Welcome Letter 2 - More Information

Template: Welcome Letter 2 - More Information for Exploration 
 Google Doc: Original 
 When to Use 
 Sent 5-7 days after Welcome Letter 1 so as not to overwhelm. Contains deeper preparation materials including Circles of Trust orientation, spiritual direction information, and the full book list. 
 Template Text 
 
 Dear friends, 
 As we prepare for our UU Wellspring - Sources retreat on [DATE], and for our group to begin soon thereafter, we are reaching out with some materials to explore to help get oriented and grounded in Wellspring. 
 Though this email looks long, the videos are quite short and manageable. Please set aside a few periods of time between now and our retreat to engage with these materials and reflect using the journal prompt. Your retreat experience will be richer for it. 
 Circles of Trust 
 Parker Palmer shares a foundational rule for Circles of Trust and UU Wellspring groups: "No fixing, no saving, no advising, no setting each other straight." The rule is simple, but abiding by it is hard work for people accustomed to straightening each other out as a way of life. 
 "So what do we do in a circle of trust? We speak our own truth; we listen receptively to the truth of others; we ask each other honest, open questions instead of giving counsel; and we offer each other the healing and empowering gifts of silence and laughter." 
 -- Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer, p. 116 
 Circle of Trust Videos: 
 
 Chapter 4: Circles of Trust (4.5 min) 
 Chapter 5: Establishing the Conditions of Circles of Trust (5.5 min) 
 Circles of Trust in UU Wellspring (6.5 min) 
 
 Journal Prompt: What are the hallmarks of a circle of trust? According to Parker Palmer, what is the soul, and what can we do that might inhibit or welcome the soul? What are the obstacles to living an undivided life? 
 Spiritual Direction 
 UU Wellspring encourages all participants to have a spiritual companion while in UU Wellspring. There are several ways to accomplish this, which are laid out in the following video. We will discuss this more during the retreat. 
 Video: 
 
 Spiritual Direction (20 min) 
 
 Journal Prompt: What interests you about meeting with a spiritual director? What do you wonder about that might be an interesting topic to discuss with a spiritual director? 
 Required and Optional Books for Sources 
 Read as Much as You Can Before the Retreat: 
 
 Everyday Spiritual Practice: Simple Pathways for Enriching Your Life , Scott Alexander, editor 
 
 Optional (referred to throughout the program): 
 
 Voices from the Margins edited by Jacqui James and Mark D. Morrison-Reed 
 To Wake, To Rise: Meditations on Justice and Resilience edited by Rev. William Sinkford 
 
 Read Before Session 14: 
 
 Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind by Barbara Becker 
 
 Read Before Session 18: 
 
 Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer 
 
 NOTE: We have many of these books in our Foothills library in room 221. The books in the curriculum are also generally available through the UUA Inspirit bookstore or through your favorite online or local bookseller. If you are unable to purchase books and cannot find them at the library, let us know. 
 Finally, we are including this reminder to watch this short video on respect since we will be introducing ourselves using our pronouns: 
 
 Why Respecting Pronouns Is So Important (3.5 min) 
 
 With great anticipation of our journey together,
[Facilitator(s) name(s)] 
 
 Customization Notes 
 
 Fill in the retreat date 
 Update facilitator names 
 Confirm video links are still active 
 Check book availability in Foothills library 
 
 
 See Also 
 
 Welcome Letter 1 - The Basics 
 Circles of Trust 
 Required and Optional Books 
 Spiritual Directors List