Small Christian Community Formation Focus Area
There is a powerful new movement
afoot throughout the Christian world. It
goes by multiple names: basic Christian
communities, basic ecclesial communities,
small church communities, and small
Christian communities. By whatever
name, they are a way of being in the world
that harkens back to the models and
fervor of the early church. As the U.S.
bishops have said in their document Called
and Gifted for the Third Millennium, “Small
church communities not only foster the
faith of individuals, they are living cells
which build up the body of Christ.” They
bring life to parishes and credibility to
Christian faith across continents.
The focus area in Small Christian
Community Formation provides pastoral
agents with a broad theological and
historical understanding of this
movement, with a familiarity with the
movement in the U.S. church, and with
skills for forming and nurturing
intentional Christian communities in
parishes, religious communities, schools,
and other grassroots settings.
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Inner Life of Small Christian Communities
A true Christian community is both gathered (faith’s inner life) and sent (faith’s public life). This course examines the inner life of small Christian communities: their leadership, communication, worship, and decisionmaking. It includes historical and theological perspectives on the functioning of Christian communities inside their own boundaries.
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Public Life of Small Christian Communities
This course includes historical and theological perspectives on the relationship between Christian communities and their surrounding cultures and society. The course focuses on how small Christian communities can together engage in ministry and social justice.