Small Groups

† Sharing faith is sacred ground.
† Remember in sharing faith you can only share your own perspective of faith and/or the Church story of faith. Be sure you know what the Church story is. Use listening skills to hear the faith story of others.
† To encourage others to share their faith we must be willing to begin by sharing our own story.
† In faith sharing, a person sometimes will attempt to sidetrack the discussion. This may indicate that s/he is uncomfortable with the direction of the discussion. Try to refocus the discussion, always allowing the other the right to close the discussion.
† “People today put more trust in witness than in teachers, in experience than in teaching, and if life and action than in theories.” (Pope John Paul II, Mission of the Redeemer, 42)
† The gospel is spread from person to person, often in peer relationships.
† Our family members are not peers. A peer relationship is one that is without the baggage of family members, therefore, it is sometimes difficult to share faith with a family member.
† The most transformative faith sharing in a family is the witness of loving each other.
† We are “ambassadors of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5) every time we share the gospel with another in unconditional love.
† When sharing faith we share only those things that we are comfortable sharing. Faith sharing is confidential. Listening skills are crucial. We do not try to “fix up”. We use phrases such as “I am hearing you say…” to clarify our understanding of what is being said.
† Do not assume that you know what someone believes.
† Share faith with respect and tact, seeking to meet the other person with the love of God.
† Proselytizing and manipulation have no place in faith sharing.
† Be affirming.
† Encounters with another are an adventure. We grow and change when we allow ourselves to be influenced by one another, especially those who share our faith journey.
† Evangelization occurs within a human interaction. There is a call and response.
† When we express our values in the workplace we do so with respect for others.
† Sometimes it is necessary to raise an issue in a group. Directive questions should be on a one on one encounter.
† Conversion happens in God’s time.
Prepared by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Division of Evangelization and Catechesis