Local Gatherings (LGs)

Local Gatherings, or LGs, are the local-level organizations of the Free Spirit Connection, consisting of anywhere from ten to 150 members, and providing opportunities for service and community. Typical activities include the weekly Sunday Celebrations, rites of passage, classes, and social events. LGs elect a Council to administer their affairs, and are served by Celebrants (clergy) and Attendants (lay preachers or deacons). As the membership of the LG increases, its Council also expands in size in rough proportion to the size of the LG:
* 3 Council members for 10-24 LG members
* 5 Council members for 25-49 LG members
* 7 Council members for 50-99 LG members
* 9 Council members for 100+ LG members
The 150 member maximum is based on Dunbar's number, said to be the cognitive limit of stable human relationships. When a given LG exceeds one hundred members, it begins plans to "birth" a new LG nearby, with assistance from Connection staff. LGs also assist unaffiliated members of the Connection (colloquially known as "solos") in "emerging" new LGs in the area.
The Free Spirits series is primarily set in and around the fictional city of Stallbrook, where there is a thriving Local Gathering downtown. In Peri's Bliss, the Gathering's leaders help some of Peri's friends start a new LG some distance away, and by the end a south metro Gathering is established in the suburb of Cedar Hills. By Hannah's Healing, a third Gathering is formed in the east suburb of Pattensville, and a fourth in the city's North End during Priscilla's Transformation.
There is also mention of Local Gatherings existing in the following cities:
* Austin TX
* Boston MA
* Chicago IL - mentioned that three more LGs birthed from this Gathering, and members who moved helped others to emerge
* Cleveland OH
* Colorado Springs CO
* Dallas TX
* Denver CO
* Los Angeles CA
* Louisville KY
* Newark and Jersey City NJ
* New York City - LGs in Manhattan's East Village, Queens, and Staten Island
* Saint Louis MO
* San Francisco CA - mentioned that the café-style seating used in most LGs originated here
* San Jose CA
* Seattle WA
* Stamford CT
* Westchester County NY
Category:Free Spirit Connection
Category:Organizations