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 a Small Group

• 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)

• Sowing Seeds: Essential for Small Christian Community Leaders

(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

• 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.

• Discussion Guide for Laudato Si' (USCCB)

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

• Laudato Si' Reflection Resource: On Care for our Common Home

(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

• Be Merciful: Reflections on the Spiritual & Corporal Works of Mercy - booklet (The Pastoral Center)

• Forgiveness and Reconciliation (RENEW International)

• Having Mercy: 6 Small Group Sessions on Mercy - eResource

(The Pastoral Center) English/Espanol

• Divine Mercy (Threshold Bible Study)

Seasonal-based Faith Sharing

Advent

• Advent Awakenings (RENEW International) - English and Spanish

• Exploring the Sunday Readings/para meditar las Lecturas Dominicales

• PrayerTime/Oremos (RENEW International) - Entire Liturgical Year in one book for Years A, B, and C

• Quest(Archdiocese of Hartford)

• Sunday by Sunday (Good Ground Press)

Lent

• Disciples On The Journey / Discipulos en la Jornada (Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament)

• Exploring the Sunday Readings/para meditar las Lecturas Dominicales

• Lenten Longings (RENEW International)

• Living the Eucharist (Paulist Evangelization Ministries)

• Open Our Hearts (Ave Maria Press)

• PrayerTime/Oremos (RENEW International) - Entire Liturgical Year in one book for Years A, B, and C

• Quest(Archdiocese of Hartford) - Lent included in Spring booklet

• Sunday by Sunday (Good Ground Press)

• Various Lenten SCC Resources (The Pastoral Center for Christian Holiness)

Easter

• Exploring the Sunday Readings/para meditar las Lecturas Dominicales

• PrayerTime/Oremos (RENEW International) - Entire Liturgical Year in one book for Years A, B, and C

• Quest(Archdiocese of Hartford)
• Sunday by Sunday (Good Ground Press)