Your Invited…

You may have heard about the Small Christian Communities that are bringing new life to Catholics across the United States. Individuals are coming together on a regular basis to pray, share their life stories and reflect on the Gospel message in an environment of love and acceptance. Feeling the support of their community these individuals begin to seek ways to live their faith more fully in their family, neighborhood and workplace. They come to see God acting in their lives and the world around them.

You, too, could come to experience God’s unconditional love and feel the care and nurture of others on a journey of faith with you. There is no need to know Scripture or theology. Small Christian Communities are for ordinary Catholics wanting to give and receive Christ like support in their parish community.

Our parish invites you to prayerfully consider responding with a "yes" to learn more about being a part of a Small Christian Community.

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WE Experience…

Prayer as a community and are challenged to grow in our individual prayer lives. Sharing in an atmosphere of trust to help us link faith with every day life. Learning about faith, what gifts God has blessed us with and the needs of others. Support with people we can count on in joyful and difficult times.



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Our Mission:

Small Christian Communities are a way of being church—a communal experience that brings the Gospel to everyday life. As a leaven of the broader church, small Christian communities provide unique opportunities for acceptance, challenge and support. The shared experience of prayer, scripture and study, nurtures the community in faith. Through the movement of the Spirit, a commitment to out-reach and to the needs of the poor deepens as the community grows. Because of the vitality they generate, small Christian communities are integral to the life of the Church.

Profile of a Small Christian Community:

 1.   Any combination of 8 to 12 adults.

 2.   Meeting place occurs in a home as decided by the group. Some groups choose to rotate between homes, while others choose one home where they meet consistently.

 3.   The group decides how often they will meet. It is highly recommended that groups meet at least twice a month.

 4.   The group chooses the type of Catholic study material they will use. (Assistance in choosing materials is available from the small group core team at our parish.)

 5.   The group decides who will facilitate the meetings. Some groups choose to rotate the responsibility of facilitating the meeting, while others choose one person to facilitate. To facilitate a group is very easy responsibility and the small group core team has developed a hand out instruction form, which is given to all the groups.

 6.   The group evaluates its growth on a regular basis as decided by the group. Help in evaluating a group is found in many of the materials used by the groups. The small group core team can also help a group to evaluate their growth.

 7.   Each group selects a member of their group to attend the Small Christian Community Meeting, which is held three times a year. These meetings provide the link back into the parish. Each group is represented as well as a staff person from the parish and the small group core team. These meetings are a great format for communication between the groups and parish staff and the core team.

Please consider joining a small Christian community that has already formed or be part of a newly forming community.