Small groups are a great way to get to know people, as you come together over several weeks to explore a specific topic or activity together. This fall, several Common Street Spiritual Center members are facilitating small groups for the community between October and December. Here is the full list:
Watch our Introduction to Fall Small Groups!
Answers to Common Questions
- These are not intended to be drop-in groups. Before you register, please mark the dates on your calendar and make sure you will be able to attend regularly.
- You do not have to be a member of Common Street Spiritual Center to participate. But non-members are asked to make a donation to help us continue to offer programs like these. Make your donation now.
- Registration closes the day before each group’s first meeting, or when the group is full (whichever comes first).
- Spring 2026 small groups are likely to run from March 1 to May 9, 2026.
Additional questions? Contact the group leader, or Anne Lafleur at anne@commonstreet.org
Full descriptions for each small group can be found below.
Foundations of Communion
Day & Time: Sundays from 6:00-7:30 pm
Location: Meeting Room at Common Street Spiritual Center
Specific Dates: 10/5, 10/19, 11/2, 11/16, 11/30, 12/14
Desired group size: 2-10
What to expect: This is a discussion group for exploring deeper topics such as: the nature of spirituality; the nature of truth; the foundations of morality; identity and community; natural vs supernatural beliefs; and the challenges inherent in human nature. We’ll be explorers with a goal: The identification of “common concepts,” those understandings which we find humanity to hold by consensus. If we find such common concepts, they might form the basis of a more universally shared sense of purpose and meaning. Such shared beliefs could help to restore strength and vigor to anyone’s more active participation in pursuing the goals shared by the whole community of life! In other words, we’ll be seeking communion on a spiritual level by exercising our fluency in the most impactful truths we share.
About the Facilitator: Guy Johnson’s journey has taken him through many different phases and settings in life, including poverty and affluence, the full breadth of the United States and many locations abroad, engaging in conversations with people from diverse cultures and spiritual perspectives, and through the writings of many great thinkers. He has a deep appreciation for the various journeys people take in their lives, and appreciates even more the discovery of what binds us together in mutual respect and support.
Questions? Contact Guy at commonstreet@guyjohnson.org
Register now for Foundations of Communion
Women’s Circles of Friendship
Day & Time: Tuesdays from 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Location: Meeting Room at Common Street Spiritual Center
Specific Dates: 10/7, 10/21, 11/4, 11/18, 12/2
Desired group size: Up to 10
What to expect: In these challenging and uncertain times, many of us are yearning for connection, understanding, and a safe space to simply be. Women’s Circles of Friendship are gatherings where women can come together to support one another, find refuge, and deepen intimacy with themselves and each other.
We will gather not to fix or solve. Instead, we will create a space for shared presence, genuine listening and honest conversation. Together, we will identify and explore the topics that matter most to us — and allow our collective curiosity and wisdom to guide where our journey takes us. Our time together will include short meditations, music, poetry and sharing to the extent our heart desires.
Here, your story is welcome. Your silence is welcome. Your laughter, your tears, and your questions are welcome. I invite you to bring your whole self, as you are, and join me in weaving a circle of friendship, compassion, and belonging. The circle is the journey, and we are each other’s home.
About the Facilitator: Nava Friedman-Wils walks beside others on the path of transformation with deep presence, compassion, and care. Her journey has led her through many streams of wisdom— senior leadership positions in corporate America, healing sciences, spiritual traditions, and practices of listening to life in all its beauty and grief. She holds space where the personal, professional, and spiritual meet, inviting people to awaken to their true essence, navigate life’s thresholds, and remember the joy of living in connection with self, community, and Spirit.
Questions? Contact Nava at Everyname20@gmail.com
Register now for Women’s Circles of Friendship
Consciously Choosing Change… An Act of Creativity & Empowerment
Day & Time: Thursdays from 6:30 – 8:00pm
Location: Meeting Room at Common Street Spiritual Center
Specific Dates: 10/9, 10/23, 11/6, 11/20, 12/4
Desired group size: 4-10
What to expect: I feel that any person seeking to view Life through new eyes would enjoy this group. The crazy fast paced world in which we live offers hardly enough time to hear ourselves think, never mind find ways to ponder choices before making any changes in how we want to live. In a culture that almost vilifies change yet insists that we shift constantly while everything is whirling at lightning fast speeds, it becomes essential to embrace the processes of change not as an enemy, but rather as an ally. As we consider, then realize, that change is an invitation to be creative, and we discover ways to empower new opportunities and new outcomes, we can literally bring into being newly expanding versions of ourselves and of this world. We can learn to befriend change, to Consciously Choose Change, and this shift is most assuredly “a change for the better”.
About the Facilitator: Kathleen Byrnes is a Creative Change Consultant, Conflict ReSolution Conductor, Life Enhancement Facilitator, and Clinical Death Experiencer.
Rooted in experiences gathered through years of offering counseling in Social Service and other fields grew her desire to assist people with finding the best in themselves when Life’s unavoidable changes come to call.
She has a BS in Psychology and Sociology, advanced certifications in Conflict Resolution, Grief and Loss Processing, and multiple perspectives regarding Spiritual Awakening studies.
Additionally, Kathleen’s own Clinical Death Experience (sometimes referred to as an NDE) while in her mid-30’s assuredly opened doors of perception leading beyond the limits of fear and how fear plays with our lives. This phenomenon deepened her conviction that there’s so much more to living than “meets the eye”. For this reason, Kathleen has access to remarkably expansive information networks that expand beyond our everyday realities. She finds deep joy in sharing these access points with others who are open to experiencing their Life as being more than functioning through daily responsibilities. Are you ready to truly Start Living Now?
Questions? Contact Kathleen at peacefulpeople@live.com
Register now for Consciously Choosing Change
Spirit Songs Gatherings
Day & Time: Tuesdays from 7:00-8:30pm
Location: Sanctuary at Common Street Spiritual Center
Specific Dates: 10/14, 10/28, 11/11, 11/25, 12/9
Desired group size: 5-20
What to expect: Join us in circle to sing soulful songs that uplift the heart and spirit. No experience is needed—just a willingness to add your voice and share in the joy of music, connection, and community. Musicians are warmly invited to bring guitars, drums, flutes, or other instruments to help weave the sound. If you would like to suggest a particular song, email it to the leaders so they can learn it before the circle.
Here are the themes we are planning:
- October 14- Medicine Songs
- October 28- Earth Songs
- November 11- Spiritual Mantras
- November 25- Spiritual Songs
- December 9- Bring a song to share!
About the Facilitators: Amanda Short and Willow Rose are longtime lovers of music, community, and soulful connection. We believe singing together can be one of the most powerful ways we heal, celebrate, and feel a sense of belonging. We’re excited to create a welcoming space where voices and instruments can come together in harmony.
Questions? Contact Amanda at divineconnectionsboston@gmail.com and/or Willow at conspiratrix@gmail.com
Writing Your Heart Out
Day & Time: Mondays from 7:00-8:30pm
Location: Meeting Room at Common Street Spiritual Center
Specific Dates: 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 11/24
Desired group size: 4-9
What to expect: Have you ever wanted to share something you wrote but it feels too vulnerable to do so? This group will offer a safe, fun and low pressure way to explore your writing proclivities. We’ll pick a topic, a prompt or a sentence stem and you’ll have the week to write anything in response to that sentence stem. For example, you could write a poem, a haiku, a short story or a longer story to any of the prompts below:
- “it’s so much fun to….” Or
- “I first discovered how much I love to…” Or
- “the thing I remember most about being a child is…”
- Or we pick a topic: joy, grief, exploration, failure, childhood…etc.
We’ll share what we wrote with the group and get some thoughts and feelings in response. And, if you have writer’s block, take the week off and just listen to all of the wonderful sharing from the others in the group. The purpose is simply to explore our writing creativity in a low pressure, fun and supportive way. No prior writing experience necessary.
About the Facilitator: Dan Dangler has been attending Common Street for about 2 years. Both professionally and personally, he has nurtured a practice of guidance in leadership, spiritual, and relationship growth. Dan leads a team of leadership development professionals at Beth Israel Lahey Health. He has also been writing poetry for years but so far has kept it fairly underground. As a coach, guide and change agent, Dan has used his writing to help himself and others to discover self-acceptance and inner wisdom while accessing their vast imagination to rediscover their true original, joyful selves. He loves dogs, nature and loves to laugh through this wonderfully hard adventure called life.
Questions? Contact Dan at ddangler@bilh.org
Register now for Writing Your Heart Out
Live Your Spiritual Values in Today’s Challenging World
Day & Time: Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30pm
Location: Selina’s home on Hamilton Rd in Arlington
Specific Dates: 10/22, 10,29, 11/5, 11/12
Desired group size: 3-6
What to expect: This is a gathering for people who are looking to live their spiritual values and feel challenged at times to do so in our highly polarized world.
It’s my hope that our gathering will be a place for people to feel safe, as they discuss the challenges they face, the discoveries they’re making about themselves, and it will be a place where we learn new spiritually based teachings practices and concepts that help us move more ease fully in our daily life from love.
This is not a place for complaining or kvetching. I’ll present a topic (see topics below) and share a practice and then we open to group discussion.
No homework except to perhaps live your life with new ideas, concepts and spiritual practices that were discussed during our meeting.
TOPICS:
Week 1: Using Your Natural Gift of Vibrational Healing
In this meeting we discuss the power of taking time daily to send high vibrational healing to others, to yourself, and to the world. Come share your experiences and techniques and learn the process that I’ve been using for over 30 years to send healing vibrations through higher dimensions.
Week 2: The Power of the Pause
In a moment of difficulty and constraint, stopping and creating space between you and the difficult moment is a magical transformational tool. Let’s practice and together learn how to hit pause as a high frequency response to low frequency moments.
Week 3: The Importance of Community
Today, more than ever it’s important to surround yourself with high vibrational beings. It’s equally important to know when it’s time to be compassionate and when it’s time to leave behind others who consistently walk in low frequency. Join us as we discuss the challenges we face holding compassion and discernment at the same time. We will also review the holy practice of: Namaste and send them on their way.
Week 4: Bring in Moments of Delight and Joy Daily!
I’ll share an important message that was channeled from the Masters of Oneness in early spring about the importance of joy and moments of delight in our daily life. Then the group will share how they bring joy into their world, and I’ll share an important 2-part practice that you can use every single day.
If you sign up, please be prepared to come in person to each meeting as this is not a drop in circle.
About the Facilitator: Selina Maitreya is a lecturer, author, and spiritual teacher who specializes in Practical Spirituality — a spiritual philosophy that helps people use their daily challenges to access deeper peace. Her new book, Raise Your Frequency, Transform Your Life, was published in June 2024 and forms the foundation of this course. Selina lives in Arlington, MA and is excited for this opportunity to connect with the Common Street community. Learn more at www.practicalspiritualitywithselina.com/
Questions? Contact Selina at selina@selinamaitreya.com
Register now for Live Your Spiritual Values
Reflections on the Life of the Spirit
Day & Time: Saturdays from 6:30-9:30 pm (with potluck supper)
Location: Fran Pollitt’s home on Concord Rd in Wayland, MA
(Note that two dogs and a cat also share the space)
Specific Dates: 11/1, 11/8, 11/22, 11/29
Desired group size: 2-10
What to expect: Welcome to this short course on Reflections on the Life of the Spirit that includes reading, reflecting and discussing the meanings of a few spiritual texts from the Baha’i Writings using a workbook modality. For instance, “The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct.” You will be encouraged to share your thoughts in this safe environment where we listen to each other and engage our minds and hearts to approach deeper understandings. All faith perspectives and agnostic and atheist perspectives are welcome.
Information on the Baha’i Faith can be found here: https://www.bahai.org/
A simple potluck dinner will precede the study. Participants will consider creating a service project as an outcome of this short course of study.
About the Facilitator: Says Frances Pollitt: While serving overseas in the Peace Corps, on a very small coral atoll, I was struck with the knowledge that I was free from all influence: family, friends, culture. It was an opportunity to explore the spiritual nature of things. On the windward side of the island I asked, “God, if you are there, show me which religion to follow?” What followed is a lifelong love of the subject – and a growing appreciation for all our paths towards enlightenment. Presently I live in Wayland and enjoy the meadows surrounding us and seek out opportunities to engage in elevated conversations with friends and acquaintances.
Questions? Contact Frances at francespollitt@gmail.com