Small Group Ministry
Home Base Sessions to
Explore Important Issues with Family and Friends
By Peter Friedman Bowden
UU Planet Ministry and Media
Dear Friends,
There is so much happening in the world! Is your head spinning? Is your heart heavy? Are you sad or angry? With all that is happening and all the debates being brought to our attention, it is time to talk.
We all need to talk about the issues facing our planet, global community, our country, our town, our families, our friends and neighbors, and those suffering outside of the media spotlights.
Everyone needs a safe place to explore issues, a home base. Many people in our Unitarian Universalist congregations have found small groups through our formal Small Group Ministries, Covenant Groups, and adult programs. They are serving many of us, but not all.
People of all ages are desperate for a place to talk, to share, to explore.
This resource offers a basic format for any family or group of friends, colleagues, or students to come together and talk about things that really matter. The sessions offer a simple structure to create room for reflection, sharing, and exploration. They do not contain any content other than our lives and our world. When we call a “Home Base” session, we are simply pulling people together to discuss what is already on our hearts and minds.
This resource contains the following:
- A general template for a “Home Base” session
- A “Home Base” session entitled “After Natural Disaster”
- A blank session outline you may use for developing your own “Home Base” sessions
I invite you to try to bring your family and/or friends together for a “Home Base” session. You need not call it that, though I believe having a name for what you are doing is helpful. You may find that once you do, the people you meet with want more!
In faith,
Peter Freedman Bowden
UU PLANET Ministry and Media
(401) 855-0037
www.uuplanet.com 
Home Base Sessions
Basic Session Template
Home Base sessions are simple plans for gathering your family or other group to discuss significant issues and world events. When significant events happen, we need to create a time and space where we can share information, stories, feelings, ideas, hopes, and concerns, and when necessary, make plans for taking action. What follows is a general template for a “Home Base” session. Remember, there is no limit to the issues we can explore together. Anytime we come together, we can support one another and learn.
Opening Ritual
Use a simple ritual to open the session. This might be holding hands in a circle and having a moment of silence, lighting a candle or chalice, ringing a chime, and/or reading centering words.
Introduction
Explain the reason for calling a home base session. Identify the event or issue you will be focusing on for the session. Quickly review why it is important for your family or group to talk about this.
Check-In (~15 minutes)
Briefly check in one at a time.
You might say:
“Before we talk about this, let's check in briefly. Is there anything else going on that you want to share? Let's go around in a circle and share anything that we'd each like to share before we start. How are you? What's going on? I'll start….”
What Has Happened (~10–15 minutes)
Offer a brief overview of what has happened. After your overview, invite additional sharing of information. What else do you know? What have you heard? Get the primary story and facts out on the table. After ten minutes or so, stop and summarize what the group knows. “Let's stop here for a moment. So far we know…”
Personal Reactions (~30 minutes)
Invite participants to share their feelings. You might say: “We're going to take time to share how we are each personally reacting to this ¾ how we are feeling, what's on our minds. If you have a question, share it, and we can discuss it once we've all shared how we're feeling.”
You might say:
“Let's take a moment to reflect and think about how we're each feeling. Then we'll take turns sharing our personal reactions.” Take a minute or two to be in silence. After the brief period of silence, ask the group how they feel about the event or issue. What have they been thinking about?
Exploration (~30 minutes)
After establishing the facts and hearing how people are feeling, move on to the significance or meaning of the event or issue. The purpose of this time is to help the group explore the questions they have and to identify the meaning or significance of the event or issue.
What questions does this event or issue raise? What is the significance of this? What does this mean? How does this relate to our lives, our values, and our beliefs? How does this relate to our faith/religion? What are the challenges or opportunities created by it? What do we, as a group, need to do to address the issue? Do we need to take any specific actions? If so, what's the plan?
Check-Out (~10–15 minutes)
Let the group know when you are getting near the end of your time. Invite each person to share any additional comments and how they feel about the session. Ask for any suggestions for future sessions .
Closing Ritual
It is important to close the session. Use a ritual that balances the opening ritual, which might include extinguishing a candle or chalice or sounding a chime.
After Natural Disaster:
Home Base Session
Opening Ritual
This can be the sharing of a reading, lighting a candle or chalice, or any other kind of simple, sacred act.
Introduction
Once everyone has gathered, explain the reason for calling a home base session. What has happened? Summarize the event in one sentence. Just identify the natural disaster. Something like, “We're having a home base session because there has been an earthquake in…a tsunami has struck the people of…a hurricane as hit the coast of…” You are letting people know why you have gathered, not event details.
Quickly review the purpose of “Home Base” sessions: “Because this has happened, it is important for us as a family (or other group) to take time to share what we've seen and heard, how we're feeling, what we're thinking, our hopes and concerns, and our prayers for those who have been affected, and to discuss how we can help them.”
Check-In
Briefly check in one at a time. This is a time to find out how each person is doing.
What Has Happened?
Offer a brief overview of what has happened. You can do this or have someone else volunteer. After the overview, invite additional sharing of information. What else do you know? What have you heard? Get the primary story and facts out on the table. After fifteen minutes or so, summarize what the group knows. “Let's stop here for a moment. So far we know…”
Personal Reactions
Take time to have each person share how she or he is reacting to this event. How you are feeling? What's on your mind? What questions do you have? Make a list of questions to explore after everyone has shared how they are feeling.
Exploration
After establishing the facts and hearing how people are feeling, move on to the significance or meaning of the event or issue for those participating in the group. The purpose of this time is to help the group explore the questions they have about the event and its meaning.
Ask what questions people have about the disaster.
Start with questions from the group. Remember to address questions raised during earlier sharing. Natural disasters raise many questions. As you lead this session, keep in mind the questions below. It is important to note that children may be worried about these issues even if they are not articulating them.
- Why did this happen? What are the chances this is going to happen to us? Are we in danger?
- Natural disasters are often referred to as “acts of God.” Natural disasters raise theological questions. Is there a God? If so, why was this allowed to happen?
- Can we stop this from happening again? What do we need to do to be prepared?
- Who is responsible for helping the people affected by this?
- What's our responsibility to these people? If I want to help, what can I do?
Check-Out
Briefly check in with each person again, one at a time. This allows participants to express how they are feeling at this moment.
Closing Ritual
This can be the extinguishing of a candle or chalice, sharing a reading, or any other simple, sacred act.
Home Base Session Outline
Home Base sessions are simple gatherings for families or groups of friends, colleagues, or students to discuss significant issues and world events. When something important happens, we need to create a time and space to process what has happened. We need to share information, stories, feelings, ideas, hopes, and concerns and make plans for taking action. Use the blank session outline below to map out your own Home Base session.
Opening Ritual
Introduction (Identify topic and review purpose of Home Base sessions)
Check-In (Sharing off topic)
What Has Happened (The story and the facts)
Personal Reactions (Sharing thoughts, feelings, hopes, concerns)
Exploration (Group questions; significance; connection to values, beliefs, our faith)
Check-Out
Closing Ritual
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