Sample Format for Facilitator's Guide (One–Hour Session)
FACILITATOR’S GUIDE
SMALL FAITH-SHARING COMMUNITY
(ONE HOUR SESSION)
Preparation Guidelines:
Checklist:
Gather materials for the session, such as an Opening Prayer, Lectio Divina, and other pre-session materials, and forward these to the group members by email at least four days prior to the next gathering (an example of an email is provided on this site).
Review these materials both as a facilitator and as a participant.
Send group an email reminder the day before the gathering with meeting date, time, and location and, if applicable, any video-conferencing access information.
Prepare with prayer.
Materials Needed:
Email and other contact information for each group member
Computer or another device to access the Internet
Video camera and microphone
Access to Zoom or another video conferencing program
Ability to upload content onto screen for viewing by all group members
Symbol for gathering (e.g., Bible, Candle, Cross, Water, etc.)
Group Guidelines
Welcome group members as they appear in person or log on to video-conferencing site.
Placement of any symbols used for group
Invite group members into prayer
We begin in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
________, will you please offer an Opening Prayer to begin this session.
Thoughts in Solitude
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and
in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
—Fr. Thomas Merton, OCSO, Thoughts in Solitude
Thank you, __________ for sharing your prayer with us.
Let us now spend five minutes in silence to quiet our bodies, hearts, and minds so that we may be fully present to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and to each other during our time together.
At the conclusion of this period, end with:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
We gather with hearts filled with gratitude for our time together. May the light of God's love illuminate our hearts, guide our lives, and dispel the darkness in the world.
May we be light and bearers of good news for others.
Lord, we pause in the silence of our hearts and as a community of faith, and we offer to you our prayers of gratitude for our experiences and the light of Christ this past week, and we call upon the power of the Holy Spirit to empower each of us to be a way for Jesus Christ to bring God’s love, justice, peace, joy, freedom, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, healing, and salvation through us to our spheres of influence in this world.
Thank you for sharing.
Lectio Divina [20 minutes]To be good news, we must hear and respond to the Good News. Let us prepare to listen to selected verses from the Gospel of _________, Chapter ______.[It is suggested that you use the Gospel reading for the Sunday following your gathering during the week]
The Word of God is living and dynamic. It must be carried out into the world and shared both by witness and by proclamation. What is received must be shared with others.
We ask you, Holy Spirit, to open our hearts to hear the message you bring to us today.
As we listen to the passage the first time, listen for a word or phrase that touches your heart.
Ask a group member to read the Gospel reading.
"A reading from the Gospel of ________, Chapter_______, verses ____thru ______."
As we listen a second time, ponder the words more deeply, allowing them to resonate within you. What do these words mean in your life today?
Ask for a different person to read the Scripture. Be attentive to having different voices (male/ female) read.
Let us again pause and I invite you to share with us what you may hear God speaking to you.
Invite group members to share aloud the fruits of this time of prayer. Prompt them with any of the following questions:
What word, phrase, or insight caught your attention as you listened?
What comforted you?
What challenged you?
How did the Spirit speak to you?
What will continue to resonate within you?
Thank group members for sharing and conclude with:
Let us take a moment to silently pray for one another.
Amen.
Closing [10 Minutes]Announcements:
Our next gathering will be held next [insert day of week, date, and time, and whether appearing on Zoom or in person at the designated location].
We will send you copies of the pre-session materials to view, read, and reflect about for our next gathering. Please feel free to offer any Opening Prayers or other pre-session materials for our group’s
consideration, preferably not more than 30 minutes each. We can also use articles that may be of interest with regards to growing in spirituality or our faith.
We also urge you to continue to use a daily prayer and reflection resource, as well as keeping a journal of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences arising from your day, your prayer, or your reflections.
Does anyone else have any other announcements to share?
Closing Prayer:
As we come to the end of our time together, let us take a moment of silence, thanking God for this time and for each other.
Before reading the Closing Prayer,
We invite anyone to offer any personal intentions or prayer requests that they may have.
Would someone like to lead us in praying our closing prayer, either extemporaneously or a prepared prayer?
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created.
And you shall renew the face of the earth.
O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit,
did instruct the hearts of the faithful,
grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be
truly wise and ever rejoice in your consolations.
Through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Go forth in the love and peace of Christ and, guided by the Holy Spirit, may your hearts and minds be transformed to become more Christlike, especially with those who you encounter during the week.