Revitalizing UU Women's Groups

Starting a Group for Families With Young Children

During the late 1990’s, when Lynn Brodie was serving as a ministerial intern at the White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church, a few parents of young children approached her. They were concerned because the events of the church did not coincide well with their schedules, which were constrained to a degree, by their many responsibilities and by their children’s schedules. They had begun to feel isolated and left out of the social life of the church and church leadership roles. These parents were frustrated, but they found a good listener in Brodie, who soon called a meeting to discuss the problem and to help these parents seek solutions.

Several couples attended the problem-solving meeting. Brodie took on the role of facilitator. However, she did not take responsibility for solving the problem or for ensuring that options discussed were carried out. The group first discussed the problem. Then Brodie posed some simple questions to the group:

What does this church do well for families with young children?
What needs improvement?
What might be done?
Who will be responsible?

The parents in attendance at the problem-solving meeting soon started a parents’ group. They gathered together for fellowship, both fathers and mothers and their children, in the church nursery during the hour before church service on Sundays. The weekly meeting time served as an informal time to connect, chat, and discuss church business. Said Brodie, “The group was so successful. It helped those parents to feel connected at church-so connected that several of them went on to take positions of leadership in the church.” She cited some key factors in the success of that first meeting to discuss starting the group:

Openness;
Making it clear that those in attendance at the meeting were responsible for making the group happen;
Relaying the outcomes of the planning meeting to other leaders in the church.

A group can be formed quickly and relatively easily when it is strongly needed-and when a staff person or church leader is available to provide guidance and a small amount of time to nurture the group’s formation. The White Bear group soon became independent, and required no further church staff support. The church soon profited from this nurturing of potential leaders when adults involved in the playgroup began to take on more responsibility in the church. Brodie’s empowering facilitation of the problem-solving meeting that marked the start of a playgroup turned out to be a good investment of her time.

Lynn Brodie will be ordained at the White Bear Lake Church on May 7, 2000 and is helping to launch a new Unitarian Universalist church, Spirit of Life Church, in St. Cloud, Minnesota.