How to Form a Small Sharing Group
FRIENDSHIP- Meet with friends, or make friends to meet with.
REGULARITY - Meet weekly if possible.
STABILITY - Meet with the same people.
NUMBER - Any number but break up into groups no more than 3 or 4 in size.
FREEDOM - Each voluntarily meets with the others.
FORMAT - Follow the Order of Small Group Sharing on the LEAFLET.
PLACE - Anywhere agreed upon by all. (i.e. someone's home)
LENGTH - One to two hours.
LEADER - No leader; all are on an equal basis. Someone volunteer to facilitate.
Elements Needed for Succesful Small Group Sharing
IDEALISM - Expect the best and give (share) the best.
COMMITMENT - Form a personal program of Piety (to love), Study (to know) and Action (to serve God).
CHARITY - Need a real love of God and love of neighbor.
OPENNESS - Listen to others, be interested. Trust that they are interested and listening to you.
SINCERITY - Be honest; don't fake it.
SERIOUSNESS - With a sense of its importance; it is a spiritual exercise.
SENSITIVITY - Share simply and avoid being too long-winded.
PREPARE - Review your commitment beforehand and offer prayer and sacrifice for your community.
Use of the Small Group Sharing Leaflet
Take and fold the leaflet in half and then fold in half again to make it pocketsize. It can be carried in your wallet or purse, etc.
The Outside of the leaflet will have the Chi-Rho symbol on it declaring from Acts 1:8 "You will be My witnesses.."
This side contains suggestions for an increased voluntary commitment to Christ in a renewed life of piety, study and action. Each section should contain some new commitment that will direct us on our road to a progressive conversion to Christ. These can be changed as often as one desires so long as there is a continual striving to better one's life of loving, knowing, and serving God. There should be an attempt at balancing the effort we give to each one of these exercises. Study should not take precedence over Piety and, likewise, these should not take precedence over Serving Christ as His disciples.
Also listed are the seven corporal and spiritual works of mercy that can and should be employed in our daily activities as a proactive witness to Christ's love in the world.
On the opposite side of the leaflet, you will
notice a verse from St. Paul's letter to the Romans where he encourages the faith
community in Rome to share so they may be mutually encouraged in faith. This can
never be over-stressed. Our support for each other is vital and directly
attributable to the success that each individual experiences in his/her own personal
journey in union with Christ and with others. Listed is a loose format of Small
Group Sharing. The group should always begin in prayer and end in prayer.
Sharing is done in small groups. Three or four and no more. If the Small
Group Sharing has more than one small group, the small groups can re-gather for the
benefit of larger community and share some of the high points shared in the smaller
groups. Start with one of the three basics (Piety, Study, Action)
and share around the group the question presented on the leaflet. Our answers should
reflect how we were personally nourished by the experience. After one question is
shared among the group, go to the next question until all three basics of the faith are
shared.
When the group(s) first come together or come back together, a hymn(s) of praise may be
sung or scripture may be shared that will uplift the small community of believers. A
short teaching may be given at the end of sharing that will benefit the group and its
present walk in the faith.
"If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, and participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory, but rather, regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but each for those of others. Having the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus." St. Paul
Christ and His Church are Counting on You!
(Send E-mail to Deacon Francis Valliere for a copy of the leaflet or see attached html page!)