What Is A Small Christian Community (SCC)?

There is no more effective way of growing in your faith than to be part of a Small Christian Community where that faith is shared, listened to, and celebrated.  SCCs are a wonderful way to articulate the connections between faith and life.  Cardinal Newman once said, “Great holiness is lost to the Church because people refuse to tell their stories”.  Through SCCs, parishioners have an environment to tell their stories and have their stories honored in faith and love.

​Coming together in Small Christian Communities provides mutual support, builds healthy relationships, and empowers members to grow in faith as well as have greater belonging to the parish.  Some people have the misunderstanding that they are another parish program. They are not that at all. While communities may use a specific program periodically, for example during Advent or Lent, they are not a program but a way of being church that is supportive not only of a personal faith journey but, by nature, a reflection of the communal journey of the people of God.

Frequently
Asked
Questions

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What does an SCC do?
SCCs often pray, read/discuss spiritual materials, or do community outreach together.  

What materials can we use and what types of community outreach can we do?
Here are some resources for reading/discussion:

• Online resource Breaking Open the Word, weekly reflections on on the Sunday Gospels for Cycle C.  
• Readings: https://d24n6vng6mqwkm.cloudfront.net/cw/cw122/1/download-mu6f/index.html
• Discussion questions to go along with the readings. https://d24n6vng6mqwkm.cloudfront.net/pc/pc222/1/download-e1us/index.html
• Weekly Justice Challenges: https://d24n6vng6mqwkm.cloudfront.net/cmd/cmd122/1/download-9ti9/index.html 

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What type of community outreach can we do?
​Community outreach can include working together at Open Heart Kitchen, the Alameda County Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity or various others.  Some groups have adopted families through the parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society.
  
How many members should there be in an SCC?
Generally group size should be limited to 12-15 to encourage relationship building and to allow each person to share thoughts and questions.  A good way to add to a  group is by personal invitation from members.

How often do we meet?
Most SCCs meet once or twice a month, but the frequency depends on the preference of each group.

Whom can we contact for further information?
The SCC Core Team includes: 

Sharon McKee
[email protected]
925-462-8625

Rosemary Martelli
[email protected]
925-462-0867

Gina Gourley
[email protected]
925-216-5193

Jim Ghilardi
[email protected]
925-998-1460