UUC members and friends are invited to apply for Spring Reflection Groups, offering spiritual exploration and practice in companionship with others. Small groups of 8-10 will begin in March and continue for six two-hour sessions, usually meeting twice a month. Trained facilitators will help participants to share insights gained through personal introspection inspired by the selected guiding text, Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness That Can Heal the World, by the Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis.

As the book cover notes, the book is inspired by the tenets of ubuntu, the Zulu philosophy that we are each impacted by the circumstances that impact those around us, and that the world won’t get better until we all get better. Fierce Love lays out the nine daily practices for breaking through tribalism and engineering the change we seek. From downsizing our emotional baggage to speaking truth to power to fueling our activism with joy, it demonstrates the power of small, morally courageous steps to heal our own lives, our posse, and our larger communities. Sharing stories that trace the author’s personal reckoning with racism as well as the arc of her journey to an inclusive and service-driven faith, Dr. Lewis shows that kindness, compassion, and inclusive thinking are muscles that can be exercised and strengthened. With the goal of mending our inextricable human connection, Fierce Love is a manifesto for all generations: a bighearted, healing antidote to our rancorous culture.



While most of the 176 participants of past four rounds of groups—each round using a different guiding text—have told us they found the reading material inspiring and meaningful to their own spiritual journey, by far the most appreciated aspect of these small groups has been the deep, heartfelt connections with other UUC members and friends, and a feeling of closer relationship with the church itself.

Applications are available online or at the church. BEFORE YOU APPLY, please review the general information about Reflection Groups. The link for our online application is found at the bottom of that page. Please apply by February 23. Assignments to groups will be announced by February 28, with groups starting in March.

Co-facilitators are also needed for these groups, meeting at times convenient to your schedule. You will be well supported by an easy-to-follow outline for each session, an orientation and two additional gatherings of group facilitators during the program, plus mentorship from members of UUC's “Awakening Spirit Adhocracy” throughout. If you are interested, check the box on your application or contact Janine Larsen, UUC Director of Ministries, for more information.