By Creating Small Groups Vol. It often seems that new members of our congregations have no place to connect with others except the Sunday service, committee work, and teaching religious education. In the last two years such groups have become a growing UU movement. The Rev. Robert Hill, district executive of the UUA's Southwest District, has a Covenant Group Newsletter that is e-mailed to 600. General Assembly sessions on covenant groups fill up annually.
Covenants simply mean that the members agree to be in relationship with each other.
The proof is in the congregations. People love their groups. One man told me, 'I came to church for intimacy, to connect. Our Sunday attendance is running at Christmas and Easter numbers every week. We had all our religious education teams signed by August.