PHASES
OF
SMALL CHURCH COMMUNITY FORMATION
Phase 1 Programs (for adding new people to your SCC/ for starting a new group)
* RECOMMENDED: Come As You Are, A Small Group Program about Everyday Living. This is a 12-session program with a participant book for each member of the group, a facilitator*s book and audio tapes. It is meant for a group that is beginning or a group of people who may be experienced in small groups but have never been together with each other. Available also in Spanish. Participant*s journal $9, Facilitator*s book $18, 2 audio cassettes $12; 10 percent shipping and handling. The National Alliance of Parishes Restructuring Into Communities.
Other starter programs: *Renew 2000 *Free to Be Me *Serendipity Series *Genesis 2
Phase 2 Program
(to deepen the sharing level of the group/to learn how to pray together through varied prayer experiences)* RECOMMENDED:
Pray As You Are , An eleven session process to help deepen the sharing level of the small group while learning how to pray together through varied prayer experiences. A breakdown of the weeks are...1. Opening Windows to God - Unlocking windows to prayer; 2. The Looking Glass - Finding God in the everyday; 3. Not-So-Sound-Proof Windows - Praying amidst the noise 4. Breaking Open the Window - Praying with our barriers; 5. A Window to Perspective - Grateful prayer; 6. Broken Windows - Praying within incompleteness; 7. Tinted Windows - Praying with images of God/self; 8. Imagining Windows - Praying with our imaginations; 9 The Word Is A Window - Praying with the Scriptures; 10. Focusing - Centering prayer; 11. Keeping Our Windows Open - What next?
Participant's journal $9, Facilitator's book $18, 2 audio cassettes $12; 10 percent shipping and handling. The National Alliance of Parishes Restructuring Into Communities.
Praying Alone and Together: An 11-Session Prayer Module for Small Communities after the Phase One experience. St. Anthony Messenger Press. Each member needs their own personal copy
.Phase 3 Making a Decision
1. Use the small book "Creating Small Church Communities" during the shared prayer portion of the formatted meeting for the first six meetings.
2. Come to a consensus with your members that you choose to move on together and grow into a small church community.
3. * RECOMMENDED:
Faith Sharing for Small Church Communities, Questions & Commentaries on the Sunday Readings. Edited by Rev. Arthur Baranowski & National Alliance for Parishes Restructuring into CommunitiesFor each Sunday and major feast for all three cycles of the Lectionary, a "Scripture Focus" provides a brief commentary on the readings; "Life Focus" gives questions--submitted by small church communities from all over the United States and the world--to spark faith sharing. Order Number: 0-86716-166-3 Price: $9.95 Click Here to Order
Use Quest as an added resource for your meetings. At the beginning you may wish to plan the meeting with Quest since it contains almost all the portions you will need. As you become more confident in your PF abilities it is recommended that you put together pieces from varied sources taking into account the personality of your SCC, the themes used in your parish for the liturgical season, and world events.
4. Service/Mission is a part of SCCs that is addressed in Phase 3. It is discussed in Creating Small Church Communities on Pg. 77. Once your SCC has solidly formed, address mission further. In the beginning, forming your group into a small church community is your mission. A SCC must be careful to stay true to the meeting plan and not become task orientated. Going out to do mission DOES NOT TAKE THE PLACE OF THE MEETINGS. NEITHER DOES GOING TO THE ROSARY OR OTHER FORMALIZED PRAYER OR GOOD DEED. WOULD YOU MISS SUNDAY MASS BECAUSE YOU HELPED AT A SOUP KITCHEN?