What Programmes Do We Offer?

Spiritual Development Programs

Social Responsibility

Yoga and Meditation

Chant Club

Spiritual Development Programs

The SD committee of the Congregation sees Spiritual Development as extending throughout our lifespan. At all ages Spiritual Development should provide a framework for looking at the world from a Unitarian perspective and should promote awareness of others and of social service.  It should also build friendships and community and should above all be enjoyable.

Children's programmes are provided every Sunday during the adult services. A teacher has been hired to provide programming based on a Unitarian curriculum for children up to 8 years of age. A teen helper is present to care for toddlers, and help with the other children and the setup and cleanup. The older pre-teen children are taught by volunteers from the congregation using Unitarian curricula.

For teens we have received a grant from the Canadian Unitarian Council to support "Project Teen." A Youth/Adult Committee has developed youth-designed and youth-run inter-generational programs; connected other congregations; provided continuous and regular programming; designed a regular coming of age ritual marking the transition into the youth group.  The youth group meets on friday nights and is opened up to new members twice a year.

The Congregation has also sponsored, along with neighbouring congregations, the Our Whole Lives (OWL) curriculum for young teens. Volunteers from Guelph have coordinated and presented two offerings to date of the programme but it is hoped that members of other congregations will participate in future offerings as cohorts of children reach the appropriate age.

We have begun to offer a adult spiritual development group.  We meet to listen to an episode of CBC's Tapestry (a prgram about spirituality and life) and then share and discuss.  The group is open to all.  One group meets on Wednesday evenings at 7pm, the other on Thursday mornings at 10:30am.  See the Upcoming Services and Events for the next dates.  Please join us!

Social Responsibility

The Congregation at Guelph is actively involved in several social responsibility projects.

Under the leadership of a committee we provide volunteers to staff the snack program at Tytler School, collect food for the Drop In Center and contribute to International programs such as the USC and Childhaven.

Within the congregation we are working toward becoming a Green Sanctuary and provide speakers and information on current social issues.

We are members of the local committee of Kairos (Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives) and are members of Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice.

For information please contact Joan Rentoul at jorentoul@hotmail.com

Yoga and Meditation

Open Level Drop-in Yoga Classes and Meditation Sits

for more information, see our calendar or go to www.belovedyoga.ca

Chant Club

The Guelph Unitarians are pleased to provide a home for the Guelph Chant club. It meets the first Wednesday of every month at 7:45 pm and goes through an eclectic mix of chants from all the world's spiritual traditions---with a "world beat" groove. For more information, contact Dennis Gaumond: dgomo@golden.net