Congregational Programs
Current Programs for Congregations
2023-24 Congregational programs led by UU Wellspring
Foundational Year-Long Programs
Love at the Center: UU Values and Covenants* **
Sources*
Deep Questions
Spiritual Practices
Faithful Actions
*Love at the Center OR Sources is a pre-requisite to all year long programs and both are included in your Congregational Membership.
** The required 2 hour Facilitator Training for Love at the Center is called "Facilitation as a Sacred Opportunity" and will be available to enrolled congregational registered facilitators on any of these dates:
Monday, May 13, 2024: 12-2 pm ET
Tuesday June 4, 2024: 7-9 pm ET
Wednesday, July 10, 2024: 4-6 pm ET
Thursday, August 8, 2024: 7-9 pm ET
Friday, August 16, 2024: 12-2 pm ET
Wednesday, August 21, 2024: 11-1 pm ET
Tuesday, August 27, 2024: 3-5 pm ET
September Dates to come.
Sign up to attend a session here once your congregation is enrolled. Fee is $50 if your congregation is not enrolled (you will be invoiced via your email) if you would like to deepen your small group facilitation skills but you are not in a UU Wellspring congregation. Free to registered facilitators in enrolled congregations.
Advanced Year-Long Programs: Seeker Series
Sacred Arts
Spiritual Ancestors
Shorter Programs
Proposed Article II
UU Wellspring Reads: Sacred Earth
UU Wellspring Reads:Crises of Life
UU Wellspring Reads:Creating Meaning
Youth & YA
Love: YEA!
Sources and Spiritual Practices
Creating Meaning
More information on all UU Wellspring programs can be found on our Programs page and Home page.
UU WellSpring Congregational Program Overview
Whether online, in person, or multi-platform, Unitarian Universalists come together to deepen their spiritual lives in life transforming UU Wellspring groups. Groups of about ten people meet twice a month for the congregational year. Shorter programs can be started anytime and are usually offered every week or every other week for 6 sessions. Groups are led by religious professionals or lay members who participate by listening deeply, exploring spiritual practices, participating in covenant creation, and engaging in spiritual companionship.
UU congregational leaders can make UU Wellspring year long programs available to their congregation for an annual membership fee that includes both Sources and Love at the Center: UU Values and Covenants based on your size ($300/600/900). Additional
During UU Wellspring for Congregations:
- Participants in Sources begin with a required extended retreat to explore each part of the UU Wellspring program with their entire group.
- Facilitators for Love at the Center: UU Values and Covenants begins with a 2-hour session held by UU Wellspring.
- The subsequent sessions are 2 hours each.
- The facilitator sends out a provided pre-session email with links to short readings, video clips, and images and poetry witth related reflection questions.
- Participants are guided to explore daily spiritual practices and meet with a spiritual companion outside of the sessions.
- Each session also includes reflecting on who we aspire to be as Unitarian Universalists and how we want to transform ourselves and our world.
Who Joins a UU Wellspring Program?
- Most UU Wellspring participants are those who have attended Unitarian Universalist congregations, churches, or fellowships for at least a year. Participants generally have a basic sense of Unitarian Universalism.
- Many are also seasoned Unitarian Universalists who have read widely, served their congregations as volunteers or as religious professionals who find new inspiration and insights.
- Youth who take the Youth and Young Adult Programs are of high school age. Emerging Young Adults usually take the Youth and Adult programs (with other young adults, not youth) or the year long programs in their congregations. Community is built to offset the loneliness and disconnect of our times.
- Leaders stepping down from major commitments find that UU Wellspring fills their well and draws them back into the faith that they love–especially after too many board or committee meetings that made church feel like work!
- People who find themselves in transition of any kind have found UU Wellspring grounding while going through changing times.
- Parents have found the spiritual grounding helpful in relating to family members and parenting with a sense of purpose.
- Retirees are often surprised by the depth of their experience, finally finding the time in their lives to explore purpose and legacy more deeply.
Cost of a UU Wellspring Program
- Fees for UU Wellspring are based on the total number of members in your congregation. Membership for each congregation is based on your total membership size as reported to the UUA and includes access to Sources and Love at the Center: UU Values and Covenants, the first year programs:
- Up to 300 members is $300
- 301 to 600 members is $600
- Over 600 members is $900
- Additional year long programs (Deep Questions, Spiritual Practices, Faithful Actions, Sacred Arts and Spiritual Ancestors) are $200 each after paying the annual membership.
- Additional shorter programs (UU Wellspring Reads series and Youth/Young Adult programs) do not require membership and are $150 each.
- The cost of a spiritual companionship has a wide range and some scholarships and pro bono options are available for religious professionals. Options are fully explored in the first year programs.
Ten Steps to Start Your Congregational Program
- Contact UU Wellspring to discuss your unique Unitarian Universalist community or attend a congregational info session.
- Enroll your congregation
- Register all facilitators.
- Set up Retreat Time (Soures) or attend a Facilitation as a Sacred Opportunity sessionschedule for the year.
- begin using password.
- Confirm participation of core members. Gather the other members to reach around ten members a few weeks before the retreat.
- Send out the Welcome Email and calendar to participants.
- Review Online Facilitation Guide and Retreat.
- Coordinate with your retreat leader to confirm details.
- Attend summer one-hour facilitator training.
- Buy or borrow the required and optional books.
- Begin your program!
Check Out Our Program Resources!
Who Joins UU Wellspring for Congregations?
UUs Yearning to Deepen
Most UU Wellspring participants are adults who have attended Unitarian Universalist congregations, churches, or fellowships for at least a year. Participants generally have a basic sense of the Seven Principles and most are aware of the Sources. They now want to find more direction and purpose as a compassionate being, to find hope in the world, and to see how their UU identity or faith will inspire them.
UUs in Transition
People who find themselves in transition of any kind have found UU Wellspring grounding as they go through challenging times. Parents have found the spiritual grounding helpful in relating to family members and parenting with a sense of purpose. And of course, the pandemic has touched all of our lives and UU Wellspring becomes a way to deeply connect with other Unitarian Universalists.
Retirees
Retirees are often surprised by the depth of their experience, finally finding the time in their lives to think deeply about purpose and legacy. Leaders stepping down from major commitments find UU Wellspring fills their well and draws them back into the faith that they love–especially after too many board or committee meetings. They need the gift of UU Wellspring to allow their faith community to sustain them in their service.
Young Adults
Young adults in UU Wellspring connect to community and build their spiritual lives as a way to sustain their faith and gain confidence in using their voices to make a difference. Watch this short video as a young adult who shares their growing spirituality and faith after joining a UU Wellspring group in their congregation.
Youth
Youth yearn to explore what is important in life. They gather for a shorter program (just 8 weeks) to connect with their peers to explore what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist and how their faith can sustain them. They participate in a variety of spiritual practices that can sustain them for the rest of their lives.
Newish to UU
UU Wellspring suggests that participants be involved, at least peripherally, in a UU congregation or organization for at least six months before they begin a UU Wellspring program. Watch this short video of how the UU Wellspring covenant brought a someone who was a relative newcomer to UU faith.
Congregational Program FAQ
Who coordinates UU Wellspring in a congregation?
A Congregational Coordinator is identified for each congregation or UU Wellspring community. This is often a minister, religious educator, lay leader,or staff member who coordinates adult programming. The congregational coordinator is involved in scheduling the retreat and if they are not leading a program, recruiting facilitators and participants. They also share the facilitators’ contact information with UU Wellspring so that information, such as facilitator training and curriculum passwords can be disseminated.
What kind of space will we need?
For online programs, internet connectivity that allows for video is required. Although some platforms, such as Zoom, allow you to call in, lack of video is not conducive to deep listening as the caller would not be able to discern who is speaking next.
If you are able to meet in person, a quiet space where your group will not be disturbed is important for UU Wellspring groups. We strongly suggest meeting on your campus to keep the space neutral for all.
For in-person retreats, space should include a nearby room or space for eating lunch, snacks, and beverages.
When in-person, the local facilitator often provides morning and afternoon snacks and beverages during the retreat. Participants are asked to bring a lunch for the all-day in-person retreats. Keeping snacks and beverages are encouraged for the online retreats.
How do you get started?
Contact the Executive Director of UU Wellspring to begin a conversation to explore bringing UU Wellspring to your congregation. UU Wellspring wants to understand your needs so that we can best help you recruit participants and get started! Please contact director@uuwellspring.org to begin the conversation.
Who facilitates the groups?
The facilitator(s) is the person who leads the group. A facilitator or co-facilitator is often also the Congregational Coordinator the first year. When two people co-facilitate, they might take turns facilitating each session, or they might trade off leading various parts each session.
Note that the explicit materials provide step-by-step easy to follow guidance. Facilitators do not need to create or find any of their own materials to create the sessions. Generally, after the facilitator sends out the email with the session prework, facilitators do the same preparation as the participants.
How does the retreat work?
The retreat leader can lead an online retreat or they can travel to you when the conditions permit. If you request the online retreat, we will lead from the Zoom platform. We strongly encourage you to work with participants so that they all have downloaded Zoom (or the platform you are using) and have tested out their microphones, video and speakers. You might want to offer a session for anyone who needs assistance. We have found even those who are not familiar or at ease with Zoom get the hang of it given the pace and grace of the sessions!
The retreat is often held on a Saturday in August, September, or early October for a fall start. If you are starting at another time during the year, we can discuss a date two weeks prior to the start of your program.
All participants and the facilitator are required to attend the retreat at the same time in order to be in the group. If someone cannot attend the retreat, they will need to wait until the next year. Or they can join an online group if the times are better suited for them and join an advanced congregational group the following year.
Online retreats are shorter (four hours) since a few of the activities are done individually outside of the online portion of the retreat. We take breaks…and the feedback has been that the time has gone surprisingly fast!
Who pays for the program?
Generally the sponsoring organization (UU Congregation, seminary, or UU-Related organization) pays the annual subscription rate, which is based on the number of members in your congregation. As needed, congregations may encourage participants to pay a nominal fee to support the annual membership and cost of the program. Individuals also pay for their own books and spiritual companioning. if there are challenges to obtaining books or working with a spiritual companion, contact your minister to see if there are any options available.
Testimonials for the UU Wellspring Congregational Program
“Further cemented my spiritual practice. Made deep connections. Shared experiences, thinking, and feelings that I normally do not discuss and it was always in a safe and affirming environment. I wanted to take this for years and it was as wonderful as I had heard. Hope for the learning and inner work to be undertaken was hugely exceeded!!!!!!”
“I am more committed to my spiritual practices. I am less anxious about my future, and I look forward to openings in my life for further exploration in my spiritual life, my congregational life and my family life. I love to learn and deepen.”
“Discussing both church topics and personal concerns with people from diverse backgrounds has enriched my life. Hearing what others in my Wellspring group had to say about the readings and books such as You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh and Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer contributed so much to my own understanding. I feel more connected to our church because my understanding of the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism has expanded through reading the selections and listening to group members. Having friendly faces to relate to has made me more eager to participate and contribute to church activities.I definitely feel more connected to the congregation because of the friendships I made through Wellspring.”
“I found the deep listening involved in the work translated into other areas of my life making me more present to those around me and less apt to converse with the goal of simply getting my point across.”
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