Soul Matters involves small groups facilitated by trained facilitators and each month a different theme is explored. Together we engage in generous listening to each other as we share our experiences of engaging with the theme over the month.

Our Soul Matters packets are available to those who participate in our small groups. Each packet contains several spiritual practice questions to wrestle with. Participants are invited to choose one of each to play with over the month. In addition, the packets contain links to quotes, videos, podcasts, and much more! If you would like to see a sample of the packets, please let Zoë (admin@surreyunitarians.ca) know or complete our contact form found HERE.

Have you signed up to join a small group yet? Our groups meet one Sunday at month during worship service time.

If you’d like to join a small group, please let us know.

What is Thematic Ministry?

You may be wondering what Theme Ministry is. Like other small group programs, its central goal is to foster circles of trust and deep listening.  However, theme ministry adds four unique components:

1. Explore the Worship Themes in More Depth 

Theme ministry is not a “stand-alone” program.  It is designed as a companion program to a congregation’s worship experience. Congregations using theme ministry position it in their system as “an opportunity to explore our congregation’s monthly worship themes in more depth.”

2. Experience the Worship Theme, Don’t Just Talk about It.

Unitarian Universalists want to do more than just read and talk about spiritual topics. Discussing a topic is important.  But there is nothing like experiential learning.  Honouring this, our thematic package provides participants with a spiritual exercise each month to engage prior to their group meeting. For instance, when we wrestled with the concept of grace, small group participants not only read what theologians have to say about it, but are challenged to find a way to bring grace (a gift one doesn’t expect, earn or even deserve) into another person’s life.

3. Questions To Walk With, Not Talk Through. 

In traditional small groups, questions are an opportunity for the group to think together. Theme ministry uses questions differently. We see them as tools for individual exploration.  Instead of asking our groups to go through the questions and discussion them one by one, participants are asked to read all the questions ahead of time and find the one question that “hooks them”—the one that speaks to and challenges them personally. Participants then live with–or “walk with”-that question for a couple weeks leading up to the group. People come to their meeting, not with an answer to each of the questions on the list, but with a story about how this one particular question lead them to deeper, personal learning.  This technique leads us away from abstraction and intellectualizing and challenges us to think about how the topic (and question) apply to our daily living.

4. A Reminder That UUism is Distinctive, Not an “Anything Goes,” Religion 

Our monthly themes are not just interesting topics. Rather they focus us on a spiritual value that our UU faith has historically honoured and emphasized. At each meeting, we are reminded that our faith promotes a preferred way for us to be in the world.

At the start of each month, a resource packet will be made available via hard copy, on our website, and through the Chalice Lighter. Resource packets include articles, poems, quotes, questions to wrestle with, and spiritual exercises all related to the theme. Of course, if you have material related to the theme, you’ll be encouraged and invited to submit them for inclusion into the packet. The services during the month will be related to the theme in some way shape or form – it could be as simple as a chalice lighting that folds in the theme, or the entire service.

Please feel free to contact us for any further information.