A time of transition.
Many people share a sense that something is wrong with our culture and with their place in it. Exploring what’s wrong and finding a path forward is a deeply personal journey, but it’s one best taken with friends. This is the essence of Transition Sundays.
What is Transition Sundays?
A monthly time for our individual learning journeys to intersect, merge, diverge and grow stronger. Show up, share a meal, share your skills and experiences, find support, get feedback, learn from others... or just lurk and listen. Attendees create, run and attend the activities.
Activities you might run or attend:
- De-Google a phone or email account.
- Take a walk and learn what plants you can eat.
- Learn to mend your clothes.
- Talk through conscious financing (local investing, values-based investing, etc.)
These examples should motivate, not dictate, what fits in Transition Sundays. Transition Sundays should be what you and your community want it to be.
A Transition Sunday group is only as successful as it's members are active - it is a cup to be filled.
where we are → where we want to be
What happens on the day?
In short: people arrive, they eat, the activities for that day are described, activities are assigned to a time slot and then people attend them. Rinse and repeat.
It aims to be accessible: room for kids and parents, accommodations for elders, and thoughtfulness for anyone who needs additional support.
Activities take many forms: presentations, skill shares, expert groups, working groups, discussions, accountability groups. Some have set times, others are decided on the day.
How can I run an activity?
Attend at least one Transition Sunday, and then you can create an activity in a future month.
You'll be able to add the activity yourself through the website. You can specify the exact sunday, time, what people should bring, etc.
What activities are a fit?
Activities should focus on personal action for self-improvement or systemic improvement or (ideally) both.
- Learning a hands-on skill
- Discussions to develop an idea
- Accountability & support groups
- Making or fixing things together
- A traditional investment club
- A gaming group
- Anything that just reinforces the systems we’re trying to move beyond
Use your best judgment of what meets the spirit of the idea.
How is it organized?
There’s no central organization, just a set of roles which might all be the same person when starting out. Together let's call them the organizers.
Cat herder
Lines up the activities, confirms them, and prints the posters.
Website maintainer
Keeps the site current (via GitLab).
Emcee
Opens the day and sets the agenda.
Cook
Makes or gathers the food.
The event has three goals: anyone can show up, feel welcome, and have a good time; organizers can make reasonable plans for their activities; and running the day never becomes an unsustainable burden.
The website shows the where and when, lists each month’s activities (confirmed and proposed), lets visitors register interest which doubles as a headcount for food, and prints posters for the wall.
Want to run one yourself? Learn More›
Here’s how a Transition Sunday comes together, week by week (at least, how it works so far!).
- cat herderReview the interest from last Sunday — what do people want more of?
- cat herderReach out to people to lead activities (they can join GitLab to add them directly), or make a public call via email list, Signal group, etc.
- cat herderConfirm activities on the website; finalize this month’s list.
- organizersPrint posters from the website. Make images to share online. Share!
- emceePrint individual activities (this month, proposed, and completed) from the website.
- emceePut proposed + completed activities on one wall, this month’s on another.
- cookPrep food as needed.
- cookPrep and serve the food.
- emceePut up three big sheets of paper: “Where we are”, “Where we want to be”, and “How do we get there?”
- emceeExplain the goals and purpose of Transition Sundays.
- emceeInvite newcomers to fill out the papers and introduce themselves.
- emceeOpen space for anyone to share a success from the last month.
- emceeSet ground rules (vote with your feet; speak in proportion to the group size; etc.).
- emceeRemind people to mark any proposed or completed activities they’re interested in.
- Each activity leader explains their activity.
- emceeInvite anyone to add an activity, then finalize the times.
- Activities run on schedule.
- emceeTransfer the marks of interest from the wall to the website.
- emceeRoll up and keep the “Where we are” papers for next time.