Care and Connection
Sharing Circles
Sharing Circles help us step out of ordinary time into a safe and accepting environment where we can connect and share what’s important right now, including both our joys and celebrations and the challenges and dilemmas of being human on this planet, of relationship, of aging, of illness and health, grief and loss. These gatherings meet our deep need to build human connection and the community we long for. Topics and themes arise organically from the group’s experience. Come in for a cup of tea and share what’s on your heart or simply be present for others.
Our Sharing Circles are coordinated and facilitated by Jennifer Keane, M. Ed. who has over thirty years of experience as a therapist, group facilitator, and mindfulness teacher. She has also been a provider of spiritual care, hospice, and end-of-life care.
Guidelines:
- Listen deeply
- Speak from the heart
- Share speaking time
- Respect confidentiality
All Sharing Circles take place at the Saskatoon Unitarians, 213 2nd St. East, Saskatoon.
Drop-In Circle
Tuesdays 10am to noon
This open circle is a wonderful way to meet new people and to deepen friendship and a sense of belonging. It is a safe place to explore whatever’s on your heart and mind and to bear witness to the courage of others as they do the same. Excitement, and joy, fear and despair, grief, loneliness, or something you’re still trying to describe – all are welcome here!
Mindful Sharing Circle
Fridays 10-11:30am
We start and end with a short, guided mindfulness practice to help us ground ourselves and be present as we speak, listen, and share the space. Each person checks in sharing what’s on their heart and mind. We find common themes and discuss our own experiences. The conversation develops organically with the facilitator maintaining safety, respect, and ensuring that everyone is included. Our intention is that each person feels supported, included, and inspired and leaves with a lighter heart.
Stay connected!
Want to lend a hand? Volunteer to send cards, make phone calls, offer rides, or help out in other caring ways.
Need a little support? Whether you’re facing a challenge, grieving a loss, or just need someone to talk to, we’re here for you.
Let’s build a community rooted in compassion and connection.
It is well named – The Sharing Circle! Rarely do we get a chance to sit with a group of people whose only goal is to talk seriously, often with humor, always respectful and in any direction, for a couple of hours. There is no pressure, no preparation, and no expectation. The circle is a welcoming, enriching experience under the gentle guidance of Jennifer who also pours tea! It’s what the world needs now – more C’n’C (Care and Connection).
The world can feel really dark and hopeless these days. But one antidote to getting down about the state of the world is participating in community. Care and Connection offers some opportunities to connect with and help each other. I have been on the giving and receiving ends of care and connection and it has really helped me! We all could use a little extra love and support sometimes. Community is the antidote to so many ills.
At a time of great upheaval in my life, I looked for people who I could feel comfortable with, people having similar values. I started attending a singing group, “Circle of Song”, led by a Unitarian. This attracted me to start attending Sunday services and events. Someone in the congregation shared, with me, his experiences of receiving support and then becoming a volunteer with Care and Connection, that supports people in times of difficulty, as well as sharing in their joys by sending cards at celebratory occasions. I liked that this community placed value on that. I became a volunteer with this committee and felt good to be involved in contributing to making someone’s life a little easier and giving them a sense that they are cared about, that they are not alone. In doing this I got to know more people, gained a sense of purpose and feeling of belonging for myself. I am grateful for this opportunity I have had to give and receive through Care and Connection.
We appreciate the willingness and commitment of people to volunteer to send a card, make a meal, a phone call, a visit, a ride or pick up groceries. It allows the compassion and care in our community to thrive.