Small-Group Ministries &
Social Connections
Unitarian Universalist Women's Group in Santa Barbara
Women's Circle
The Women's Circle Mission Statement: As members and friends of Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Santa Barbara and Goleta, we dedicate ourselves to exploring concerns that pertain to us as women. We aim to create a welcoming and supportive space for all who feel a connection with women’s issues. We foster meaningful conversations, learning, and connection within our community.
While our aim is to meet monthly, the frequency of our gatherings depends on the will of the group and volunteers to initiate, plan, and calendar events. We enjoyed a Women's Retreat (May 2025) in Camp Ocean Pines, Cambria. We held our inaugural Women's Circle luncheon at Live Oak on October 25, 2025, and we gather on 4th Saturdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on the patio or in Fellowship Hall, weather dependent.
We take our inspiration from a variety of resources, including Live Oak members past and present. The Unitarian Universalist Association provides inspiration too: https://www.uua.org/spiritual-theme/women(opens in new tab). The Unitarian Universalist Women and Religion(opens in new tab) organization also provides resources. Many of our Women's Circle group also belong to our Earth-Centered. Ministry(opens in new tab). For more information, go to Live Oak Social Connections(opens in new tab). CONTACT: womens.circle@liveoakgoleta.org(opens in new tab)
Covenant Groups
Covenant Groups represent another small-group ministry in our congregational life at Live Oak UU Congregation. The aim of Covenant Groups is to serve our community's need for small-group ministry that facilitates meaningful connections between Live Oak UUC members and friends, enabling opportunity for ongoing spiritual growth, deeper self-knowledge, and broader awareness of how others pursue questions of faith and doubt. We have four thriving Covenant Groups, who use the UUA's curriculum, Soul Matters, centered on a theme each month. Some groups meet on Zoom, and others meet in person. If you are interested in joining a Covenant Group, contact our administrator: (805) 967-7867 administrator@liveoakgoleta.org.
Links:
Young Adult Group
Swing Dancing
Book Group
The Live Oak Book Group has been meeting once a month in the evening for over 25 years usually with 8-12 people. Books are usually chosen for the next month by one person who leads that discussion, which is free-flowing after each is given a chance to give their general feeling or statement about the book. Books are fiction or non-fiction, hopefully readily and inexpensively available (library, paperback, borrowed and shared).
While the group is not closed, the small size facilitates good inclusive discussion. If we get too many, a new group could always be started with a different time frame, specific topic, or style. We would be glad to help.
These monthly or twice-monthly Friday night films shown will often anticipate and relate to Rev. Jonathan's upcoming service. Come enjoy fellowship and let the movie whet your appetite for Sunday worship. Either eat in advance or bring your dinner with you. Those living in senior communities might have kitchen prepare a dinner to go.Santa Barbara & Goleta
Hookers & Needlers
We meet weekly on Friday mornings from 10-12. We do all sorts of needlework and fabric crafts while we chat and solve the worlds problems (as well as our own). We welcome newcomers and are happy to share our skills and patterns with everyone.
Men's Connection
Each man can speak from a deep place without concern that they will be interrupted, criticized, or judged. Thus, each man can be more truthful, vulnerable, and less self-conscious. The listener listens with an open heart. There are no rebuttals or position themselves to appear witty or critical. The dialogue is not an interactive process but an intra-active one; where the work is to hear and share one’s feelings and connections with others’ experiences and comments. All men are welcome who are interested to connect with other men, explore personal issues and offer mutual support.
We meet off campus for lunch on Wednesdays at noon, and hold monthly or quarterly meetings in the Cottage at Live Oak. For more information, contact: mens.connection@liveoakgoleta.org(opens in new tab)