Small Groups
New Spiritual Formation Groups Forming This Fall!
Interested in going deeper in your faith and in your connection to God and community? Join with us in small groups, as we explore six dimensions of our faith as exemplified in the practices of these major life streams of the church: Contemplative, the prayer-filled life; Holiness, the virtuous life; Charismatic, the spirit-empowered life; Social Justice, the compassionate life; Evangelical, the Word-centered life; and Incarnational, the sacramental life. These dimensions have been articulated through the work of Richard Foster, a Quaker theologian, whose materials will be used to provide a basis for discussion and building relationships. These are small groups meeting in homes every other week (or per group-agreed schedule). Contact Kurt Winikka if you are interested, or sign up after church on Regathering Sunday, September 13th, or Sunday September 20th. 
Ongoing Small Groups...
Friday Night Bible Study
This group meets on most Friday evenings at the home of Jan Jeffers Lo. Our time is opened with a simple liturgy of singing, candle-lighting, and Scripture. The Bible study varies; currently we are reading C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. Recently we studied the book of Job, a book about Paul, another on Holy Week, and the Gospel of Mark. For more information, please contact Jan Jeffers Lo. Sunday Morning Bible Study
Gather in the Tower Room on Sunday mornings at the 10:00 hour to get your hands dirty digging deeply into the Biblical text, turning over stones wherever we find them and trekking far beyond the bounds of the lectionary. Working through Scripture together, the group discussion can be by turns historical-critical, contextual, whimsical, or personal, but we always seek to get to know God and ourselves by sharing individual takes on the reading. Emphasis is on prayerful, open, and reflective response to the Bible and to one another. Topics and themes are to be determined by the group. Come as often or as little as you are able. For more information, contact Jaime Bonney. Contemplative Prayer Group
This group meets on Sundays from 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Lindsay Chapel, and includes fellowship and a light supper. The group is organized around the contemplative practice of Centering Prayer in extended silence, framed in chant and simple liturgy. Attendance is open--come one or come often! For more information contact Adwoa Lewis-Wilson. Poetry Group: Spiritual Exploration in Writing
The Psalmist wrote, "My heart overflows with a goodly theme; / I address my verse to the king; / my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe" (Ps. 45:1). Bring your own pen and overflowing heart to create something from yourself , to learn from and be in relationship with a supportive group, to reflect on your relationship with God. Come for writing as a therapeutic and healing practice, a way to nurture the spirit and to open yourself to self-exploration through words. The following tiny fragments were composed by First Church poetry lovers in anticipation of beginning this group: "...God's Word in us, / Us, God's Poetry," writes one. "Some words, like gentle hooks / Pick up pieces of my scattered spirit," says another, and "Come, nurture the abiding seed upwelling!" If you are able, bring your own original work or a poem you love to the first meeting. Date and time to be determined. Contact Carolyn GIbney for more information. Mental Health & Spirituality Group
This group meets each Sunday from 2:00-3:30 p.m. in the Tower Room, to share and explore how our mental health struggles and our faith inform each other. No one need discluse why he or she comes, and you may attend as often or as little as you like. Contact Terry McKinney or Carter West for more information. "Kyrie" Devotional Small Group
Join us each Sunday at 5:30 pm. for an hour of worship through Lectio Divina, prayer, and song. Open to all. Contact Lolita Paiewonsky for more information.Young Adults Group
Our vibrant young adult community at First Church is active in all aspects of the congregation's life and leadership. Young Adults tend to gather after church on 3rd Sundays of the month in coffee hour before choosing a spot for lunch in the Square. Dan Smith and Nancy Kilburn will be hosting this year's Young Adult/Newcomers Open House at the parsonage in late September, where the group will plan further activities for the year. If you have questions, contact Asher Kaboth. Daughters of Abraham
Founded in 2002, by First Church member Edie Howe, the purpose of the Daughters of Abraham is to increase respect for all of the Abrahamic religions by reading books that teach about one another's faith traditions and to learn from one another about the practice of our respective faiths. There are currently twelve women's book groups in the Boston area that meet monthly to discuss the books that the group chooses. A number of FIrst Church women are active in groups in Cambridge, Newton, and Arlington. To locate an existing group with openings or to obtain more information, visit the group's website at www.daughtersofabraham.info.Men’s Breakfast Group
Gentle men, please mark your calendars for morning breakfasts on the first Saturday of every month from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. in the Hastings Room. Fellowship, conversation, coffee, food, some Bible reading and commentary, a bit of theology, maybe some ethics, some church issues, and--- we’ll pray. Join us!Women's Retreat
31 years of the Women’s Retreat and still going strong(er than ever)! In 2009, a record number of First Church in Cambridge women and friends gathered on the first day of Spring and spent the weekend together at the Craigville Conference Center of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. Fifty women traveled to Cape Cod, sleeping bags and Bibles in tow, to explore the theme of “Faith and Community in Uncertain Times.” We engaged in honest and meaningful conversations in both large and small groups, worshiped, prayed, played together and above all, relaxed, simply sitting and relishing each other’s company.