Small Christian Communities

Small Christian Communities - - sometimes called faith-sharing groups -- meet in homes to discuss the weekly scriptures and how to best apply them in our daily lives. (For more information about joining one of these groups, contact Arlene Boerum, rboerum@aol.com.

Each of the more than thirty groups in the Christ The King Parish, has a facilitator: someone who has been trained to keep the group focused. To assist them are several publications that may be used by the group. One of them is Quest, published by the Archdiocese of Hartford for use in small Christian communities.

Another resource is "Exploring the Sunday Readings", published by Twenty-Third Publications in Mystic, CT. This publication comments on the First and Second Readings and Gospel of that month's Sundays. An Opening Prayer is offered and the group may use that; Scripture sharing and reflection may follow. After each commentary is a question relating to the reading and how it affects you in daily life. (Since each group follows its own format, the suggestions in Exploring are just that - suggestions. The format of each small community may be similar; but each has its own identity. There may be a general intercessory prayer period; there may be a guest speaker. A Sending Forth Prayer may end the meeting.

For a group to be successful, a set of guidelines has been established and each participant is asked to adhere to the agreed-upon rules. In this way, participants are able to express their faith experiences or ask question freely. To view this document, click here.

In June 2000, the SCC (Small Christian Communities) Christ The King Core Team published a Newsletter. They offered this definition of Small Christian Communities: "Small Christian Communities bring the "Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seek to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself. Small Christian Communities can accomplish their goal when ordinary people regularly help each other connect faith with everyday life experiences."

The Newsletter also offered the five Elements of Small Christian Communities which keep the group focused: (taken from Resources for Small Christian Communities: A Vision of Hope, by The Reverend Tom Kleisser).

Prayer
Learning
Sharing
Mission
Mutual Support

Taking just one of the elements - Learning - Resources for Small Christian Communites: says: "because small Christian communities are part of the wider church, they are called to an ever fuller knowledge and understanding of the gospel of the Catholic church and its teachings on faith and morals, and of the relationship of that teaching to the circumstances and issues of their lives. Books, tapes, filmstrips, lectures and courses are ways for those in the community to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of our faith and our world."

Resources says, in "A Look at the Process of Faith Sharing": "A spirit of faith, This foundation establishes that God is real in my story and in the share stories that we honor as a community. We trust in God who has called us together to lead us each closer to God's truth and as we do so we avoid any negative comparisons or judgments as unfaithful" and "destructive".

"A willingness to wait in 2quiet, some time for pause, for reflection, for sharing to sink in is not only normal but necessary for each person's experience to be absorbed by the group.

"An openness to listen. We need to not just hear but listen with our heart and mind and this means to sit open, ready and inviting."

Quote from Pope John Paul II

"Small Christian Communities provide good centers for Christian formation and missionary outreach. These groups come together for prayer, scripture reading, catechesis and discussion on human and ecclesial problems with a view to a common commitment...these communities become a means of evangelization and of the initial proclamation of the Gospel, and a source of new ministries."