Neighborhood Groups
      
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Neighborhood Groups:
 Here is a description or "recipe" for Neighborhood Groups which has been successful in the past: 
  1. convener for beginning group - agrees to stay convener/coordinator to foster group formation for at least 6 months till group gels.
  2. meet generally in peoples' homes or at parks not restaurants - allow freedom to talk to many attendees
  3. often intergenerational
  4. people invited who are interested whatever loose connection to "Neighborhood" - ie work there, play there, live there, know how to find a house there, etc.
  5. about 16-18 members is maximum size due to home size
  6. place of meeting rotates typically
  7. meetings regularly so people can count on it and form community
  8. activities are social -- just social/sharing of lives and fellowship
  9. potluck typically but not always
  10. Just Us does a new convener/coordinator every 6 mo rotation and this person makes sure there is a home for each month, and the host for the month sends out the invitation/reminders and sign up for potluck 
Contact Diane Frankle if you'd like to form a group, or want to join a group.  Diane will identify the right group for you.

NEW GROUPS FORMED IN SEPTEMBER 2006

We are creating two new fellowship opportunities for All Saints' parishioners who are not currently active in one of our two existing Neighborhood Groups. Neighborhood Groups are what their members make of them, and so if you participate you willshape these groups. Neighborhood groups are generally social, intergenerational, meet regularly in parishioner homes or nearby venues, and typically have their meetings around a meal.

"Neighborhood" is a loose geographic designation - our 2 new groups will be "Parish - North" and "Parish - South" oriented - in this case one will form in Menlo Park focusing on members from Downtown Palo Alto and northwards (e.g., Menlo Park, Atherton, Redwood City...) and the convener is Diane Frankle. Another will form in Mountain View and focus on members from Midtown Palo Alto southwards; its convenors are Heather Hadlock with Jeff Rensch and John Sack. You don't have to live in one of these neighborhoods; perhaps you work there or play there or just like the people who live there!

Attendees at the first meeting will pick names for their respective groups and set the initial goals and meeting dates, so if you want to check out either group come or let Diane or Heather know of your interest before the meetings.

Both new groups will meet for the first time on Sunday, September 24 from 5:30-8pm.

Diane's "Parish North" group will meet at her home in Menlo Park; this will be a potluck and Diane will provide drinks and paper plates. Heather's "Parish South" group will meet at Heather (and Madeleine's) home in Mountain View; Heather will provide the main dishand the rest of the meal will be potluck. RSVP to indicate what you want to bring. RSVP to Diane at Diane.Frankle@dlapiper.com, or 650-324-4858; RSVP to Heather at hhadlock@gmail.com or call 650 961-1647. Addresses can be exchanged when you RSVP.

If you are interested but can't meet at the chosen time let Diane or Heather know for the next
meeting.

Once we see the level of parish interest, we may suggest another group's formation. Participants in our two long-operating Neighborhood Groups cherish the chance to form strong family-like bonds with group members - if a regular fellowship with a small group is for you please let us know your interest.

The two existing groups, a Mountain View/Los Altos group and a Palo Alto Midtown group, are both very successful; that is why they are full! They tell us that about 16-18 members is the right size, that the place of meeting is usually at someone's home, but rotates among those whose homes can host such an event (people can join groups who can't host the events in their homes; they can help others host!); the meetings are regular so people can count on a particular date and time; the activites are social, with sharing of lives and fellowship; and that the role of convenor rotates about every six months, and the convenor makes sure there is a host for each month.

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