Faith and Fellowship
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New Session BeginsWed, September 27
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Join us for 7:00 PM Mass at St. Agnes Church, followed by fellowship in the Parish Center.
This session's book for discussion, Start With Jesus provides rich content for small group discussions - complemented by a 6 Week Discussion Guide or Start With Jesus Resource for Individuals. The book and resources offer worthy activities that help people move from reading the Gospel Message to hearing it, understanding it, living it and sharing it with others. This is Evangelization. This book was chosen at the parish level to help put our collective focus here.Are you feeling distant from others or distant from God? Do you crave a little normalcy, shared connections with others? Perhaps our Faith & Fellowship Small Groups can help...
Over the past several years, Faith & Fellowship small groups have been a source of community to over 160 people who have participated in them and a vital source of strength for the Reading Catholic Community. Small groups provide a setting for sharing, deepening bonds, and serving and supporting each other. As we learn from the Acts of the Apostles, the Christian faith is meant to be lived in community: come explore Faith & Fellowship Small Groups as a way to deepen your relationship with Jesus and with each other! Some groups meet via Zoom and others meet in person, or a combination of both.
“Everything depends on how we love each other.”
~ Mother Teresa, Thirsting for GodFaith is a free and unconditional gift from God. However, it requires our response. Participation in a small group provides an opportunity to respond to God’s gift by exploring and sharing our faith with others in a way not possible in a larger setting such as at Mass. It is our hope that a small group will serve as a gateway to deeper faith and will provide a vibrant means for sharing the Gospel of Christ.
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Join a Small Group
Faith and Fellowship small groups are a place to grow spiritually, find support and encouragement, face challenges together, have fun, share a meal, and reach out through service projects.
If you are interested in a group, would like to sign up for a group, or have more questions about Faith and Fellowship, please email Steve Goldner at: [email protected]
Personal Witness
"If we do not share what we have been given, then the gift was never truly received. Every gift given is meant to be passed along.” ~ Carrie Gress Nudging Conversations
I have had the great pleasure of being in several different Small Faith Sharing Groups over the course of the Faith & Fellowship Program. I have met new people from both parishes, deepened my knowledge and understanding of our faith, developed new prayer habits, and have been inspired by the Catholic community I am a part of. We learn together, pray together, care for each other and have fun!
~ Rosemarie DeLacy
The reason I participate in Faith and Fellowship is because life is too busy. That sounds like a contradiction but setting aside one hour a week to focus on my faith assures that I am not standing still, or worse, retreating in my faith. Without this structure, one week rolls into the next without growing closer to Jesus.
~ Nick Aiello
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Small Groups are made up of about 8-12 people who meet to discuss faith, may explore the message of a particular program, currently our program is Faith & Fellowhip, and support one another in their relationship with Christ. While prayer is an important part of our Small Group environments, they are not Prayer Groups. Small Groups are not Bible Study or Adult Education classes. Small Groups are the place you connect with other growing disciples in a more personal environment.
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Over many years members of the Reading Catholic Community have been meeting regularly in small groups (8 to 10) to share their faith journey. This has been a tremendous blessing to many as a vehicle of growth in faith, as a means of meeting new people and an opportunity for fellowship. Fellow parishioners participate in faith sharing, prompted by a book designed for small group discussions and facilitated by group leaders.
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Groups meet in members’ homes and usually begin with casual conversation then prayer. (During COVID: will meet via Zoom, or if group agrees: in person with appropriate social distancing and masking.) Group members discuss and apply God’s word to their own lives. Meetings end with group prayer.
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Our Small Groups are more than just discussion groups. They are environments for growing discipleship in authentic and caring ways. Small Groups strive to be the place for Church members to find support, encouragement and care. Great friendships have developed out of our Small Groups. Group members face the challenges of life together, have fun together, share a meal, or reach out in service projects.
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We have two sign-up events a year (one in the Fall and one in the Winter) where we either form new groups or find a place in an existing Small Group.
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The general meeting time is approximately an hour and a half (90 minutes). Often small groups augment this time with social time before and/or after the 90 minute meeting time.
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We encourage each Small Group to grow together through a Season. There is a Fall Season from the beginning of October through mid-November, and a Lenten Season during the six weeks of Lent in the spring.
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Most groups are mixed adults (men, women and couples). A few are Men's groups or Women's groups. Many groups meet in the evening during the week with a number of groups meeting on the weekend or during the day. We can find a group time that works for you.
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You don't have to be a member or a Catholic to join a Small Group at St. Agnes Parish. Everyone is welcome. We encourage all our Church members to join a group and invite their friends. The parish purchases the program materials and fees; group participants can help support the program by contributing to the cost of your book, about $15.
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