Formation Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya Highlights “Small Christian Communities (SCCs) are Missionaries and Evangelizers”

      112 people participated in the first 2011 formation meeting of the Pope John Paul II Parish Evangelizing Teams at the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Regional Centre House in Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday, 23 January, 2011. The theme was “Small Christian Communities (SCCs) are Missionaries and Evangelizers.” It was in the context of the two main themes of the year for the whole group:

  • 1st Theme: “The Church in Africa in Service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace” (Second African Synod)
  • 2nd Theme: “Be Missionaries To Yourselves” (Pope Paul VI in Uganda in 1969)

      The program had three parts:

PART ONE: VIDEO ON “CHURCH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD”—43 minutes.

      This was a very instructive “teaching” video showing how to develop and animate (facilitate) Small Christian Communities within parishes in Africa. It is done in two parts:

  • Part One showed the basis and formation of SCCs (20 min).
  • Part Two showed the different ministries/services that can be established within SCCs (23 min).

      This video showed the life and activities of several Small Christian Communities in Nairobi lived out in an African context. It is based on the book The Church in the Neighborhood by Father (now Bishop in Ethiopia) Rodrigo Mejia, S.J.

PART TWO: FROM THE BIBLE TO DAILY LIFE:

      Demonstration (panel) of a weekly meeting of a SCC by eight members of St. Kizito SCC, Waruku, St. Austin’s Parish, Nairobi Archdiocese, Kenya. Joining the whole assembly were members of St. Petro Mwamba SCC, St. Bakhita SCC, and St. Charles Lwanga SCC of St. Austin’s Parish; St. Joseph’s SCC of St. Martin de Porres Sub-parish Spring Valley Parish; and St. Anthony SCC of Christ the King Sub-parish of St. Joseph the Worker Parish. Panel mebers shared Bible Reflections/Bible-Life Connections on Matthew 4: 12-23.

PART THREE:FROM DAILY LIFE TO THE BIBLE:

  1. Beforehand the leaders discussed the question: “What are the different human problems in Kenya that we should reflect on in our SCC meetings in the light of the Gospel?” (John Paul II). They identified eight major human problems in Kenya and focused on the three most challenging ones: two affecting general society especially (“corruption” and “tribalism”); one affecting the pastoral life of the Catholic Church (“problems in marriage”).
  2. Participants divided into seven SCCs (small discussion groups of around 15 people each):
    1. Four in Swahili (two on “corruption,” one on “tribalism,” one on “problems in marriage”).
    2. Three in English (one each on “corruption,” “tribalism,” “problems in marriage”).
  3. Starting from the chosen problem, each group found corresponding/parallel passages in the Bible that offer light and inspiration.
  4. Short reports in the whole group.

      Here are some photographs of the seven SCCs taken by Simon Rurinjah. They portray very well a typical SCC – a mixed group of men and women sitting in a circle, some with Bibles.

Left click on the photos to enlarge.
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Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Maryknoll Society
P.O. Box 43058
00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Telkom Orange Wireless: 057-2522977
JGHealey@aol.com
www.maryknollafrica.org

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