PART IV:
The Paladin Discussion Series
Our Approach
Materials We Have Tried
We’ve all been there—gathered around a coffee table with a study guide in hand, reading questions that sound more like a pop quiz than a doorway to encounter Christ. “What did Jesus say in verse 14?” Fine—but what does that mean for my life, my family, my struggles? Too often, we’ve had to rewrite or add our own questions to spark a real conversation.
Indeed, the provided questions often do little to promote meaningful discussion. Often, they ask closed-ended questions that never get to the heart of the matter. Additionally, while this is my primary complaint about small-group materials, there are other issues.
Some group materials require a restrictive—even domineering— “program,” which requires special training and employs unique meeting formats. Such materials compel you to implement unwelcome changes and resist any modifications. You cannot use the material as you wish.
Some group programs require full commitment before you can even preview the rather expensive materials. You can’t simply choose what you want to use—you have no real say—it’s not your program in any way. And once you’ve finished it, you’ll likely end up completely changing your entire meeting format again.
Moving away from the “programs,” some good books do include discussion questions for small groups. Usually, these do not specify a particular meeting format; they typically provide questions only. Still, I prefer these because we can adapt them more easily, assuming the questions are sufficient.
Beyond written materials, we’ve encountered some impactful video series. Unfortunately, videos require time that could be better used for discussion. Moreover, people often lack enough time to reflect on the content and prepare for the discussion—they need time to prayerfully ponder the videos. I would only recommend using a video series with an SCC if everyone can watch the videos at home beforehand, prayerfully reflect on them, and journal on the questions. These also still need thoughtful discussion questions.
I admit I haven’t looked for small group materials in a while. Things might have improved. I also recognize that even twenty years ago, there were some good options. However, they were rarely the best choice.
The Best Materials Available!
The top Catholic books are the best Catholic resources. Those faithful and excellent Catholic books, which both instruct and inspire, will make a significant contribution to our SCCs.
Of course, these books usually lack discussion questions. Even when they do include them, they are often too few or otherwise insufficient for our needs. And naturally, someone still has to adapt the book to fit the discussion series format and timeframe.
That’s where we step in.
We create study guides for books we believe will benefit our SCCs. We develop discussion questions and plans to cover the material in 8-10 meetings. Sometimes a book already includes discussion questions; unfortunately, questions included in books rarely meet our criteria. When they do, we only need to make a short guide to break down the material into sessions. We also prepare sample answers and other supplemental materials to further assist the SCC leaders.
Our collection of discussion series continues to grow. We will likely have new series available before you finish the current ones. Additionally, we invite group leaders to create their own discussion series following our method and share them on our website. Our goal is to build a community that offers a wide variety of free discussion series. In the meantime, we will keep you engaged with the ones we produce.
Of course, these books should not only be excellent and faithful but also accessible to the average person.
Accessible & Manageable
We must keep our materials and workload accessible and manageable. Our goal is to inspire and challenge people—not to overwhelm them with academic demands. Profound truths often emerge not through complicated prose but through heartfelt discussion among disciples who meet each other where they are. Struggle is part of growth, but that struggle should be spiritual, not academic or logistical.
On the other hand, we can’t only select books and create questions for people reading at a fourth-grade level or only willing to commit minimal time. We need a reasonable balance. There will always be participants who find the material challenging or who struggle to manage their time. Struggling is helpful and necessary. At the same time, we need to welcome and support those who are less “book smart” or have time constraints! We should reassure them that everyone struggles and that it’s okay if they find it more difficult than others. After participating in the discussion a few times, they’ll realize they are learning and have plenty to contribute.
If you’re having a heavy discussion series, it would be wise to make the next one lighter. A series with less reading and less demanding content can serve as a needed break. This will improve overall accessibility.
Now, let’s take some time to consider which types of books and topics we should use and when.
Foundational Discussion Series
There are many excellent books and topics that can help us continue to grow as disciples. We encourage you to explore them all! However, there are four foundational topics we must cover, and we should cover them in order.
Vision. The Paladin SCC vision and community-building initiatives help the SCC get started on the proper footing. The community needs to understand its purpose and foster relationships among members. This should be the very first discussion series for every SCC and should include the following:
- Orientation Night.
- Chapters 1-7 of this book.
- Clan Meal.
Discipleship. The primary purpose of the Christian life is to become a living, growing disciple of Jesus Christ. While every discussion series ultimately aims to help people become living, growing disciples, we need a dedicated series focused on this. Our Forgotten Journey to God by VW Malzahn covers discipleship and further expresses the Paladin vision. This should be the second discussion series.
Meditation and Contemplation. These two forms of prayer are crucial to advancing our prayer life and, in turn, our Journey to God. We begin with active reflection (meditation) and move on to simply enjoying the wordless presence of God (contemplation). This discussion series may be covered any time, though take care to cover it before multiplication.
Outreach. God calls every living, growing disciple to reach out to others beyond their usual circles through acts of evangelization and service. The leader may address these topics in various ways, though they will cover a discussion series dedicated to evangelization. This discussion series should be covered later in the group’s life cycle, often just before multiplication.
Members who join after the SCC’s formation will have missed some of these foundational topics. The leader should identify these gaps and assist new members in filling them—especially for the first two foundational discussion series. The leader might also mentor the new member as they read the books between discussion series.
OK, let’s now examine additional discussion series and key considerations.
Other Discussion Series
There are many other discussion series for your SCC that dive deeper into the various aspects of becoming a living, growing disciple. These could include topics such as practicing the virtues, sacrifice, and marriage. Likewise, you could tackle the Gospel and other books of the Bible. Perhaps even church documents and classic works such as The Imitation of Christ.
Remember that essential topics are never fully mastered. We must revisit them regularly and delve deeper into them. We can’t just read the Gospels once and say we understand them—thinking we’re finished with them. Clearly, each time we prayerfully read them, we will find something helpful, something new, and something deeper. Similarly, all the spiritual topics in our Christian faith have many profound layers to explore. You will often return to the same topics, whether through a new discussion series or by repeating an existing one. And you will receive more each time.
Sometimes, group founders may choose “high draw” or specialized discussion series to launch a new group. They might select apologetics or miracle-centered topics to build initial enthusiasm—such as Marian apparitions or the Shroud of Turin. They could start with a series on Catholic marriage or the Catholic family aimed at young couples. In a larger parish, they might even begin with a discussion series on grief and loss. However, the new group should immediately move on to the first two foundational discussion series immediately after this specialized discussion series. Likewise, the group must refocus its attention on disciple-forming materials. The primary goal must always be forming living, growing disciples.
No matter which books you study, an essential part of creating a great discussion series is including high-quality discussion questions. Next, we will explore our “Questions to Contemplate.”
Questions to Contemplate
I’ve come across study guides for books that lack open-ended questions. The book was excellent; however, the study guide mainly focused on regurgitating facts rather than connecting them to people’s lives. Discussing the book without any questions might actually be more effective. Of course, in theory, a small group could have a meaningful discussion with any questions—no matter how poor—or even without questions. However, this places significant pressure on the leader and participants. It can also cause the discussion to stray off-topic and reduce the chances of thoroughly covering the most critical points. We need effective discussion questions.
We craft our questions to encourage reflection and discussion. We prefer open-ended questions because they elicit deeper thinking and discussion that closed-ended questions cannot. Open-ended questions tend to be more subjective and personal because they are broader and open to interpretation. They invite us to evaluate our own views and experiences related to the current topic. These questions focus on our thoughts and experiences, our opinions and speculations. Closed-ended questions, on the other hand, are limited in scope and usually require just recalling sentences from the text. Often, these answers are single words or even just “yes” or “no.” Even when we ask yes-or-no questions, they are typically part of a set designed to encourage more open-ended responses. We aim to guide you toward deep reflection and to hear your thoughts, experiences, opinions, speculations, and feelings.
For example, a closed-ended question might ask, “What did Jesus do at the Last Supper?”—a question anyone could answer in seconds. But an open-ended version could ask, “What does it mean that Jesus chose a meal to reveal His love? How does that shape the way you approach the Eucharist?” These questions now invite reflection rather than simple recall.
This approach is what distinguishes a community from a class, wisdom from knowledge, and shared experiences from cold facts.
How We Create Questions
We create mostly open-ended questions. Most of our sessions include five questions, each exploring a central theme. These are multi-part questions that often move from understanding to reflection to personal application. Think of this as a conversation that deepens with each layer—not a formula to follow rigidly.
Of course, this approach is just a starting point. It serves as a guide rather than a strict rule.
Let’s take a look at an example:
The Mass as Table-Fellowship – “[T]he Family of God appears above all in a table-fellowship.” The Mass is a table-fellowship; we gather around the table of the Lord to partake in the Eucharist. Why did Christ center his New Covenant around the “table” in the Mass? How is the Mass a renewal of the New Covenant? How can we open ourselves more completely to the reality of the Mass?
We began by stating the theme in bold and providing additional information before posing the question. This additional information isn’t typical, but it can sometimes be valuable. Participants are encouraged to discuss the theme broadly and are not limited to just answering the question. The first part of the question addresses the core of the theme and is both broad and open-ended. The “correct answer” can be expressed in many ways, and a deeper discussion is likely to follow. The second part of the question narrows the focus slightly but remains fairly open-ended. Some questions have two parts in the middle; this one does not. The final part relies on personal opinion and experience—usually making it the most open-ended. Responses to the final question are likely to be the most diverse and personal.
Of course, this approach is just a starting point. It serves as a guide rather than a strict rule. All parts of the question may be equally open, with each naturally building on the previous, or each part might explore completely different aspects of the theme. Sometimes, it may feel more natural to place the most personal part of the question at the beginning or middle, rather than at the end. We take time to refine the question until it works well for us.
No question is perfect; it doesn’t need to be. However, it should include relevant and open-ended parts that encourage discussion. Remember that answering the question isn’t the main goal; engaging with the theme is.
Using Our Questions
The SCC leader and participants should treat each question as a single journaling prompt or discussion starter. The theme and questions together offer food for thought on the topic. The journaling and subsequent discussion are not intended to address every part of the question but to share participants’ thoughts based on the overall theme and question.
They might journal about or discuss the overall topic in detail, but only answer one part of the question—or none at all. These questions are designed to promote meaningful reflection rather than require answers or test comprehension. This reflective journaling, followed up with open discussion within the Paladin SCC, is how we help everyday people connect their daily lives to their faith.
Prayerful journaling is vital preparation. It doesn’t need to be long or polished—just honest. Write two to four sentences for each theme, reflecting on what spoke to your heart. Whether or not you read from your journal, that time with God will give your sharing greater depth.
Moving Forward
Understanding our approach to the discussion series and its value to your SCC is essential to effectively leading your SCC. It is doubly important for a leader who decides to create their own discussion series using our method.
We look forward to the day when many SCC leaders develop discussion series to share with the broader community. This chapter has covered the foundations—the theory behind creating a Paladin discussion series. In the next chapter, we will put this theory into action and guide you through the actual process.
Of course, we don’t expect our new leaders to tackle this process right away; some may never attempt it. Regardless, the information is available whenever you need it.
Every discussion series offers an opportunity to grow closer to Christ as a community—to think, share, and grow as His disciples. As we create and refine these study guides, may the Holy Spirit guide our hearts to build not just inspiring materials, but genuine communities of faith.
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