Committee on Groups

In a time increasingly marked by polarization, we invite members of the SFCP community to come together in dialogue that fosters reflection, engagement, and connection, moving beyond the familiar and comfortable. We aim to create conditions where participants can bring the fullness of their experience, including what may be difficult to put into words, and offer it to others in the spirit of genuine exchange. Our hope is to create a setting where each person can speak from the richness of their lived experience, and where differences in background, perspective, or ways of thinking are not barriers but invitations to explore new understandings.

We seek to cultivate an atmosphere where openness can replace certainty, and where each person can be surprised by their own speech as well as by what they hear from others. These conversations are intended to nourish a deeper sense of relatedness in our community — one that honors nuance, welcomes tension, and allows for the creative possibilities that arise when we meet across what separates us.

The gathering will also serve as a starting point for smaller groups, which we envision meeting on an ongoing basis — perhaps monthly — to continue these conversations in a more sustained and focused way. Participants in the larger gathering are expected to engage fully in the formation and ongoing work of these groups, which will provide a setting to build on the conversations initiated at the larger gathering and reflect collectively on all that has emerged.

We will reconvene the original large group in a follow-up event a year from now, offering participants the opportunity to share what has developed in their groups, reflect on what has been learned, and consider next steps for the future.

We hope you will join us in this effort.

The Committee on Groups