Instructions for Facilitating a Meeting

A Chalice Circle facilitator has two roles: preserving the sacred space and directing the flow of the meeting.  

The Flow of the Meeting

•	A welcome Statement - “I’m glad to see you…” or “Welcome to this evenings meeting on…” or “I’m please to able to facilitate this meeting…”
•	Chalice Lighting - Invite someone to light the chalice. You can either invite someone to read the chalice lighting text or have everyone read it together.  
•	Reading the Covenant - If your covenant is a series of agreements, each person in the Circle could read a line.  If it has been word-smithed into a compact covenant, it could be read in unison.
•	Check-in - Invite the members of the Circle to give a statement about their present situation to bring each one into the Circle and begin the process of creating a sacred space.
•	Opening Reading - Introduce the reading and decide how it should be done.  If you judge it to be appropriate for responsive reading, chose who reads each part. If you think it is best to read a line at a time around the Circle or in unison, ask the members to do that.
•	Sitting in Silence – There are usually instructions in the Order of Service that you can read to introduce this part of the meeting.  Closing you eyes signals the start of this mini-meditation and opening them signals its end.
•	Sharing Our Stories and Deep Listening – This is the heart of the Chalice Circle experience. Invite the participants to begin, usually as the spirit moves them, to tell the stories they have prepared.  Ask the group to observe a 30 second silence after each sharing to allow what has been said to settle before moving on to the next story. There should be no interruption or comments during this time.
•	Response - After everyone has spoken, most Circles like to acknowledge each other’s experiences and add further comments on their own experiences in this area of their lives. We can call this “second sharing” or “acknowledging” or “discussion”.
•	Check-out – Invite the members to say how they are feeling at the end of the meeting.  Or you could ask each person to say what they liked about the meeting and then what they would wish for future meetings.  This begins the process of coming out of sacred space.
•	Closing Reading -This is a bookend, much like the introductory reading, signaling the end of the sacred space.
•	Business – This is a time to bring up any issues that need to be discussed; handing out the topic for the next meeting, choosing topics for future meetings, considering a service project, amending the covenant, or moving the meetings to someone’s home.
•	Extinguishing the Chalice – The farewell reading is usually done in unison and everyone stands around the chalice to blow out the candle. 

Suggested Timing

Opening and Chalice Lighting…………………….…..3 minutes
Check-in (1 to 2 min. per person)…………………….18 minutes
Opening Reading………………………………..……….2 minutes
Sitting in Silence………………………..……………….3 minutes
Sharing our Experiences (5 min. per person)……...50 minutes
Response…………………………………………………15 minutes
Closing Reading………………………………………….2 minutes
Check-out……………………………………………….. 3 minutes
Business………….......................................................variable
Closing and Extinguishing the Chalice……………….2 minutes 

Preserving the Sacred Space

The facilitator, aided by the covenant and the format, is the guardian of the sacred space of a Chalice Circle meeting.  Holding this space is usually more of a “not-doing” than a doing, allowing sharings and communications to unfold organically.  However, holding to the format and ensuring that all participants share the time equally can require some direction. And an active intervention might be necessary if a participant engages in disruptive or intrusive behavior.   The permanent facilitators have been trained to handle such issues, but all facilitators have access to church support and may consult the minister if needed. 
Coordinator:  Markate Daly  (510) 548-5139
Minister:  Bill Hamilton-Holway  (510) 525-0302   Ext. 10