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28 criteria have been established
for evaluating a typical neighborhood, parish-based Small Christian Community (SCC)
in an urban or rural area in Eastern Africa.
These criteria are drawn from official AMECEA (Association of Member
Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa) documents as far back as the 1973, 1976
and 1979 AMECEA Plenary Study Conferences, the First African Synod in 1994, the
Second African Synod in 2009, practical pastoral decisions based on experience
during this 1973-2011 period, and an evolving vision, theology, and praxis of
SCCs. NOTE: AMECEA is an acronym for "Association of Member
Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa." It is a service organization for
the National Episcopal Conferences of the nine countries of Eastern Africa,
namely Eritrea (1993), Ethiopia (1979), Kenya (1961), Malawi (1961), South
Sudan (2011), Sudan (1973), Tanzania (1961), Uganda (1961) and Zambia (1961). Somalia (1995) and Djibouti (2002) are Affiliate
Members.
1.
The SCC is small -- usually not more that 15 or 20 regularly attending adults
(with a varying number of children).
2. The SCC usually meets every week. Some SCCs meet every two weeks.
3.
The SCC meets during the week outside of the Sunday Eucharist/”Sunday
Service without a Priest.”
4.
The SCC meets in the home of one of its members usually on a rotation basis.
5.
The catechist is not the leader.
A variety of leaders/ministers are chosen from within the SCC. They are
animators, not bosses.
6.
The SCC chooses a patron/patroness saint and is called by his or her name. This gives a specific Christian identity to
the SCC beyond its geographical place name.
The specific saint chosen serves as a model for the SCC members' lives
and work. For example a SCC may choose
one of the apostles to indicate its apostolic/pastoral focus or one of the
Ugandan Martyrs to show its African identity or a youthful saint if it is
mainly composed of young people. The SCC celebrates the annual Feast Day of its
patron/patroness saint.
7.
The SCC is the felt need of its members on the local level without depending on
the priest or pastoral worker.
8.
The SCC emphasizes personal relationships, family bonds, solidarity, and
Christian belonging --sharing together, working together, and celebrating
together (including meals, entertainment and social activities) in the context
of African values and customs. Developing SCCs is a concrete expression of, and
realization of, the Church-as-Family Model of Church (First African Synod in
1994 and Second African Synod in 2009).
9.
The SCC is an Inculturation/Contextualization Model of Church that tries to
form and evolve from the grassroots up out of the daily life and experience of
the people themselves.
10.
The SCC has some kind of Bible Sharing/Bible Reflection/Bible—Life Connections
on a regular basis. Often the Gospel of the following Sunday is chosen (a
lectionary-based SCC) with a clear step by step plan. Members try to integrate faith and life, the
Bible and everyday experience. Sometimes
the SCC has Daily Life--Bible Connections. Start with with special themes and
topics as well as our experiences and events of daily life
and then go to the Bible. Use SEE-JUDGE-ACT. This is an experience of faith sharing. Regularly there are “Prayers of
the Faithful” (General Intercessions).
11.
Silence after the Bible reading to listen to what God is saying/what God wants
to tell us.
12.
The SCC has pastoral and business meetings on a regular basis.
13.
The SCC has some kind of planned practical action/service/ pastoral, social and
mission outreach. Ideally this is a communal response where the SCC
members carry out the practical action as a group. Ideally it is connected to/flows
from the Gospel text of the weekly Bible Sharing/Bible Reflection and is
closely related to the pastoral priorities and activities of the parish. This service
and outreach responds to local challenges and problems such as lax Catholics in
the neighborhood, bereavement, sick people, needy and poor people, people with
HIV/AIDS, street children, internally displaced people (IDPs), refugees,
and people with dependency on alcohol, drugs, etc., local tensions over tribalism/negative
ethnicity, concern about ecology and the environment and so on.
14.
The SCC usually has a treasury (fund) with a regular collection taken during
its gatherings. The money is used for
the activities of the SCC such as celebrations (meals,
entertainment, etc.), bereavement of members and their families and to
help needy people.
15. The SCC has self-reliance projects (self-generating
activities) and fund-raisers.
16.
The SCC members participate in the Eucharistic Liturgy as a community
celebration of life (whether the parish/outstation Sunday Eucharistic
Celebration or an occasional Eucharistic Celebration in the SCC itself that is called
a Jumuiya (Swahili for “Community”)
Mass. This reflects the communion of communities model of church. There are opportunities for celebrating other sacraments in the small
community such as Baptism, Reconciliation, Marriage and Anointing of the Sick.
17.
SCC is responsible for assisting in the Sunday Mass in the parish,
sub-parish or out-station on a rotation basis. Cleaning the church, supplying
the readers, taking the collection, bringing up the gifts at the Offertory
including a special collection/donation from the SCC members. Sometimes SCC
members especially the youth participate in the small plays/role plays that
take place during mass.
18.
The SCC has various pastoral responsibilities, decisions, and activities in the
parish especially related to its members’ religious education and preparation
for receiving the sacraments.
19. The SCC analyzes justice and
peace issues with concrete follow-up on the SCC,
parish,
deanery and diocesan levels.
20.
The SCC has opportunities for Special Study (on the Bible,
the Creed, the
Sacraments, a Catholic Church Document, a Religious Book, etc.),
Counseling, etc.
21. The SCC
has opportunities for Retreats/Spiritual Renewal and Recollection Days/Pilgrimages.
22. There is an annual SCC Day on
the parish, sub-parish or outstation levels. This includes the Eucharist, a
meal and sharing SCC activities.
23.
The SCC officially participates in the parish structures as a “communion of communities” model
of church. For example, the SCC (or a group of SCCs) has
a representative on the Outstation or Sub-parish or Parish Council. Leadership starts from below.
24. There are regular meetings of
the SCC leaders to coordinate and animate SCC activities.
25.
There are formation and training sessions (workshops and seminars) of the SCC
leaders and animators.
26.
There is some kind of coordination and networking of the different SCCs on the
parish, deanery, and diocesan levels.
27. The pastoral priority of SCCs is
an integral part of the Parish and Diocesan Pastoral Plans.
28.
The SCC has a missionary spirit with a specific
evangelization and mission focus.
More information is available on the:
Small Christian
Communities Global Collaborative Website and “Facebook Page”
www.smallchristiancommunities.org
Updated:
1 November, 2011
Father
Joseph Healey, M.M is a Maryknoll missionary priest who is presently teaching a
course on "Small Christian
Communities as a New Model of Church in Africa Today" at
Hekima College (Jesuit School of Theology) and at Tangaza College (CUEA) in
Nairobi, Kenya. He is the co-editor of Small Christian Communities Today:
Capturing the New Moment. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2005 and Nairobi:
Paulines Publications Africa, 2006.
Rev.
Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Maryknoll
Society
P.O. Box 43058
00100 Nairobi,
Kenya
Telkom Orange Wireless: 057-2522977
E-mail:
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