Connect Groups are small groups of six to twelve people which meet regularly in homes, for fellowship, prayer, study, and support.  The format of the group, study materials, and frequency of meetings is up the group to decide.  Suggestions for a successful Connect Group are offered below.

Connect Groups are open to any adult.  While the group and materials are from a Catholic perspective, they are open to  people of any faith background. The only requirement is that you participate in the activities in the group and are willing to share the responsibility of the various group roles.

Each group member will need to take on the responsibility of the various roles on a rotating basis to insure the group can function properly.  Our ministry team is committed to providing you with the support and resources to make sure this happens.

These roles include:
Contact Person- This person communicates with the other group members about when and where the group is meeting as well as assiging the various roles for the group.  
Host-  This person hosts the group at their home.  They do not necessary need to provide the food and drink if your group chooses to have this as part of your fellowship time.  For Virtual Home Groups, this person must have knowledge and ability to host a video conference (eg. Zoom, Google Meet).  
Discussion Leader-  This person makes sure the meeting runs in a timely manner and leads discussion of questions for study portion of the meeting.
Prayer Leader- This person leads the prayer portion of the meeting
 Group Roles Logistics Worksheet

What makes Connect Group gatherings different than other groups is that it offers components at each meeting for the formation of the whole person through opportunities for prayer, study, support, and fellowship within a two or two-and-one-half-hour period on a regular basis (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly). Depending on the materials being used or preference of the group, each of these components may look slightly different but should be included.

Here is what a Connect Group meeting might look like:

Opening Prayers of Praise, Adoration, and Thanksgiving (10 min.)- During this time the group comes into God’s presence by utilizing various prayers from our rich Catholic spiritual tradition such as: litanies, Liturgy of the Hours, spontaneous praise, singing praise and worship songs and hymns together.
Study (60 minutes)- This portion includes utilizing a variety of suggested materials to learn about God and the Catholic Faith.
Support (30 minutes)- During this part of the meeting each member will have an opportunity to feel the support of others on their journey by discussing questions such as “Is there any spiritual issue that you would like to bring up to the group this week?”
Closing Prayers of Petitions (10 minutes)- Here the community takes time to lift each other up in prayer for their various needs.
Fellowship (15-30 minutes)- The meeting would begin or conclude with a social opportunity with snacks where the community can continue to grow in relationship with one another.

Our parish has access to FORMED, an online platform with a variety of Catholic content including video-based programs, audio recordings, and ebooks.  We also have access to Bishop Robert Barron's Word On Fire Digital Platform through Flocknote.  Our Parish Library has many materials that are suitable for study in small groups which can be checked out.  Click on the buttons below to find out more.

FORMED       Word on Fire Digital      Parish Library

The only cost associated with a Connect Group would be for the purchase of study materials that the group chooses to use, any food you might provide on a rotating basis for the group, or for babysitting if needed.

Mary Visser or Justin Frato, 281-265-5774