A Chalice Group is an intentional gathering of about ten people who commit to be present to each other in a genuine, meaningful way. It is more than a discussion group, more than a social club, and is definitely not a committee meeting. There is no agenda, no action items, and no expected outcome or product. A Chalice Group exists only for people to listen and to be heard.

Chalice Groups are not unique to BRUU. In fact, this type of group – also called a Covenant Group or Small Group Ministry – is part of a rapidly growing trend within congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association toward a covenantal form of shared ministry.

Covenant and Shared Ministry

A Chalice Group is covenantal because the members of the group form a covenant - a sacred promise of meaningful relationship - among themselves. It is shared ministry because its purpose is to focus on the relationships among the members, and the process by which they share their thoughts and feelings with each other. A Chalice Group is not about coming to agreement, debating, or solving problems; nor is it group therapy. A Chalice Group is a support group – in the sense that by truly listening to one another, members both hear and are heard, and grow to know each other in a deeper way.

Deep Listening

Besides the existence of a covenant, the other way a Chalice Group differs from a “normal” discussion group is the practice of deep listening. As the name suggests, this is a practice of actively and intentionally focusing one’s attention on the person who is speaking. It is a practice of listening to the other’s words, noticing feelings, and truly being present to the one who is sharing. Deep listening is in contrast to a typical conversation, when the listener might be mentally formulating a reply or challenge. This type of listening is listening to hear, not listening to be right.

Chalice Groups at BRUU

Chalice Groups meet about twice a month, typically in the home of one of the members. These groups can be affinity or theme-based, but they don’t have to be. Each group meeting follows the same structure, with opening words or ritual, chalice lighting, check-in and sharing, discussion, and a closing ritual. Within this structure, the details are up to each individual group.

The essence of a Chalice Group is to nurture the seed of a sacred promise of meaningful relationship - into the flower of beloved community.

Chalice Groups 2007-2008

There are six groups meeting from October 2007 to June 2008. Contact Rev Nancy McDonald-Ladd (revnancy@bruu.org) for more information or to join a group.

Non-thematic Groups