Small church communities provide the opportunity for each member to be valued, to be listened to, and to be empowered to have a voice and the courage to act on convictions. Such prayerful faith sharing encourages each of us to listen to God who speaks through the scriptures, the people, and the events in our lives. The service aspect becomes a natural outgrowth of faith sharing prayer as members strive to live gospel values by reaching out to others in time of need.

Prayer is always 90% listening and 10% response. Through this faith sharing, we come to know and love God more deeply within the context of a supportive community environment. The scriptures come alive as we share the word spoken in our lives. We gain courage to relate our faith stories and support one another as the Word is broken open and shared We witness the presence of the Spirit in our own life and in the lives of those in the community of faith. In the reaching out, we become evangelizers of the gospel’s good news.

If you would like to join a small faith community, check with your local parish or diocese.