Saint Basil The Great - Brecksville, Ohio

SMALL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES

Small Christian Communities

A Way of Being Church

1st Century - 21st Century

What are Small Christian Communities?

They are groups...

of 8 to 12 members
who gather in homes, usually twice a month
to reflect on their lives in the light of the Gospel
to develop friendships, to pray, share and have fun together, to support one another,
and to explore ways to serve the parish and others

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.

You're Invited...

You may have heard about the Small Christian Communities that are bringing new life to Catholics in parishes 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.

What the Church says about Small Christian Communities

"So that parishes may be truly communities of Christians, local ecclesial authorities ought to foster the following small, basic or so called "living" communities, where the faithful can communicate the Word of God and express it in service and love to one another..."

Pope John Paul II, Christifidelis Laici

"The faithful of all ages and lifestyles (in the parish) should have access to a small community."

Bishop James Timlin, Scranton, PA

"It is affirmed that conversion and a sense of being church are often best lived out in small communities within the parish which are more personal and offer a greater sense of belonging."

NCCB, National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry

Join A Small Christian Community!

For more information, click here to contact us.

Links

RENEW International - An organization that supports Small Christian Communities. By clicking on the link ParishLife.com, you will see the heading “Faith Sharing and Prayers”. Here you will find Faith Sharing Guidelines for group leaders, as well as the resource called Prayertime, a faith-sharing reflection on the Sunday gospels for cycles A, B or C. These can be ordered directly from RENEW International, or you can open up the pages for the upcoming 2 Sundays directly from the web page. Also, by clicking on the links Faith Sharing and Prayers or Small Christian Communities, you will find a series of faith-sharing booklets, all based on 6 or 7 sessions each, which may be ordered online. The option of perusing each title is given, so that a better selection may be made before ordering.

The National Alliance of Parishes Re-structuring into Communities (NAPRC) - Founded by Fr. Art Baranowski (Archdiocese of Detroit) as an association of parishes and people who pursue a comprehensive vision for strengthening the parish as whole. This effort is centered on a simple vision statement for parish: Ordinary people helping each other to connect life and faith regularly. The vision is implemented along two lines:

1. Doing every parish program and activity in a reflective and relational style.

2. Establishing beginning small groups that grow gradually into longer term small church communities.

National Pastoral Life Center - Small Community Services: Structure and Style in Parish Life

St. Anthony Messenger Press - The Catholic Press Association has awarded St. Anthony Messenger Press the highest rating in its category in 2001. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’ll be amazed at the number of things you can learn through the various links!