All are welcome to join our small groups!

Gathering Circle: A Pagan Small Group
4th Monday of the month online; 6:30-8:00 pm CT

Zoom link HERE or call in 312-626-6799, enter 886 7703 4241, followed by 12

Does your spirit respond to nature? Do you follow the seasons or find spirituality with the elements? Pagans believe that nature is sacred and that the natural cycles of birth, growth and death observed in the world around us carry profoundly spiritual meanings. Human beings are seen as part of nature, along with other animals, trees, stones, plants and everything else that is of this earth. All who want to explore these topics are welcome to join the reinstated Gathering Circle Small Group. Heather Westley will again be the facilitator, and the group will mostly be conversation, but may include short rituals and outdoor gatherings. Contact Heather at firemoon0812@yahoo.com with questions.

Goddess Group
Mondays; 9:00-11:00 am CT in person
Women of varied ages, interests, & affinities meet for sharing, mutual support, & lively conversation. Contact CyAnn Martin at 920-729-0477 for more information.

Joyful Mind Zen Sangha
Saturdays; 7:00 am CT online year-round; Zoom link: HERE

In person & online on the third Saturday of the month (April through October)

We will start with 30 minutes of meditation, followed by a service, dharma talk, and discussion. Please consider joining us as we find fellowship in this time of uncertainty. Contact Jim Bowker, jtbowker@yahoo.com or Brian Looker, blooker@gmail.com with questions.

Men’s Group
First Wednesdays and Third Tuesdays in person; 7:00-9:00 pm CT
This group welcomes all who identify as male to gather for the chance to talk in a deep, meaningful, and personal way. (Alcohol and other substances are not allowed when attending one of our meetings.) Those in attendance share an update, and then we discuss a topic such as “Sheltering at Home” or “Favorite Movies and Why We liked them.” Contact John Duffin at japple51@gmail.com for location information or with questions.

Mindfulness Meditation Sound Journey
(on hiatus) Held monthly
Start with a 20 minute combination of recordings and live drumming, then spend time talking about the experience. All ages welcome; sit on a chair, a provided cushion, or bring a blanket. Contact Chris Kuck at kuckart2112@gmail.com for information.

Music-Making at the Fellowship

Please contact music director Steve Sieck at steve@fvuuf.org if you are interested in:

• Singing with the Fellowship Choir
• Putting together small-group music with our mUUse collective
• Offering music for prelude, postlude, or other special opportunities during the service

POC
We recognize that as a majority-white congregation, it can often feel isolating for People of Color/Brown & Black folx who love our theology but might not identify with some other aspects of the community. Join the PoC small group once a month or more as we gather to have fun and discuss topics that we can identify with. This is a great way to meet and connect with people and avoid isolation. This is a group for PoC only. At this time, we are focusing on unlearning the harm that has affected PoC. We are not focusing on educating nor spending time with white-led organizations.

PoC/Brown & Black folx of all ages are more than welcome to join us! We also encourage young people to get involved. Email PoC.global.majority@gmail.com for more details and for meeting information. (on hiatus)

Photography as a Spiritual Practice
meeting online
We explore contemplative photography as a spiritual practice through traditional cameras, smartphones, and other means of image and video capture. A key component of this spiritual practice is to reflect on visual images and to discover insights about self, connections with others, and to journey towards spiritual insights.

Our meetings are devoted to each person sharing about 5 minutes of their still images and short videos around the month’s challenges and any insights or discoveries made. The monthly challenges are sprinkled with inspiration from other photographers, writers, poets, and artists and are formatted as “prepare”, “do”, and “reflect” to prompt contemplation.

Any means of photographic ability is welcome. We love smartphones as well as other means of capturing photos like digital SLRs and P&S cameras.

Contact Mary Ellyn Vicksta at mev500@yahoo.com for meeting information and with questions.

Senior Wonders
All senior adults are invited to share in conversation and social time. Contact Janet Hughes at janet.ahma@yahoo.com for meeting information.

Smiling Dandelion Sangha
Sundays online, 6:00 – 7:30 pm CT, Zoom link:  HERE

Our usual format is sitting meditation for 25 minutes, followed by a teaching and discussion. Currently, we are watching a video or listening to a podcast by a different Buddhist teacher each week, covering a variety of topics and traditions.

We welcome anyone who is interested to join us. You do not need to be a Buddhist or have meditation experience. We start our meetings with silent meditation and then begin the reading and discussion, so you can join us for the meditation or link in after that. Any questions? Email smilingdandelion@gmail.com.

Spill It Sister
Second Tuesday of the month 6:30-8:00 pm CT online
Zoom link: HERE; Or call in: 312.626.6799; enter 869 4613 7572, followed by 12
This group meets to share our stories and help each other as we walk through this life’s journey. All who identify as women are welcome! Contact Kate Hancock-Cooke at rugbykate@new.rr.com with questions and contact Suzanne Marnocha at marnocha@uwosh.edu to be added to the Facebook group.

Third Thursday Book Group
Third Thursday of the Month, 2:30 pm CT
An ongoing book discussion group open to all members and friends of the Fellowship. Books from a variety of genres are chosen by group members for the monthly reading. For meeting information, contact CyAnn Martin at 920.729.0477.

• September – The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
• October – Nomadland by Jessica Bruder
• November – Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
• December – No book
• January – Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
• February – How Not to Die Alone or the paperback (which is identical) has a different title: Something to Live For by Richard Roper
• March – One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
• April – The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
• May – Virgil Wander by Leif Enger

UU Dance Group
(on hiatus) Third Saturday of the month 7:00-8:30 pm during the program year
We provide a safe and caring, judgement-free environment for ALL to dance. The dances will begin with either a lesson or a demonstration. Contact Jessie Spencer at jessie.spencer2607@gmail.com for information.

UU Parenting Support Group
2nd Monday of the month at 7:15 pm online; Zoom link HERE
People who are parenting or preparing to serve in a parental role, and/or taking care of children as a guardian, grandparent, etc. don’t always get the support they need. Do you long for time to debrief the joys and woes of life with littles? Do you wonder how to manage the day-to-day responsibilities of children? Do you wish for space to talk to other parents about parenting? If so, this is your group! Led by Fellowship members with professional expertise, this peer support opportunity is a wonderful way to get help with all aspects of parenting, including learning how to support kids without ignoring one’s own needs, accessing community resources when necessary, and talking to kids about social development, spirituality, behavior choices, and more.