Small Church Communities
Main Article – Part 3 of 4
Important Goals
Contents
- Getting SCCs Right
- The Purpose
- SCC Leaders
- Authority
- Discipline
- Outreach
- SCC Coordinator
- Specialized SCCs
- Getting Started Organically
- Integrated Solution
Getting SCCs Right
Most of the following goals for SCCs are crucial. Each one of them is important! These goals reflect the true SCC vision that is so very important in the success of the SCC apostolate. However, some things we will have no control over. Our pastor and parish leaders may neither support SCCs nor the new evangelization in any meaningful way. They may offer lip service while remaining quite indifferent. Some may even be hostile toward these. We must work with what we have. It’s better to work faithfully without support than give up the true SCC vision.
The Purpose
The primary purpose of a small church community is our formation and ongoing formation as disciples of Jesus Christ. This formation includes the development of an apostolate for each of us—that personal evangelical mission Jesus calls us out in the world to do. Of course, the SCC itself may be part of that apostolate.
There are many important purposes of the small church community that must never compete with this primary purpose. The small church community is a social group; however, as important as this is, it must not compete with the formation of disciples as the primary purpose. Likewise, many folks will seek to have various personal needs met through the SCC; however, this cannot compete with the primary purpose either. Indeed, a SCC must be a place where we generously meet the needs of others—particularly and primarily the need to progress on the journey to God.
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SCC Leaders
We must carefully select growing disciples for our SCC leaders. As the faith is “caught” rather than taught, we must have at least one growing disciple in the group—the leader needs to be a growing disciple!
Below are more important considerations when choosing SCC leaders:
- A leader’s humility is more important than his confidence and speaking abilities.
- A leader’s prayer life is more important than secular leadership experience.
- A leader’s faithful knowledge is more important than his formal education.
- A leader’s enthusiasm is more important than his influence or connections within the parish.
- A leader should receive experience as an assistant leader before becoming a primary leader of a SCC. This is preferred but not necessary.
Many in the SCC movement encourage us to call SCC leaders facilitators rather than leaders (sometimes pastoral facilitators). Important reasons exist for this. Foremost, the leader is not the teacher of the group. His purpose is to facilitate discussion—encourage, promote, and inspire deep pondering and discussion. In practice, the leader and assistant leader should be best prepared and yet contribute no more than necessary. They should feed the discussion, not lead it. The leader “instigates” deep thought and discussion through questions, follow-up questions, and other comments. A good leader prefers the members unearth the treasures of insight on their own rather than tell them. Still, despite these sound reasons, we will call these folks leaders for our purposes, while at the same time emphasizing the facilitator role as a vital aspect of their leadership. They are surely discussion facilitators, and yet this is only part of their role as leaders.
Authority
SCC leaders should be empowered to lead groups as they see fit within very basic guidelines. Group leaders have the final say on materials used and their adaptation per the needs of their group. SCC leaders may adjust the meeting calendar as they judge necessary per the needs of their group. Leaders have the authority and obligation to remove a disruptive member from the group. SCC leaders should enjoy freedom in creativity and spontaneity. This freedom must be balanced with the guidelines presented here and the guidance of the SCC coordinator for the parish (if applicable). SCC leaders most certainly must not have overly structured programs pushed on them from above, nor overly detailed SCC guidelines.
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Discipline
SCCs must maintain discipline. The leadership team, especially the SCC leader, must confront and deter inappropriate behavior that affects the well-being of the SCC in as gentle and loving a manner as possible. Members who exploit other members or make themselves the center of attention do great damage to the group. Likewise, those who monopolize the discussion, or drone on and on, or get off topic. Often simply stepping in and redirecting the discussion will suffice. Other times, the leader will need to talk about the problem with the person. Such talks should be handled as delicately and privately as possible, yet nonetheless firmly. The leader must not allow such behavior to continue long term—it will destroy the group! Explore all avenues. If the problem continues, it is the leader’s responsibility to remove the person from the group. SCC attendance is a privilege in the parish. Membership must have conditions attached, such as no antisocial or disruptive behavior. Otherwise, members will find little value in the group, and it will self-destruct.
Outreach
The SCC creates a community of diverse people to connect on a deep level of faith and share their journey to God; SCCs are always warm and inviting, never exclusive or inward looking. All members of the SCC must always remain outward looking and outward reaching, more concerned with generous giving than with focusing on personal needs.
The SCC is an outreach, and as such does and must welcome everyone who is genuinely open to the community and what it’s about. This includes “seekers,” those who are not Catholic or who are fallen-away Catholics seeking the possibility of having more of God in their life and genuine Christian fellowship. However, no one is allowed to disrupt the discussions, openly debate Catholic dogma, or disrespect our faith or members in any way. Questions are welcome; however, we are not obliged to answer them to the person’s satisfaction during the discussion.
The SCC evangelical outreach—especially for the “leadership nucleus”—most certainly is not limited to people we know or who sign up through the parish. We should actively look for people in special need of Christ and our group, people we may not know well and who may not even believe in God.
We should remain open to generous friendship with those around us. As friendship blossoms, we can invite them to visit the group, first to a Clan Meal, and then invite them to the next discussion series. Be a friend, bring your friend to your SCC, bring your friend to Christ!
Continual outreach is important; however, there should not be people coming and going from the group on an ongoing basis—a commitment is always involved. Newcomers are always welcome; however, we ask them to commit to attending all the meetings for the current discussion series. For new folks, this is the basic commitment: one discussion series at a time.
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SCC Coordinator
The Evangelical SCC vision is about groups multiplying; thus it would be extremely beneficial for the parish to have a SCC coordinator to oversee the forming of groups. If your parish already has someone coordinating small groups or at least supporting them, you should work with them. If you’re the leader of the first SCC following the vision, you are the SCC coordinator for all practical purposes. As groups multiply, someone needs to coordinate their efforts!
The small group coordinator confers with other leaders regarding approach, vision, materials, problems, forming additional groups, and so forth. As more groups form, the leaders should meet with the coordinator as a group for these same purposes and to compare notes. If the pastor is supportive of SCCs and this SCC vision, seek to include him and consult with him as much as possible. Remember, though, this is a lay association, not a parish ministry; SCC leaders make their own decisions within very basic guidelines. Of course, running a youth group or RCIA class as a SCC is a different story; these are parish ministries, and the pastor certainly calls the shots.
Specialized SCCs
While diversity is good, folks may benefit from having specialized SCC. A Men’s SCCs or women’s SCCs can offer special benefits. Or SCCs aimed at fathers or mothers. Even forming a SCC based on ethnicity or other shared background is acceptable, though this may make growth and multiplicity of groups more difficult. Such groups should remain open to change over time, as the true vision of SCC must reach out, grow, and multiply.
SCCs can effectively take the place of traditional religious classes and other church groups while offering a great deal more as well. The SCC approach as an alternative to traditional youth groups and Confirmation classes has proven very effective (see The Art of Forming Young Disciples by Everett Fritz). RCIA groups run as a SCC and encouraged to continue as a SCC after Easter would be incredibly effective—especially as everyone needs a next step on their journey to God!
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Getting Started Organically
SCCs are best started organically—the grassroots approach. Top-down organization of SCCs may have good initial impact—at least superficially—however, it is typically not effective, in either the short term or long term. The grassroots approach is much better.
Identify a handful of people who understand (or can at least appreciate) the SCC vision. Start the first SCC with much emphasis on vision and exploring the vision. Potential SCC leaders should belong to this first group—the pastor too, if possible. This first group should iron out what works and what doesn’t—further fine tune the foundational basics found here. Paladin SCC leader training resources will be made available.
When the first group is full and the group is ready, the group should divide into two groups. The group may not be ready for a year or two. Adding members and starting new groups should be based on relationships, not geography. Do not pressure groups to split; however, refuse the notion of remaining as they are. Remaining where we are is contrary to the SCC vision and Christian evangelism.
Integrated Solution
We cannot overemphasize the vital role of SCCs in the new evangelization and revitalization of the parish and family. Nor can we overemphasize that SCCs are only a part of the solution and only then when done well. Some Catholic writers have lauded SCCs as the solution over the last 30 years. They suggested that getting every parishioner into a SCC would turn everything around—the silver bullet solution.
Often, these authors and parish leaders didn’t see the bigger picture or even the imperative to evangelize. They seldom spoke on the importance of having disciples in the group to spread the fire—of life as a Journey to God—of fidelity to Christ and His Church. They spoke of a miraculous fix. They spoke as if gathering in small groups itself was the gospel. We must instill our SCC with the mind, heart, and spirit of evangelization. As Christian families and SCCs are vital to evangelization, likewise evangelization is vital to vibrant Christian families and SCCs. Evangelization is about the Spirit that leads and feeds everything of God.
To Part 4: Paladin Materials →
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