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Community Building
In Sharing Faith Thomas Groom emphasises the witnessing task of the Christian community. For its own members the parish is to be a community of solidarity that empowers them to live the way of Jesus. Then, for all people, it is to be a welcoming and believable community of prophetic witness to God's reign. Community building leads the parish to attend to the following tasks, according to Maria Harris:
  • Inclusion, which involves, on the one hand, having room for all and on the other including those who feel isolated or alienated
  • Developing lay leadership in a parish community made up of smaller communities
  • Outreach to those in need.

Tom Sweetser and Peg Bishop propose that because building a sense of community is so critical to the life of the parish it would be important to set up a community building group or commission. This group or pastoral council sub-committee would be responsible for the following four areas:
  • Hospitality and welcome
  • Parish organisations and groups
  • Recruiting and managing volunteers
  • Providing fun events and socials for the parishioners
The Renew process in our diocese was successful in developing lay leaders and bringing people together in small faith sharing communities. More recently the Healing the Body of Christ programme, adapted for use in Ireland by the Armagh Diocesan Small Community Committee, has been adopted by various parishes in the diocese. One parish priest spoke recently of continuing the process of encouraging small groups of parishioners to use the Healing the Body of Christ programme with a view to participants in the programme then becoming leaders in new small communities using the programme. For more information on the Healing the Body of Christ programme contact Fr John Gates This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Please share with us your stories of building community in your context. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 

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