Describe the pieces of the logo Lk 19:5 – “I must come to your house today.” Friends Encountering Christ: The Lord visits you in your home, church, friends. We are called to encounter Christ in all those ways and places. Our pastor had long envisioned that there should be a sense of church and community within the neighborhoods around our parish territory. He is also a great believer in small groups and in faith-sharing SATG has 4000 families – over 11,000 registered members

Catholic Theology Encounter Accompaniment Made for communion As I said: The Lord visits you in your home, church, friends. We are called to encounter Christ in all those ways and places. Pope Francis talks about our need to encounter Christ – for us to encounter Christ in others, and for them to encounter Christ in us This happens - or can or should happen - most naturally in a home setting. In our parish prayer, we pray that we might each become welcoming doorways to others. We know it to be true that small groups and faith-sharing are the two paths to deeper communion in Christ and the Church. Pope Francis also stresses accompaniment – the very important step in our Christian lives of walking with others through their sorrows and their joys so that they need never feel alone. Again, that we be Christ for one another. It should be the shining quality of Church – that everyone feels they belong, everyone feels that they are not alone but that there are always others walking with them. We are not there to socialize with one another – although that will sometimes be a result – but we should always be there to minister to one another. We imagined groups that would be small and foster community, provide a concrete experience of life in the church. serve as Lenten preparation, and stress faith-sharing, not Bible study

1st Steps Break the territory into neighborhoods Select leaders with staff input Send letters inviting potential leaders Obtain their availability Publicize the Lenten program Have a parish-wide sign-up Place people into groups So our plan became Break the territory into neighborhoods based on the number of actively participating households in each (about 25 in each) Review all of the households in those neighborhoods and ask the staff to recommend people who they envisioned could lead a small group Send letters inviting potential leaders to a meeting to explain the vision of the program Obtain from them their availability for hosting a group in their home Publicize the expectation to the entire parish Have a parish-wide sign-up Place people in the groups that met their stated availability and as close to their home as possible

Home Gatherings Yard signs Candles with logo Leader Packets Attendance sheet Name tags 3 weeks of prayer, Gospel text, faith-sharing questions DVD for each week with 3 parish priests’ homily preparation reflection

Surveys Host/Facilitator Survey Participant Survey 94% helped them grow spiritually 37% had not attended previous Lenten program 26% first time faith-sharing 97% felt prepared to lead group 77% felt 3 gatherings were a good number Participant Survey 87% helped them grow spiritually 90% appreciated a home setting 95% video helped them better understand the Gospel message 99% felt welcomed by leader

Church@Home 2018! Solidify small groups as part of the parish culture Continue the search for geographic leadership Ensure optimum size of small groups Train for faith-sharing – not Bible Study Conclude with a large gathering in the church, inviting all participants Translate experienced hospitality from home to parish eucahrist – increasing intentional engagement in the Sunday Eucharistic Liturgy