Covenant Groups involve participants meeting regularly for conversation in defined small groups. It provides a way for individuals to get to know each other, explore important questions and ideas, and deepen their connections to the church.
Why do churches offer Covenant Groups?
People most often say they attend a church because they want to explore spiritual questions and/or they would like to connect with a community of like-minded souls. While Sunday morning services can promote spiritual growth and work on church committees provides some opportunities to meet others, neither is an ideal setting for having deep conversation about spiritual matters or developing close ties with others. These are the twin goals of Covenant Groups.
How do Covenant Groups work?
Participants meet in small groups for conversation on set topics.
- Each small group has 8 to 12 members, including a facilitator, who guides the sessions and assures that everyone has a chance to participate in conversation.
- Participation in each group will be predetermined and will remain consistent throughout the program year. This allows participants to create new connections and deepen existing ones.
- Assignment to groups is based on availability of participants.
What happens at a session?
Each participant of the group will have an opportunity to check in. Then, the facilitator will share readings, invite participants to share their experience with the suggested spiritual practice and then open conversation on the questions for reflection.
To enable all group participants to have a chance to share, the facilitator will ensure that each person has an opportunity to speak once before anyone speaks twice. There are also opportunities for dialogue. At the first session, the group will discuss any “ground rules” they wish to set for their group.
The following are the 2022-2023 Covenant Groups being hosted this year. You can contact group leaders for details:
- PARENTING ENVIRONMENTALLY SAVVY CHILDREN IN THIS PIVOTAL TIME
Led by: Andrew and Amanda Rome;
Meeting the last Wednesday of every month at 7PM at the church.
- ZOOM GET TOGETHER (especially for homebound folks)
Led by: Cheryl Spoehr
Meeting Thursdays 12:00 noon on Zoom.
- DRUMMING
Led by Randy Bish
Meeting the 3rd Sunday of every month at 1:30 pm at the church.
- LAUREL LAKE COVENANT GROUP
Led by: Rev Steven Protzman
Meeting the 4th Thursday of each month at 7 pm at Laurel Lake.
- COUPLES COVENANT GROUP (Closed Group)
Led by: Trish McLoughlin and Rhonda Richardson
Meeting time and location varies.
- SOUL MATTERS COVENANT GROUP” (Closed group)
Led by: Becky Cline
Meeting on Zoom only the second Thursday of every month at 6:45 pm.
- INQUIRING MINDS AND CURIOUS MEMBERS
Led by: Ginny Horvath, Claudia Miller, Marion Yeagler, Diane Kloss
Meeting at the Church; meeting times TBD.
This fellow seeker group will be studying through the “Journey of Belonging”.