The Conscious Living Covenant Group is an open group of church members and friends who meet monthly to reflect upon the joys and challenges of living consciously in this world.   It follows the small group ministry model which includes check-ins, readings, re-affirmation of its covenant, and facilitated discussions of topics ranging from spiritual growth, environmental consciousness, and thoughtful living.  The group is committed to providing service to the church community and the wider community as part of its mission.  


Anyone with an interest in exploring conscious living and decision-making within the context of Unitarian Universalism is welcome to join in the covenant.  Discussions so far have reached into a multitude of realms, including spirituality, time, organic farming, vermiculture, conservation, ... 

Email Leslie Runnels  for more information or subscribe to the Yahoo user group.

Outdoor Covenant Group (Facilitators: Shamus Rohn and Kathleen North)
Group Purpose:  An opportunity for us to experience the wonders of the outdoors together; to enjoy the simpler things the world provides; to feel the “mud” instead of the “concrete”; to enjoy the physical depth of our external world; to enjoy the safety of a group as we explore things or places or activities that we haven’t on our own. 

Group communication by Yahoo user group.

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WHAT IS A COVENANT GROUP?
A covenant group is a small group of people within a congregation who meet regularly for the express purpose of:

    * Forming deeper, more intimate relationships
    * Sharing spiritual struggles and growth
    * Deepening religious commitment
    * Ministering to each other
    * Supporting each other
    * Learning from each other

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF COVENANT GROUPS?
The goal is to bring people into right relationship with each other and the larger world by deepening relationships, exploring spirituality, giving participants the opportunity to work together to help others, and creating and committing to a covenant with one another.  This is about a creating a more intimate community within a community, where people can get to know one another better than may be possible without a small group.

HOW IS A COVENANT GROUP DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SMALL GROUP ACTIVITIES?
Most churches have group meetings, but a Covenant Group has five characteristics in common: a shared format, a trained leader, a small size, regular meetings, and a covenant. Groups meet at least monthly in homes, at church, or in the community. Covenant Groups also make a covenant -- or a promise -- how the members intend to relate to each other and how they, as a group, will serve the church and their larger community.

The key to the covenant group experience is having a clear expectation of what a covenant group is and is not. A covenant group is:

    * Supportive and yet not a support group;
    * An opportunity to learn from peers and yet not a formal class;
    * Reverent and yet not a formal worship experience; and
    * An opportunity to make and deepen friendships and yet not a social club.

(The above prepared with thanks to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church Unitarian Universalist, and the Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship)

Please contact Rev. Melanie Morel-Ensminger at office@firstuuno.org or (504) 866-9010 for information on Covenant Groups.  There are suggested resources on covenant groups via The Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregationson website: Small Group Ministry Resources.

A recommended resource is:

Hill, Robert. The Complete Guide to Small Group Ministry: Saving the World Ten at a Time, Boston: Skinner House Books, 2003.