Creative Spirit is growing!  Our core group has doubled, averaging 12 on Saturdays and 8 on Tuesdays, and we have new folks joining us each week.  Our decision to move to a discussion format in the fall had a very good impact on our group and we’ve enjoyed experimenting with what works to meet all of our needs.

The most recent decision to join Meetup.com (http://www.meetup.com/Creative-Spirit-UCC/) and start meeting in coffee houses and restaurants has *really* worked well. We’ve been out-right told, “I waited until you were in neutral territory before I was willing to check you out.” It seems our previous location in a yoga studio was still too churchy for those who are understandably leery of organized religion, while a coffee shop is “neutral territory” with an easier exit strategy!    So, coffee shops, it is.

Cafe Caffeine, where we’ve met in recent weeks for our Saturday gathering, has the capacity to continue to be a great place which we can pack each Saturday from 5:00-6:30.  As our group grows, we do NOT want to lose our discussion format.  We’ll continue to discuss topics together in groups; we may just have 2 or 3 groups sitting around that space and then coming back as a large group to share our small-group insights.

The exciting thing about starting a new faith community is the core of folks starting it can make it whatever they think it needs to be!  The vision of a faith community that is radically open, values the beauty of all faiths, and practices a much more progressive form of Christianity than many have ever seen is really catching on.

We DO stand for something.  Our dogma list is just a LOT shorter than some–God loves you, now lets get off our duffs and go do good in the world.  Everything else is up for dialogue, and even those first two can be up for discussion.  Our Tuesday 6:00 pm. G.I.G. (God Investigation Group) at Freddie’s Place has been excellent as we discuss The 8 Points of Progressive Christianity.  We’re moving onto the second point this week, but I’m sure we’ll come back to our differing understandings of Jesus (point 1) as we jump around from time to time in our discussion.

Our Saturday gatherings have kicked off the new year by considering our personalities and how they influence our spiritual path and way we relate to God/the Divine.  It’s been really interesting, and we have new “a-has” hitting us all the time.  Saturday the 17th, we are taking a roadtrip to College Station for my ordination and the party afterwards (all are welcome to join us!  Carpool leaves at noon Saturday and returns early evening).  But THEN, on the 24th, we’ll talk about our “spirit-given” gifts and how our personalities influence the way we move and work and serve in the world.  For instance, an introvert with the gift of hospitality will use that gift differently than will an extrovert with that same gift; each equally important!

We hope you’ll check us out whenever you can.  We you do, we’ll treat you like family, and here–that’s a good thing!

Peace,

Carla