Learn from Other Parishes Learn from Other Parishes Home | Small Groups | Learn from Other Parishes Some parishes find creative ways to support people beyond the ChristLife courses. Check out ideas that you and your group can borrow. Small groups are so exciting on many levels! You have seen how participants at ChristLife have grown closer to the Lord and to each other–it is not surprising to hear them ask “What’s next?” They want to continue in fellowship with each other and growing ever closer to Christ. What a blessing! At St. Ignatius, we started small groups with an invitation email to all the participants of ChristLife at the end of Sharing Christ to come to a meeting to learn more about small groups. Resources for small groups were provided and people mingled and discussed when they could meet, what they wanted to learn, etc. The groups focused on applying more fully the things learned in ChristLife, such as the role of the Holy Spirit in their daily lives, practical ways to have a meaningful prayer and Scripture reading time each day, and being alert for opportunities to share their love of the Lord in word and action with others. (“The Wild Goose” videos with Fr. Dave Pivonka and “OREMUS” with Fr. Mark Toups were an excellent way to start.) We were fortunate to add new groups at the end of each ChristLife Process. This was a wonderful result of the relationships that developed and the desire to grow in Christ. But it was also a challenge to keep track of the groups and be assured that they were doing well. In small groups, we enjoy sharing our faith journeys with each other and doing activities together (going to Adoration, visiting a Shrine, etc.). Most importantly we are there to support one another through life’s challenges – job issues, illness, death of loved ones, and of course praying for our families. By God’s grace we are gradually transformed as we depend on Christ. Nancy Barczak St. Ignatius, Hickory Catholic Church Forest Hill, Maryland Saint Vincent Basilica Parish has been running the ChristLife Process successfully for several years. Very early, we observed there was a growing desire from the table groups to keep meeting with their new spiritual friends both between courses and beyond Sharing Christ. Some continued to meet in the leader’s home on a schedule they determined and viewed and discussed various ChristLife talks, some others, “Wild Goose” episodes. Some had set aside every Tuesday for the courses and continued some Tuesday’s with Reflect on God’s Word, reflections and questions on Sunday’s readings. Group Lectio Divina on Zoom on Saturday mornings has also worked very well. Something we have identified as a challenge is finding someone to coordinate and support these groups, so that all may be included. We plan to ask for a volunteer from our ChristLife team, a different person for each series, who can commit their time and energy to be overall small group leader between and after the ChristLife courses. Paul and Teri Pomerleau Saint Vincent Basilica Parish Latrobe, Pennsylvania I have successfully implemented ChristLife at two of my previous assignments. When I came to my new parish, I wanted to find a way to identify and raise up a group of people who could serve as core team members in a variety of ministries, including ChristLife, should the opportunity arise. For this, I used ChristLife’s Reflect On God’s Word resource. Every Monday evening for two years, I ran a small group focused on discussing the upcoming Sunday Gospels. As a minister of the Gospel, I want to help people have a deeper understanding of the Scriptures. Ten minutes on Sunday once a week is not much. The Reflect On God’s Word discussion guide is a tool that seemed to fit this desire really well. I invited parishioners to join me every Monday evening. At every gathering, I would break open next Sunday’s readings based on my own prayerful reading and study and use the Reflect On God’s Word resource to guide our discussions. Each week, anywhere from 8-20 people would join. We would begin with a short time of prayer, and take time to vocalize prayers of praise and thanksgiving. Then, we would move on to the discussion. To end our time, I would lead a short time for prayers of petition. Using the Reflect On God’s Word resource helped community to grow within community. People can sometimes feel unseen within the larger parish community, so it’s important to have the opportunities for small groups for them to connect more personally with other parishioners. Fr. Liam O’Doherty, OSA St. Augustine Catholic Church Troy, New York START TODAY Small Group Resources Use our recommended resources, together with prayer, to grow as a group of missionary disciples. Learn More
