and markers on a table....

Complete the personalization of the letter by filling in the brackets in the text below. To determine the length of time each participant may speak, assume that the presentations will take 20 minutes and divide the time among the panelists....

Print out the incomplete sentences, enlarged to at least 16-point type. Cut the pages into strips, with one incomplete sentence on each strip. Select sentences most appropriate to your congregation, and/or add some of your own. Fold strips of paper and put them in a small basket or bowl....

Because we are a democratic community, members are collectively vested with responsibility for the congregation. Members may vote at any congregational meeting, be elected to the governing board, and participate in any activities of the congregation....

It was the first gathering of a newly formed small group. The eight people who gathered in Ann's living room recognized one another, but had no real connection, except for the two married couples who were there....

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Leader Resource 2, Letter to Panelists Preparation for Activity Create a panel of three to five congregation members from a variety of backgrounds, interests, cultures, perspectives, and ages who have interesting stories about the impact of the...

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Brochures, events calendars, and/or lists of groups and contact people Preparation for Activity Consult with the Membership Committee and/or Volunteer Coordinator of your congregation to determine how best to let participants know about getting...

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Bell or chime Bowl of stones Chalice table Preparation for Activity Place bowl of stones on the table with the chalice....

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Congregational Membership Book Pen Optional: Membership packet and/or welcome gifts Preparation for Activity Invite officials of the congregation-president, minister, Membership Committee chair-to attend and welcome new members. If new members are...

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity The original Parking Lot list from Workshop 1, including any questions that have been added during subsequent workshops Preparation for Activity Review the Parking Lot with co-facilitators....

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 1, Rights and Responsibilities of Membership Preparation for Activity Review Handout 1, Rights and Responsibilities of Membership. Modify it to reflect the expectations in your congregation. Print it and copy for all participants....

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Story, "A New Small Group" Preparation for Activity Make copies of the story "A New Small Group" for all participants. Description of Activity Introduce the activity with these or similar words: We are changed by the community we join....

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Leader Resource 1, Sentence Starters Small basket or bowl Preparation for Activity Follow the instructions on Leader Resource 1, Sentence Starters, to prepare the sentence starters. Description of Activity Introduce the activity by saying something...

Activity time: 3 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Singing the Living Tradition for all participants Optional: Keyboard or other accompaniment Preparation for Activity Determine whether you will sing or do the reading. Optional: Invite an accompanist or song leader to lead the hymn.

Activity time: 2 minutes Materials for Activity Your congregation's covenant, or Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Chalice, candle, and lighter, or an LED battery-operated candle Stand or small table for the chalice Cloth or decorative covering for chalice stand...

Materials for Activity Name tags, durable or single use Bold markers Paper and pen/pencil for sign-up sheet Small table Optional: Refreshments Preparation for Activity Place name tags and markers on table. Optional: Arrange for child care during the workshop. Description of Activity If guests are...

Talk with lay leadership and the minister to discover the answers to these questions. This discovery process will give you a starting point for understanding the structure of your congregation and making it transparent for newcomers....

The idea of congregational self-governance developed on this continent because the Puritans who arrived from Europe wanted to have responsibility for their own churches, not to have bishops dictate their practices....

A covenant is not a contract, but rather a voluntary relationship. The idea of a covenant has biblical origins and traditionally includes the understanding that the relationship is sacred or blessed....

From Our Covenant: The 2000-01 Minns Lectures, The Lay and Liberal Doctrine of the Church: The Spirit and the Promise of Our Covenant, by Alice Blair Wesley (Chicago: Meadville-Lombard Press, 2002). Used with permission.Religiously, Unitarians are directly descended from the Puritans and Pilgrims...