Small Church Communities
Main Article – Part 2 of 4
Basic Guidelines
Contents
- Structure & Layout
- Commitment
- Discussion Guidelines
- Discussion Materials
- Suggested Meeting Outline
- Orientation Night
- Multiplication
- Clan Meals
- The Next Step
Structure & Layout
1. A core team is the foundation of the SCC. These folks work together to form a SCC; they are the foundation on which the group is built. The number and roles may vary; however, the core team should number at least three. The three described below will be a good start. Sometimes the leader will need to enlist an assistant leader after the SCC has already started.
- The leader oversees and coordinates the group, the meetings, and everything related to these. The leader is the most prepared yet focuses on facilitating the discussion contributions of others rather than himself.
- The assistant leader is backup leader and leader support. The assistant leader, like the leader, focuses on facilitating the discussion contributions of others. Often, he will add only enough to the discussion to stoke its flames and bring it to new life. The assistant steps in as leader when the leader requests it.
- The helper assists however they can; they help things go smoothly. They often volunteer to lead prayers, help the discussion along, give someone a ride, coordinate snacks, and so forth. However, the helper is not another assistant leader.
2. The SCC is small. Preferably 8 to 12 people. It is not less than 6 or more than 14. Again, these are goals and guidelines. Certainly, don’t cancel the meeting because only four folks show up. On the other hand, you might want to reschedule if you know ahead of time three people can’t make it. Life happens. Normally, it’s best to forge ahead with what you have. Avoid going too long without meeting.
3. SCCs meet once a week or every other week during a study series. SCCs may alternate between every week and every other week as they see fit; however, they should not go more than two weeks between meetings during the study series. SCCs have two study series per year: one in the spring and one in the fall. The study series normally consists of 8-10 meetings plus a celebration potluck at the conclusion of the series.
4. The entire meeting lasts no more than two hours. The leader gives the various parts of the meeting their allotted time and manages the group, so they roughly keep to it. Folks are busy and often have other things planned. Keeping to a schedule benefits the group as a whole and each of its members. At times, the leader will be tempted to vary from the schedule—or someone will tempt him to do so. Staying on schedule is crucial, though being somewhat flexible is also beneficial.
If a discussion goes long and the leader believes it deserves more time, he may offer to pick it up again during the social time. However, he must wrap it up and move on.
5. Every gathering has time set aside for social interaction; this is the last half hour of the meeting. Social time, like discussion time, can become very lively and profoundly fruitful. However, the leader needs to mark an official end of the meeting so people can leave. Simply announce that time is up and thank everyone for coming. Of course, he is free to invite folks to stay longer; however, he must offer a clear end to the meeting at the proper time.
6. Diversity is encouraged within a SCC. Everyone who is genuinely interested and open to a faithful expression of the Catholic faith is welcome—even those merely curious. The majority are Catholic, and everyone must respect the faithful Catholic view represented by the group. Non-combative questions for clarification are fine; however, outright dispute of Catholic dogma is not.
7. A specialized application of the SCC is encouraged. Don’t pigeonhole what a SCC looks like. It can be a men’s group, a women’s group, a senior’s group, a young adult group, a cultural-based group, or even a Confirmation or RCIA-based SCC. However, some of these may stifle opportunities for growth and multiplication.
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Commitment
New members commit to attending every meeting of the current discussion series—typically 8-12 meetings. After that series, they decide whether to commit to the next series or not. No ongoing commitment is required.
All members must come prepared for the discussion. An appropriate amount of prayerful time must be put into the reading and journaling prior to the meetings.
Also, meetings must start on time. After a five-minute grace period, simply begin—pretty much, no matter what.
Discussion Guidelines
- It is important that the atmosphere be comfortable and welcoming.
- The group offers each person the opportunity to express his/her own feelings and thoughts, to share at the level where he/she is comfortable or not to share at all.
- Silence is good and a vital part of the total process. Do not feel pressured to move on due to a period of thoughtful silence. It is important to allow ample time for silent reflection in order to give participants time to think about and build on what has been said.
- Being accepted and listened to respectfully are essential for openness and honesty. A true desire to listen to others and be open to them is a key element of Christian growth in community.
- Ambiguity and differences of perspective need to be expected and accepted.
- The whole group bears responsibility for the quality of the group’s experience.
- Anything shared in the group is confidential.
Discussion Materials
Our materials are as diverse as faithful Catholicism itself. We select accessible yet profound Catholic books and then create free discussion guides for them. We will never run out of great books to create discussion guides for! And equally important, our discussion guides offer groups of open-ended question aimed at promoting both contemplation and discussion. We are not focusing on testing your comprehension; we are focused on helping you relate the truths of Christ to your personal life! (More on discussion materials soon.)
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Suggested Meeting Outlines
- Welcome
- Opening Prayer (should start with praise and thanksgiving)
- Review guidelines or goals from previous meetings (as applicable, keep brief)
- Icebreaker question encouraged first few meetings
- Briefly summarize materials or read excerpts
- Group Discussion based on questions
- Start each discussion prompt with someone reading from their journal.
- Continue with impromptu discussion or additional journal reading.
- Wrap up Discussion
- Announcements and Other Community Concerns
- Closing Prayer (should include prayers of the faithful)
- Social Time (snacks always a good idea)
- Following day, review meetings and assess how to improve.
Orientation Night
The small church community vision and expectations are no small matter. When starting a new group, the first night should be an Orientation Night focusing on this vision and these expectations. Of course, equally important to the Orientation Night are icebreakers and making connections among the would-be members—a warm welcome and sharing! Make the orientation fun. Focus more on getting to know one another than on the information you’re offering.
Plan the orientation like any other meeting and follow the same format. Don’t try to cover all the information here, lest people feel overwhelmed. Hit the highlights and discuss why they’re important. We include “Orientation Night Notes” with our discussion series downloads. Offer to email or otherwise share the full details of this vision of small church communities. Also, touch on some of the more relevant details in the following meetings as time allows.
Also, make sure you offer a glowing endorsement of the book you will use in the series and relate how much you’re looking forward to the study series! Remember to hand out the discussion questions for the next meeting and the books (if you are providing them).
Multiplication
As healthy groups are growing groups, every group will need to divide into two groups eventually. As the optimal number is 8 to 12 people, it is very difficult to know when to start a new group. Preferably, the group will be 12 to 14 people with a few people lined up to join. Preferably, the assistant leader will become leader of one of the two groups and each leader will recruit a new assistant leader. Of course, most often the group will not split in half; more often two or three will leave to start a new group with folks they’ve lined up. Remember 6 people is fine for a group—more are simply preferred.
Leaders should emphasize the importance of multiplication early on. In fact, leaders should perpetually prepare for forming the next group. Dividing members through multiplication goes far more smoothly when folks understand it is a necessary part of growth, evangelization, and group health—something to celebrate!
New groups should begin with disciple formation materials for a solid foundation. New members should be encouraged to join new groups so they work through a disciple formation series—older groups will have already gone through these. Of course, older groups can certainly benefit by repeating disciple formation materials or finding new such materials—all disciples need to return to common themes of growth and discipleship over and over on the journey to God.
Sometimes leadership may choose other “high draw” materials to kick off a new group—apologetics or miracle-centered materials may build initial enthusiasm. New groups must quickly return their attention to disciple-forming materials. Forming growing disciples must remain job number one.
Growing disciples are encouraged to take on a leadership or assistant leadership role in a new group; however, many will not discern this calling. These folks may stay in the same group for many years. Of course, the group should not be the same over these years; others should come and go over time—stagnant groups are unhealthy and do not survive.
Of course, growth and multiplication really depend on the enthusiasm, expectation, and generosity of the group members. Adopting some aspects of the Charismatic Renewal can certainly contribute to all of these. The strong conviction and expectation that the Holy Spirit is eagerly moving and working among and within us is crucial. Discerning the various spiritual gifts (charismatic and otherwise) is life giving. Laying hands on each other and praying over each other brings the Holy Spirit upon us and mightily builds community as well.
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Clan Meals
The Clan Meal is a celebration meal. We celebrate the successful completion of a study series; we celebrate the growth and fellowship of our small church community; and we celebrate Jesus and our walk with him. We remind ourselves that despite the darkness in this world, we do have a lot to celebrate—especially our fellowship with Christ and each other. So, first and foremost, it’s a celebration and a feast.
Also, the Clan Meal is an opportunity to invite other folks to come and meet our group. The Clan Meal is an opportunity to come fellowship with us, with no expectations. Joining a small church community is intimidating to most folks—especially if they know few of the members. An invitation to a dinner is certainly less stressful than committing to a discussion group.
And finally, the Clan Meal is an opportunity for old friends to fellowship—particularly previous members who left to found a new group. Clan Meals can mitigate the loss felt through the multiplication process.
The Next Step
The important thing to know and never forget is that there’s always a next step on our journey to God. We must learn to discern our next step and follow through with it. And once it’s under our belt, we need to look for the next step. We are all called to be a living, growing disciple—that must absolutely be part of our next step. We growing disciples work toward growth in our prayer life and the virtues, study and self-denial, fellowship and evangelization.
The theme of the next step should permeate everything the small church community does. This theme should perpetually resound within our materials, discussions, and attitudes. However, the inspiration and challenge for the next step must never be pushy and never intrude where not invited. Each person must choose their next step—what that step may be and when it may be.
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