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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 1973-2010 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 eight countries of Eastern Africa, namely
Eritrea
(1993),
Ethiopia (1979),
Kenya (1961),
Malawi
(1961),
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 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.
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 and entertainment) 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. 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, mutual aid, and social
outreach. This 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.
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). There
are opportunities for celebrating other sacraments in
the small community such as Baptism, Reconciliation and Marriage.
17.
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.
18. The SCC analyzes justice and
peace issues with concrete follow-up on the SCC, parish,
deanery and diocesan levels.
19.
The SCC has opportunities for Special Study (on the Bible,
the Creed, the Sacraments, a Catholic Church Document, a Religious Book, etc.),
Counseling, etc.
20. The SCC
has opportunities for Retreats/Spiritual Renewal and Recollection Days/Pilgrimages.
21. The SCC officially participates
in the parish structures. For example,
the SCC (or a group of
SCCs) has a representative on the Outstation or Parish Council. Leadership starts from
below.
22. There are regular meetings of
the SCC leaders to coordinate and animate SCC activities.
23.
There are training sessions (workshops and seminars) of the SCC leaders and
animators.
24.
There is some kind of coordination and networking of the different SCCs on the
parish, deanery, and diocesan levels.
25. The pastoral priority of SCCs is
an integral part of the Parish and Diocesan Pastoral Plans.
26.
The SCC has a missionary spirit with a specific
evangelization and mission focus.
Updated:
10 May, 2010
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
Tel. 020-4442864
E-mail:
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