Our congregation is filled with activity, and there are still times when we may wish for more ways to know one another. Sunday mornings give us many points of connection, but they do not always give us enough time to listen deeply, reflect together, or share the experiences that have shaped us.
This fall, UUCC is launching Chalice Circles to create more of that space.
Sign up for a Chalice Circle here
Chalice Circles are spaces for personal spiritual growth in community, where people deepen their connections with one another through reflection, vulnerability, and the practice of deep listening.
Chalice Circles at a glance
- Group size: Approximately six to ten people
- Schedule: One 90-minute gathering each month, beginning in October or early November and continuing through the spring
- Location: UUCC
- Group formation and meeting times: Based on participants’ availability chosen during registration
- Initial registration deadline: September 28
What happens in a Chalice Circle?
Each gathering will draw on a monthly theme and prompts from Woven Faith, the resource we are using across the whole church. The theme gives the group a place to begin. What matters most is what the participants bring: their experiences, questions, stories, and willingness to listen to one another.
I often say that the congregation is the curriculum. We grow in faith through our relationships, through encounters with lives different from our own, and by practicing how to be present with one another. Chalice Circles make room for that kind of learning.
This invitation is for people at every stage of their relationship with UUCC. If you are newer, a Chalice Circle can help you find your place. And if you have been here for years and already feel deeply connected, it is a chance to reach beyond familiar relationships, widen our welcome, share what you have found here, and be open to what others bring.
A meaningful commitment
That kind of connection takes time. Participants are asked to make a meaningful commitment to their circle, attend monthly gatherings regularly, honor the group’s covenant, and help create a space where everyone can participate fully.
Chalice Circles are also an expression of shared ministry. The facilitator is a participant who has completed training and has some additional responsibility for holding the structure of the gathering. Everyone helps create the circle and contributes to what it becomes.
The circles will remain connected to the wider life of the congregation. Each circle will choose a way to serve, using what its members have learned about one another to find something they can accomplish together. The relationships formed in a circle can then strengthen the larger community we share.
If you are looking for a place to reflect more deeply, listen with care, share more of yourself, and grow in relationship with others at UUCC, I invite you to join a Chalice Circle.
Sign up for a Chalice Circle here
Registration for the initial groups closes September 28 so that we have time to form the circles, coordinate schedules, and prepare for gatherings to begin in October or early November. We will continue accepting registrations for possible future groups through December.
Jenni Papp
Director of Lifespan Faith Development
Questions? Contact jenni.papp@uucleveland.org.