Resources for Small Faith Communities

Curated by the North American Forum for Small Christian Communities (NAFSCC)

Small Christian Community Development

Forming Small Christian Communities

Creating Small Church Communities: A Plan for Restructuring the Parish and Renewing Catholic Life

Creating Small Christian Communities: Minimum Structure, Maximum Life(Good Ground Press)

Facilitating for Growth: A Guide for Scripture Study Groups and Small Christian Communities (The Liturgical Press)

Getting a Grip on Your Group: A Guide for Discerning Priorities in Your Small Christian Community (Good Ground Press)

Small Community Leader Training

Facilitating for Growth: A Guide for Scripture Study Groups and Small Christian Communities (The Liturgical Press)

Small Christian Communities: A Vision of Hope for the 21st Century (RENEW International)

(RENEW International)

FreeSmall Community Leader Training Webinarfrom RENEW International using the resource Sowing Seeds

Evaluating Group Life

Getting a Grip on Your Group: A Guide for Discerning Priorities in Your Small Christian Community (Good Ground Press)

Lectionary-based Faith Sharing

Prayer Time/Oremos (RENEW International) – A faith sharing resource book based on the Sunday readings. Can be used personally or with a group. (available in ENGLISH)

Quest(Archdiocese of Hartford) - Quest and Summer Reflections are Sunday scripture-based reflection booklets for use by those who gather in small Christian communities. Each weekly unit offers the elements for a complete small community session.

Exploring the Sunday Readings/para meditar las Lecturas Dominicales (Alice Camille, Twenty-Third Publications) A monthly publication which makes a spiritual connection between Scripture and daily life. Each issue gives you opening and closing prayers to guide your meditations, easy-to-understand explanations that go straight to the heart of the readings, short commentaries on each reading, and practical questions for reflection.

Sunday by Sunday (Good Ground Press) - a four-page weekly publication that invites adults to reflect on the Sunday Gospel and Old Testament readings.

Theme-based Faith Sharing

Catholic Social Teaching

Faith in Action (Paulist Evangelization Ministries) - Discussion and sharing material for six sessions —all of them focused on the social teachings of the Church.

Ecology, Environment, Stewardship of the Earth, Laudato Si’

Creation at the Crossroads (RENEW International) - 12 sessions on Pope Francis’ encyclical on ecology.

On Care for Our Common Home: A Group Reading Guide to Pope Francis' Laudato Si' (The Pastoral Center) - Bill Huebsch’s 7 week guide for discussion in small groups on the Pope’s encyclical.

Study and Action Guide for Individuals and Small Groups (Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach)

(Eco Spirituality)

Faithful Citizenship

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility

USCCB, 2015

Family Faith Sharing

Family Faith Communities (Good Ground Press) - Easy to use, hands-on materials for family-based small Christian communities. Offers step-by-step sessions to get a family based group started. Includes 10 inter-generational gatherings and 10 Kitchen Table Pages for family at-home preparation.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Spirit of Faith (Paulist Evangelization Ministries) – Discussion and sharing material for seven sessions—all of them focused on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Sacraments

Deepening Faith (Paulist Evangelization Ministries) - Discussion and sharing material for six sessions—all of them focused on the sacraments.

Stewardship

Virtues

Empowering Faith (Paulist Evangelization Ministries) – Discussion and sharing material for seven sessions—concentrating on the three theological virtues and four cardinal virtues.

Year of Mercy, Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Mercy, Justice