MINISTRY GROUPS

SMALL CHURCH COMMUNITIES

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History 

Ever since the early 1960s Our Lady of Refuge parishioners have been meeting in various types of small faith-sharing groups.  Among these types of groups were the guilds and the Bible study groups, neither of which focused on the Sunday readings.  In the late 1980s many in the Our Lady of Refuge community participated in the Renew program, which lasted three years.  Under Renew, parishioners met in small groups in a member’s home for six-week sessions twice each year.  Each session focused on a different faith-related topic that group members would discuss during their meetings.  When the Renew program ended after three years, some parishioners missed the fellowship and faith sharing that the program provided. The Small Church Communities (SCC) ministry was formed to fill this void.  The new ministry was similar to Renew in its structure and format except that the meetings would focus on the upcoming Sunday readings.   

Small Church Communities Today 

Small Church Communities continue to be an important part of the Our Lady of Refuge parish life.  They provide an excellent opportunity to meet fellow members of the parish family and to grow in faith with one another. Also, reading and reflecting on the Sunday scriptures with others makes them so much more meaningful--they seem to come alive when they are proclaimed at Mass.  

Like Renew, sessions are six-weeks long and are offered twice a year.  The pre-Advent session ends the week before Thanksgiving. The Lenten session starts the week of Ash Wednesday and ends the week before Holy Week.  Each SCC group consists of approximately 6 to 8 persons who meet once a week for about 1½ hours, typically in a member’s home, to discuss and reflect on the Sunday readings, to share how the readings relate to everyday lives, to share faith experiences, and to determine how to best live out the message in the readings.  Group meetings are held on weekdays during morning or evening hours. 

Links

If you are interested in reflecting on the Scripture readings for the Liturgy, click on the links below:

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MINISTRY GROUPS

SPIRITUAL GROWTH MINISTRIES