A Covenant Group or Small Group is made up of six to twelve people who meet regularly for discussion and conversation. They are a smaller, caring unit within the larger “beloved community” that is the church as a whole. Small Group ministry provide an opportunity for individuals to build deeper relationships with other group members and a stronger relationship to the church and its mission. It is a great opportunity to get to know fellow members and to enrich your personal and spiritual life.
You do not have to be a member or friend of NSUC to be a member of a Covenant Group or Small Group. These are not closed support groups. As new members are added the group divides to continue to provide small group interactions and the opportunity for new people to become involved.
Through our encounter with others, Small Group Ministry affirms the inherent worth and dignity of each person. Every member has a voice and is heard. The defining purpose of a covenant group is to enhance individual religious growth while bringing people into the integrity of right relationship with each other and with the larger world.
You are invited to join a Covenant Group or Small Group. Contact our Membership Coordinator at 847-235-1958 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions or to start attending a group.
The standing groups listed below are actively recruiting new members.
The Family UUnit
This group meets the 3rd Saturday of each month from 4pm to 7pm. They alternate monthly between parenting discussions centered around one of the Seven Principles and family activities based on one of the Seven Principles. Each meeting, the group shares a meal. Children are always invited - they are either included in the discussion and activities or cared for.
Vintage Seniors Group
This seniors group meets the second Tuesday of each month, 10:30am to 12:30 pm. The group always has a discussion on a variety of topics followed by a potluck lunch.
UUs Together Group
Meets the 3rd Monday of each month from 11:00 – 1:00 in Room 8. From our Annual Joke Meeting to meetings where we focus on coping with loss, this Covenant Group runs the gamut! All Significant Birthdays (those ending in 5 or 0) are celebrated, and we also celebrate and learn about our members travels, favorite books, or hobbies. Some of our favorite meetings feature guest speakers – experts who can fill our heads with all kinds of interesting new things! We welcome new members who are seniors like us who would like to experience enrichment, support, and fellowship.
Women's Book Group
Readers Welcome! The NSUC Women’s Book Group meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 pm in the Hearth Room, September through May. Come share your love of reading and company with us.
Articulating Your UU Faith
Each meeting is led by a different group member, with brief readings related to the broad topic of articulating one's UU Faith (AYUUF for short). New members are very welcome, or really anyone with an interest in exploring Unitarian Universalism. The group meets monthly on second Wednesdays at 7pm from September through June.
Write Onward Group
With an exploration of all forms of the written word, this group meets every other Saturday from 10:30am to 12 at the Vernon Hills Corner Bakery. This is the perfect small group for lovers of writing. Bring your pen and paper because "We Love new members!"
Spirit Writers Group
The new Covenant Group, Spirit Writers takes a concept from the earlier group and tweaks it in a personal and often spiritual direction. Our focus is to use our writing as a catalyst to explore our lives, our selves, our concerns, and our spiritual natures. The group, which meets on the second Sunday of the month after second service in Room 8, builds discussions from writing prompts given the previous meeting. These would be simple prompts that could be explored in any way the member chooses, and no assumption of authorial brilliance is made: this group is not limited to self-proclaimed writers (though they are, of course, welcome).
For instance, we might provide a prompt that asks something like What early childhood plaything was most significant in shaping the person you have become? and then, sharing the poems, stories and reflections that derive from this thought, build our conversation. Or our prompts might even be less directive, as in: A drunk man sits next to you in a bar and starts expounding upon "the truth." If you were to respond, what would "the truth" be to you? or Once I dreamed about...