Browsing by Subject "Small Christian Communities"

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Challenges of the Small Christian Communities in the Evangelization of Eastern Africa
(Tangaza University College, 2000-02) Carbonero, Pedro
In the present long essay I want to tackle some questions that arise from my motivation. What are the challenges and difficulties of SCCs in Eastern Africa? What can the SCCs do to face and to overcome these challenges and difficulties? What is the evangelizing and missionary dimension of the SCCs in Eastern Africa? Is the SCC relevant to the African environment and it really responds to the problems and needs of the African people? These questions create further interest to research on SCCs. When I started to participate in the SCCs at weekends in Kibera (Nairobi), I was amazed by the spontaneity of the members in sharing the bible according to their own understanding. When praying, they speak to God in the second person with familiar confidence to express their problems, sorrows and difficulties. The atmosphere lived in their meetings is of teaching, communal life, celebration and prayers, just like the first Christian community of Acts (Acts 2: 42-47). This has been the motivation behind that made me choose this topic_ This led me to know more about SCCs in Eastern Africa. This long essay has been the opportunity to research on it and to understand better the dynamics and the role of the SCCs in the evangelization process and missionary work.
Effective Pastoral Leadership in The Small Christian Communities for Evangelization in Tigania Deanery, Meru Catholic Diocese, Kenya
(Tangaza University College, 2019) Muthamia, Stephen Mbae
Leading others is a challenge, a great opportunity which includes serious responsibilities. This requires one to be passionate when serving people, it also calls for skills, commitment and great sacrifice to evangelize the people. However this does not seem to be the case in pastoral leadership of Meru catholic Diocese in Tigania Deanery. The research identified pastoral leadership skills needed for effective evangelization in the small Christian communities in Tigania Deanery, Meru Diocese. The general objective of this study was to investigate into the required skills and competencies needed in pastoral leadership for effective participatory and responsive leadership in Tigania Deanery, and to come up with action plan on how to equip leaders with those skills. The research has dealt with a review of the available literature, which demonstrates the need to cultivate skills and competencies for effective evangelizing Christians in Tigania deanery in Meru Diocese. The study employed both qualitative and quantitate research methods. The researcher used mixed method design, qualitative design that enabled to analyze the data using frequencies table, and in-depth interviews. Quantitative design we use the questionnaire to help the researcher get statistical data analysis. The researcher used purposive and random sampling methods of qualitative research. Simple random and purposive sampling procedures were used during data collection. That enables research to take place in the communities. The structure of investigation conceived helped in obtaining answers to questions. Data analysis was done using SPSS that used descriptive statistics. The findings on effective pastoral leadership for evangelizations expressed, lacks skills and competencies. The findings confirmed that pastoral leaders in Tigania deanery lacks leadership skills for evangelizing effectively in the SCCs. The findings could draw conclusion that it is important for pastoral leaders to undergo training programs because most of them have been chosen yet they absolutely lack leadership skills. More comprehensive studies should be undertaken to include a larger population in order to ascertain whether effective pastoral leadership in the SCCs in the Diocese is apostolate oriented.
Evangelization and Politics The Ministry of the Church In Burkina Faso
(Tangaza University College, 2001-02) Paul Guibila, Jean
One of the most outstanding pastoral priorities taken by the AMECEA bishops has been the one of the Small Christian Communities. This pastoral programme has had as a primary intention to shape and foster a new way of being Church in Eastern Africa: A Church more African in its participation and organization, and more inserted and participative in its social reality. To achieve this, AMECEA has called all the forces and pastoral agents to actively participate in this urgent and noble task. But, A mixture of results and reactions have accompanied the beginning and the subsequent development the SCCs, and the same results and reactions continue up to nowadays. Nearly, 30 years have passed since the introduction of this pastoral programme, and we can easily realise that there is still a long way to go before the SCCs achieve what is expected from them. Furthermore, the SCCs currently face old and new challenges present in the African society. It is in this context that the SCCs are called and challenged- more than ever to be and foster what they are: witnesses of the God of life, seeds of Liberation and sodal actors that aim at the transformation of society. This long essay is an attempt to rediscover and stress the role of the SCCs as social actors in the transformation of the African society. A task that is urgently needed due to the actual condition and reality of the continent. I have divided this paper in three sections, trying to apply the pastoral methodology: SEE, JUDGE and ACT. In the first chapter (SEE), I have pointed out the historical factors for the beginning and development of the SCCs, and the reluctance in implementing the SCCs' social dimension in Eastern Africa. In the second chapter (JUDGE), I have pointed out the biblical and theological foundations of the SCCs as social actors. Here, I have worked on the themes of the covenant and Amos' prophetic ministry and social claim, as far as the 0. T concerns, while the theme of the Johannine community has been worked out in relation to the N. T . In the last two points of this chapter, I have made a explicit reference to the SCCs in Liberation Theology and in the African Synod. In the last chapter (ACT), I have presented some suggestions on how to stress the role of the SCCs as social actors, pointing out four dimensions that must be always considered and related in the SCCs' life and praxis. In doing so, the SCCs shall achieve an effective involvement in the transformation of their social reality.
How Active Participation of Men in SCCs Can Strengthen The Faith Of The Family In Kenya Today
(Tangaza University College, 2017) Ngala Karani, Joseph
The ecclesiology of communion which developed from the Vatican Council’s model of the Church as People of God was the force behind the African Synod image of the Church as Family of God. This image of the Church makes it easy for the understanding of the creation of Small Christian Communities as a New Model of Being Church. Richard Currier and Francis Gram begin the first chapter of their book, ‘Forming Small Christian Communities: A Personal Journey’ with these words: “It is surprising how much we can learn about Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in the first chapter of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.” 1 There is no doubt that this statement refers to the friendship that existed between God the creator and the creatures, Adam and Eve, a community of love and caring for one another, since the writer tells us how God used to take a stroll with Adam in the garden in the evenings (cf. Gn. 3:8). From this remote source of the first community, originated the aspect of communion which runs throughout the scriptures, showing the relationship between God and His people, the chosen race (cf. Gn. 17:1-11; Ex. 12; 20:2-11), as well as a relationship between the people themselves (cf. Gn. 4:1-16; Ex. 20:12-17). It is believed that the very precise initiation of SCCs was by Jesus himself in the New Testament. The first instance was when he called the first four disciples and later appointing the twelve apostles as his companions (cf. Mt. 4:18-22; 10:1-4; Mk. 1:16-20; 3:13-19; Lk.6:12-16). Though this first community of Jesus and his disciples/apostles seemed to be of only men, there were also women who followed Jesus and who were counted among the disciples as well (cf. Lk.8:13;23:55;24:10). These disciples when left behind by Jesus after his Ascension into Heaven, they came to be known as ‘The Community of Disciples in Jerusalem’ (Acts 1:12-26). These are the ones who followed the instructions of Jesus to wait for the Gift of the Spirit in the upper room in Jerusalem. Again, the twelve were not alone, since they were in the company of Mary the mother of Jesus and other women (Acts 1:14). After the Pentecost, the day the Gift of the Spirit descended upon the apostles, Peter led the group of the eleven, raised his voice and preached to the people (Acts 2:14ff). This provoked the listeners who asked what to do, and Peter told them ‘to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus.’ Here, the four pillars of SCCs were well stipulated, that is, ‘devoting to the teaching of the apostles, communal life, breaking of the bread and prayer’ (Acts 2:42). These have remained as foundation of SCCs up to date, since any SCC should draw its strength and devotion from the above four pillars. Thanks be to Pope Saint John XXIII for his great move of calling the Vatican Council (19621965) which acknowledged the images of the Church as People of God (LG. 4), the Church as Communion (LG. 32), and the Church as Body of Christ (1Cor.12:12-27). “These images bring out the fact that the Church is a community of believers that participates in God’s love as Father, Son and Spirit.” 2 This is the image/model the AMECEA bishops while meeting in 1973 promoted and decided to make SCCs a new way of evangelization. However, the implementation of it was not until 1976. This was meant for the laity to participate fully and actively in church matters through participation in the SCCs. The African Synod which was initiated by Pope Saint John Paul II between 1994 and 1995 developed the theme/image/model of the Church as Family of God. According to ‘Ecclesia in Africa,’ this model is made possible through the values and roles of each family member, just as in the SCC where each member has roles to play. The communion aspect is very strong since this is basic for African communities. On this, Rev. Joseph Healey, a Maryknoll Missionary and a Small Christianity Community animator in Eastern Africa since 1968, has the best term for it –‘a New Way of Being Church.’ He says, “Our African SCCs are a communion of families that are often called domestic churches.” 3 In this paper, the researcher is going to look specifically as to whether more participation of men in SCCs can be a way of strengthening faith in families. This research is also going to give special attention to the participation of men in SCCs in Our Lady of Heaven Karen parish in Nairobi Archdiocese. In African tradition, men are regarded as heads of their families while women are regarded second class or weak beings. This is however changing very fast since women are becoming equal partners. In SCCs they take leadership roles and are very active. They talk of equity and equality in responsibilities. St. John Paul II quoting Paul VI affirms that, “If the witness of the Apostles founds the Church, the witness of women contributes greatly towards nourishing the faith of Christian communities.” 4 Though women are taking lead in Church leadership, men should be aggressive. They should reclaim their headship, not negatively, but in a positive manner so that they act as role model to the family. Active participation of men in SCCs is therefore very vital since it will enhance, motivate and encourage all family members to participate, including their children. In the last chapter of this paper, the researcher will share about the participation of men in SCCs in the Diocese of Malindi, the diocese of his origin. Lastly, the researcher will suggest some practical pastoral recommendations as a way forward to motivate men’s participation in SCCs. All this is aimed at strengthening the faith of the whole family. At the end of it all, Small Christian Communities must be a place where the family finds the Church, and the Church finds the family, since SCCs are places of evangelization for the benefit of the bigger community.
How African Small Christian Communities Implement the Pastoral and Missionary Vision of Vatican II
(Tangaza University College, 2013-07) Healey, Joseph G.
As we continue to celebrate the 50-year Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council we recall the historical foundations of African Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in the People of God Model of Church and in the communion ecclesiology of Vatican II.A study of five documents of Vatican II reveals that Small Christian Communities are one of the great fruits of the council and an awakening of the church as the People of God. The founding fathers of AMECEA had a vision of implementing Vatican II’s ecclesiology of communion in Eastern Africa that focused on the communion (koinonia) and service (diakonia) aspects. Both African Synods built on the foundations of Vatican II and highlighted the pastoral and missionary role of SCCs. We can look at the praxis of SCCs in Eastern Africa though the lens of the three speakers at the Theological Symposium 2013. Pastoral, parish-based SCCs are part of the “new face” of the parish and a significant part of a new way of being parish from below. The parish is a communion or network of SCCs within the “communion of communities” ecclesiology. We are optimistic that the experience of SCCs as a New Model of Church from the grassroots as witnessed by SCC members in Africa will bring significant changes in new pastoral structures corresponding to our contemporary communion ecclesiology and the ecclesial reality on the local level.
How Can Videos Be Used to Evangelize Small Christian Communities in Kenya A Preliminary Study in Nairobi
(Tangaza University College, 2003) Busieka, George S.
The Church Fathers of Vatican Council II declares, The Church lives her life in the midsts of the whole community of people. She must therefore maintain contacts and live in communication in order to keep a relationship with the whole human race. This is done both by giving information and by listening carefully to public opinion inside and outside the Church. Finally, by holding a continuous discussion with the contemporary world, she tries to help in solving the problems that people face at the present time (yaw Inter Mirifica no.114) Again, "since the media are often the only channels of information that exists between the Church and the world, a failure to use them amounts to burying the talents given by God" (Vat.11 Inter Mirifica, no.123). It is in this regard, that this essay focuses on how evangelization can still be made effective in this new culture of mass communication. To do so, I have divided my work into four chapters and its aims and objective are: First, to show how evangelization is an ongoing process that cannot end, and that requires all our efforts and commitment to counteract its challenges. Second, to show the Church's determination in using professionalism in media for a completely different purpose: that is, to communicate the message of the Risen Lord in an effective and interesting manner. Third, to show the role of videos and how they can be effective tools of evangelization in small Christian communities.
Impact of Economic Status on Small Christian Communities in Nairobi
(Tangaza University College/Duquesne University, 2012) Dimba, Alex Okidi
Small Christian Communities are little Church cells where the mystery is lived directly and with great simplicity and concern in the neighborhood. In the Lineamenta (Guidelines) of 2009 of the Second African Synod, SCCs are referred to as “Living Ecclesial Communities where the Church is modeled as a family”. I would like to re-echo these words that “SCC enables Christians to experience the Church directly” 1 as lived today. Our parishes today are functionally supported by these SCCs since they organize the parish activities. From my experience, SCCs have given our local Churches the core foundational value therefore they add greatly to the regular functioning of a parish. Without these SCCs, our parishes risk being rendered dysfunctional and ineffective. According to Dr. Lukwata, a priest from Masaka diocese-Uganda, says that “the brief history of the Church in East Africa reveals that SCCs were the basis of evangelization of the people around Lake Victoria from the onset that is between 1882 to 1885. SCCs have been very important in the life of the Church since time in memorial since they are modeled on the foundation laid by the early Christian Communities. Dr. Lukwata continues to say that it was hoped that in the context of political and ecclesiastical changes in the region, the SCCs would be instrumental in creating a self-supporting, self-reliant and self-propagating Church and that is why in the 1970s, the existence of SCCs resumed” 3 This study will dig deeper into the impact economic status has on SCCs and whether this impact influences the formation and composition of SCCs. St. Michael’s Archangel Parish is geographically situated in Langata, Ngei 1 estate, off Langata highway along Chweya Road. It has two serving priests that is Fr. Francis Kariuki who is the Parish priest and Fr. Mukui Joseph his assistant though they are helped by many other visiting priests. There is also a parish coordinator, Sr. Eunice Mueni who is also the one in charge of Sacristy. The parish is comprised of Christians from different social status mainly the rich from the estate and the poor from the slums. This has also influenced the formation of the Small Christian Communities whereby the composition of the membership goes along with identification of one’s socio-economic class.
Implementation of Small Christian Communities as a Pastoral Priority in the Church in Kenya: Opportunities and Challenges
(Tangaza University College, 2009) Awiti, Hillary Michael
In the 23'd October 2008 Editorial of the English version of the Cameroonian Newspaper L'Effort Camerounais which is the newspaper of the national bishop's conference of Cameroon, it was written, "At a time life is becoming increasingly difficult for the average Cameroonian, it is but logical to learn from the Kenyan Small Christian Community experience, where these groups have shown their burden sharing propensity and helped the destitute in finding their bearing. Tell me your involvement in a Small Christian Community and I will tell you your faith!" This statement leaves a lot to be desired and not only challenges the existing SCCs in Kenya but also affirms the role of SCCs in the society today. Just like the other AMECEA countries of Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and the affiliates Djibouti and Somalia, Kenya is implementing the SCCs way of being Church as a pastoral priority. By so doing, the lay faithful are coming to terms with the awareness that the Church belongs to them just as much as it belongs to the rest of the hierarchy. This follows on in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council that encourages the laity to participate fully and actively in the Church's activities. It includes both at the liturgical celebrations and outside. Moreover the clergy and religious are motivated to be at the service of the laity and help nurture their gifts and talents.
Innovations and New Trends in Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in Africa Today
(Hekima review, 2009) Healey, Joseph
Today there are over 90,000 Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in the eight AMECEA countries of Eastern Africa. Kenya alone has over 35,000 SCCs. The past year has seen innovations in the development of SCCs in Africa including Highlights of the SCC Practicum Papers, Case Studies of SCC Involvement in Peacemaking/ Peacebuilding and in the Kenyan Lenten Campaign 2009 and Expanding the SCC Global Collaborative Website. A careful assessment of these experiences can help chart new trends in the future of the Catholic Church in Africa. This can lead to deeper theological reflection especially in the context of evolving a contemporary African Christian Theology than includes African Narrative Theology and the Theology of the Church-Family of God in Africa
Mission and the Struggle for Human Development: A Case Study of Andraikiba Parish Madagascar
(Tangaza University College, 2009-11) Rarison, Maurice Alexis
Throughout its history, the Roman Catholic Church has ever been in the midst of human history. In different struggles and dark moments of human history, the Church always wished the best for the human race. Many enterprises and tough decisions have been made by the leaders of the Church for the betterment of humanity. The proper mission which Christ entrusted to the Church is ever centred to the establishment and consolidation of the human community according to the word of God and the divine law'. Surely, the mission of the Church through her structures from the top to the Small Christian Communities (SCC) in a very remote area has always aimed at their wellbeing and for human development. In this research, our focus will be on the mission and the struggle for human development, a case study of Andraikiba Parish, Antsirabe Diocese, Madagascar. Taking into consideration the 5,120 Christians within Andraikiba Parish struggling and crumbling for their spiritual and human development, it is necessary to unite their quest for the meaning of their daily life and the words of God through the teaching and mission of the Church. This leads us toward an encounter of mission theology with the realities and the life of the parishioners at the grassroots in Andraikiba. What does a huge knowledge about God, Gospel, Church, 'etheology, mission, ete,mean to the vulnerable people who do not have enough food you to eat, no education and living in huts around Andraikiba Parish? In which way should we make them understand that God loves them and cares for them and their future generations? Does the mission of the Church have anything to do with their
Pastoral Solutions to the Obstacles in the Growth of Small Christian Communities in St. Massimo Parish – Meru Diocese, Kenya
(Tangaza University College/Duquesne University, 2016) Muttai, Moses Muriira
The concept of a community is very well understood by an African because that is the daily practical way of life. As many scholars have observed, Africans find value in life when that life is well shared. When the concept of Small Christian Communities was introduced especially within the AMECEA countries in 1973, the idea was received with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement. It is a fact that in the Catholic Church today in Africa, there are many good things happening. These include an increase in active Catholic Christian population, Christian marriages and growth of Small Christian Communities. According to Joseph Healey who lives in Nairobi, Kenya, there are over 180,000 Small Christian Communities in the nine AMECEA countries in East Africa. Kenya alone has over 45,000 Small Christian Communities almost as many as the whole of the United States. When Missionaries came to Africa to spread the good news, they brought with them many projects and programs. Schools and hospitals were started and built in different parts of the country. Devotional groups were also started especially the rosary of our Lady. This had a big positive impact to an African Christian, but with the introduction of the Small Christian Communities, life changed, a new way of life was introduced. Praying together, reading and sharing the word of God and eventually living the Gospel, was the best idea for the growth of Catholic Christianity for the Church in Africa. It is a fact however to note that Small Christian Communities are neither projects nor programs. Small Christian Communities are a new way of life that is to be understood and lived. Introduction and growth of Small Christian Communities within the Church brought with it many challenges in Africa. Among them is absenteeism especially within men and the youth, lateness to SCC activities, low participation to SCC activities including shared prayers and bible sharing, lack of knowledge on how to establish and run the SCC and lack of interest from some clergy and parish pastoral council members. However the major challenge I experienced at St. Massimo was the size of the SCCs. The members of each individual Small Christian Community were so large, numbers ranging between fifty and hundred families. Therefore, the objective of my paper is to identify these challenges and try to pinpoint the pastoral solutions to some of them especially at St. Massimo Parish, Meru Diocese in Kenya. This will help to strengthen the existing Small Christian Communities, uplift the awareness of the objectives and advantages of belonging and being active in the SCC and creating right attitude towards the establishment of SCC in our neighbourhood.
Promoting Small Christian Communities in Eastern Africa in the Light of The Joy of the Gospel
(Tangaza University College, 2014-03) Healey, Joseph
Pope Francis is very popular in Africa and his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, The Joy of the Gospelhas received an enthusiastic response. The Paulines Publication Africa (Daughters of St. Paul) based inNairobi published the first African English Edition in November, 2013 with a delightful cover photo of the pope embracing a little African girl. The book is No. 24 in “The Pope Speaks Series.” The book is very popular and now is in it s Fourth Reprint with a total of 11,000 copies already printed. The exhortation has been translated into French, Swahili and other African languages. Catholic in the Local Churches in Eastern Africa immediately began using the book in private and public prayer, homilies, talks, recollection days, retreats, workshops, seminars and classes in the constituent colleges connected to the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). The pope‟s pastoral, practical, down to earth style appeals to many people. The book has been very helpful and inspiring to members of the 120,000 Small Christian Communities (SCCs) 1 in the AMECEA 2 Region.
The Role of the Laity in the Life Of The Church in Mozambique (1977-1997)
(Tangaza University College, 2001-02) Mussirica, Manuel
Lay ministries in the Catholic Church are our point of focus in this Essay. A lot has been written about the laity. Since the time of the New Testament through the patristic period to our modern times, there have always been lay people who dedicated themselves to the life and activities of the Church (cf. Acts 4: 32-35, 6: 1-7). We see even today how much Christ's faithful people are striving to keep up their faith burning as a community, even though the priest may not be there. We may bear witness of their heroic commitment to the welfare of the church to the extent of risking their own short-lived life. But we should also be courageous to confess that all that has been said or we may say about the lay people and their ministries in the Church is just not enough. Despite their active presence in the community, their contribution is not more than an act of contrition for their daily sins. Otherwise there would not be such alarming worry about what the church was supposed to do in the society, in the politics, in the world economy and science, ecumenism and dialogue. It can be sad to hear from a bishop saying his diocese has fifty-three priests, whom he has to distribute to 37 parishes, without forgetting those who are sick who need to be replaced. And when it is time for confirmations, he spends ten months confirming people daily. Sometimes he even fails to confer the sacrament to all due to other commitments he has to attend to. But the question is why should he do that job alone? If he cannot fulfill his duties in due time, others can do it through delegation! Therefore it would be unfair to say besides him there is nobody else who can do something that will contribute to the maturity in faith and salvation of many. The work of the laity in the church since its early ages is of great importance that it should not be neglected. They always raised their voices even in the moments of danger like death, wars. persecution of the church. Through their contribution the church did survive from trials in history. Sometimes through them the church defines its own identity and understands its mission in the world or society. Here we have the example of Mozambique where the church resisted the revolution aggression through lay people. Some of these people lost their lives for trying to defend the Christian community. Therefore the laity are the living martyrs of faith. And today the church is being called to bear witness to its faith in this pluralistic world. How can it make that work unless the laity are included and kept in the church? Mozambican Church is one of those Churches that have suffered martyrdom and terror in the course of human history. Immediately after independence on June 25, 1975, the Church underwent the severity of the Marxist-Leninist revolutionary ideology. Being an agent of religion it was labeled the "opium of the people" and therefore it had no reason of being there. It was striped all its institutions, projects and properties. The places of worship were taken away by the new system of governance and turned into schools and barracks. In short, the church was persecuted. This situation impoverished the church as an institution. It lived without identity and lacked the essential means for its survival. However the Spirit of God sustained it. Enlightened by his light, the church emerged from the trials through the work of lay people. These people proved to the hierarchy officials, to the world at large that the church of Christ was more than possessions and physical structures, it was all the baptized people of God, be it ordained ministers, the laity or consecrated women and men religious. Therefore the church could still exist even without any official recognition from the high authority of the society. It is in this way that the Mozambican Church defined its identity. It became a Ministerial Church, a family in which every member is expected to work for the welfare of the community, each according to his or her abilities and vocation. Our aim in this paper is to give a brief presentation of the role of lay people (ministers) in the life of the Church in Mozambique from 1977 to 1997. This has been a crucial moment for the church and people in Mozambique. Besides the burden of the revolution and the worldwide economic reforms, internal armed conflicts, contributed to creating refugees and several other people were displaced. Natural disasters for example: floods, drought and subsequent famine also characterize this period. Yet amid these confusion the people kept up their faith. They worked side by side with their pastors and the Church grew stronger until it mediated in the cease-fire and peace negotiations in Mozambique that culminated with the Peace Treaty on October 4, 1992. However we may also confess that the traditional structures of the Church are still drawing us backward. They tend to blind us to the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, communities and daily relationships with God, among ourselves and with the universe. The old structures often make us to think that Christianity and the church are things of the past. Therefore they should not be maintained as they had been as the tradition and Magisterium of the Church teach. Hence we are sometimes tempted to think that all that comes along history of the Church is just extra and not necessary. In Mozambique today, some sort of marginalisation of lay people by the ordained ministers is notoriously taking roots. The situation of the laity in Mozambique is of great concern today. Clericalism has cropped in again. This paper is a pastoral and theological reflection on the life and missionary of the church in Mozambique. It comprises four chapters. In the first chapter we are dealing with the historical background that forced the church to move from its traditional iron hierarchical structures to the option of basic Christian community or lay ministries. It covers the period from 1962 to 1983. The second chapter is entirely dedicated to the experience of ministries in the Church. especially from 1977 until 1990; while the third chapter highlights the actual situation of the laity in the Church, the fourth chapter is the general conclusion and it gives pastoral recommendations for the church.
Small Christian Communities (SCCs) Promote Family Ministry in Eastern Africa
(Hekima review, 2013) Healey, Joseph
The nine AMECEA Countries are preparing for the III Extraordinary World Synod of Bishops on "The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization" to take place in Rome from 5-19 October, 2014. In Eastern Africa Small Christian Communities (SCCs) are part of the consultation process and answered 11 of the 39 questions in the poll.Research on the 120,000 SCCs in Eastern Africa reveals that SCCs elect lay ministers/animators/coordinators for specific groups such as couples (married and engaged), youth and children andfor specific pastoral ministries such as Catechesis, Justice and Peace, Religious Education, Sacraments and Spiritual/Religious Formation. A SCC is a communion of families.The SCC is an important support group for families and promotes a family culture. The SCC is both a place and a path for pastoral care and evangelization. This praxis of SCCs in Africa is contributing to the development of the theology of the Church as Family of God
Small Christian Communities, a Vital Force for Mission Activity in East Africa
(Tangaza University College, 2001-02) Pandi Nayagam, Peter
When I started participating in the SCCs during my pastoral year in Tanzania and later in Kenya, I was amazed by the spontaneity of the members in sharing the Bible according to their own understanding. When they pray, they speak to God with confidence and express their problems, praises, joys, sorrows and difficulties. The atmosphere helps their meetings to be like the first Christian communities and they do what they can for others. This motivated me to choose this topic for my long essay and to do research and so come to know more about the SCCs in Eastern Africa. This essay has been an opportunity to do research and to understand better the dynamics and the role of the SCCs in the evangelization process and in missionary work in the future. I hope that this essay will be useful for future missionary students who come as a missionaries to Eastern Africa. SCCs are a source of great hope in the Church today. The revised code of canon law acknowledges how essential the notion of community is. It gives an understanding the mystery of God's presence in our church and canon 204 speaks of the Christian faithful as "constituted as the people of God". This essay is based on the idea of mission by which the Gospel values ofJesus may be lived and proclaimed effectively. According to me, SCCs are essentially missionary and mission oriented. SCCs are more fraternal, more adapted to people's life situation than traditional parishes. Cardinal Bernard in one of his writings suggests that the parish must be a community made up of many small communities. It can be seen as a natural follow through from the days of Catholic Action. Many people can thus bc involved in the parish activities like evangelization, teaching Gospel values. proclaiming Christian values in word and deed. The SMA is one of the missionary societies that brings its charism of primary evangelization to the world in accordance with founder's vision when he was a bishop in India and as a missionary. The society's founder believed that primary evangelization should be carried out everywhere where Christ was not known. SCCs can be effectively used for this. As we are stepping towards 21" Century, we have to create a new history and a new project for the future. Over a number of years in the life of the Church in Eastern Africa since 1973, SCCs have played a significant role in development and in proclaiming the Gospel of love. They have enabled believers to develop a more profound union with God and with one another. They have played a vital role in the growth of the Church. SCCs offer great hope for the future development of the Church in Eastern Africa. The recent increase and interest in SCCs is one of the more significant developments of our modern era for the renewal of the Church and the transformation of the world. Through small communities many people are discovering the value of community itself Today, as many varieties of small communities develop around the world they offer the promise of new vitality for the Church and give added impulse for people to live Gospel values. SCCs have become the main stream of the parish life when they cooperate well with each other. In a few decades of the last century there were many SCCs developing in the Eastern Africa in particular. SCCs are a witness to the communitarian nature of the Church. God dwells in community. The three persons of the blessed Trinity love and share to such a degree that they are one God. Jesus implied such a similarity with the union of God's children when he prayed the prayer of unity. The community of the Trinity is not only the model of community but the source of grace, strength, faith, hope, and love which sustains and nurtures Christians in community. Pope John Paul II says that the notion of communion was "at the heart of the church's self understanding". This communion is "primarily a sharing through grace in the life of the Father given us through Christ and in the Holy Spirit." The Church as a communion "is realized through the sacramental union with Christ and through organic participation in all that constitutes the divine and human reality of the church, the body of Christ, which spans the centuries and is sent into the world to embrace all people without distinction." As a missionary, sharing the paschal life with others concretely is something great. In SCCs, people are free to speak about Jesus, and their faith and witness help to evangelize others. In SCCs, they participate in the paschal mystery of Jesus' life, suffering, death and resurrection. In SCCs, people are able to look at their lives as in a mirror. Ideally, people are helped to live in the power of the spirit by choosing freedom and liberation from sin. It is a challenge to SCCs' members that they give wholehearted or unconditional commitment to the movement of God's spirit within themselves. They seek total openness to God's grace moving them to holistic spiritual growth and so to influence the community and the world. Later I will deal with the participation and involvement of the missionaries in the growth of the SCCs and their involvement in parish activities. A Christian must have an environment in which Christianity is openly accepted, talked about and lived. if he is going to be able to live a very vital Christian life. If he does not have this, his whole life as a Christian will be weakened, and might even die away.According to my experience in SCCs in Tanzania and Kenya, building SCCs is a challenging spiritual task, because it is in the small groups that each one's spiritual life is tested and challenged. When the spiritual life is challenged according to the signs of the times the Gospel message can become truly relevant to African cultures and traditions. When SCCs meet and the members take the Gospel into their lives with faith it becomes African Christianity. A Community of faith is necessarily a community springing from and nourished by the word of God in participation and involvement. SCCs are a vitally effective means of evangelization where Catholics' gather in small groups in order to pray, read scripture and share. Because SCCs are part of the wider Church calling for fuller knowledge and understanding of the Gospel and its teaching, they are a powerful force influencing the whole Church. Mission is thus be opened to participation of the people in order to decide whether any proposals the parish council are realistic, feasible and likely to further the purposes for which the mission exists. God wishes people to help, to care, support and love each other regardless of class, colour and creed. SCCs are committed to coming together on a regular basis throughout the year. Members challenge one another to live out the Gospel message. Many advantages can result from such an approach to some of the problems confronting the rapidly growing church in Africa. The Church in Africa looks towards an indigenous Church in independent African states with a pluralist society considering areas of cooperation with the state such as education in which the Church has a special interest. As for me SCCs seem to be the one of the best ways for true evangelization and for the inculturation of the African Church. The dialogue which I had with the elders in the SCCs has been a source of learning with its many ramifications. It has been a human endeavour. Much human effort must also be expended in developing the SCCs. Nevertheless we must always remember that we are not alone. The work we do is God's work and we are merely instruments. So, a SCC reaches maturity when it starts to reach out to its surrounding milieu. SCCs are really locally oriented - that is, they become self-ministering, self-propagating and self-supporting. This essay has traced the historical development and pastoral priority of SCCs in Eastern Africa in general. It has looked at Kenya and Tanzania in particular. Our study calls for inculturation. The time has come to take that issue seriously. In fact, the special assembly of the synod of Bishops for Africa hasn't failed to stress this point. So we need to find true inculturation instead of superficial adaptations. This research takes place at the level of the SCCs where people live their Christian lives. What is needed is to find out how to go about inculturation, and not discussion on whether it is necessary or urgent.
Small Christian Community as a Platform for Continuous Catechesis in Africa --Opportunities and Challenges: Case Study of Our Lady Queen of Peace, South B
(Tangaza University College/Duquesne University, 2016) Chimenge, Sylvester Mimbululu
From the teaching of the Catholic Church we learn that God created us in love so that we may know Him, love Him and come to live with Him eternally (cf. CCC 1). This means that our first vocation as human beings is the search for the living God. It is this search which leads us to the knowledge and love of God and points us to our final destiny, which is the Heavenly Kingdom. St Augustine stated it very well when he said that our hearts are restless until they rest in God. Meaning that, in the hearts of human beings there is a continuous searching for God, continuous longing for God’s love and continuous yearning for being with God eternally. The Church is the mother that helps her children to come to the full knowledge of God, to develop a true love for God and directs her children on the way back to God. Faith formation begins at birth and ends at death, thus, catechesis is a continuous process as long as one lives. The purpose of catechesis is to bring life to faith and bring faith to life so that the human being may echo in his or her life the words of St Paul which says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith” (Gal. 2:20-21). Meaning that, Jesus Christ the son of the living God is the centre and focus of catechesis. Faith formation is the main mission of the Church, as Pope Paul VI puts it, “the Church exists in order to evangelize, that is to say in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gifts of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and perpetuate Christ’s sacrifice in the mass, which is the memorial of his death and glorious resurrection” (EN, 11). For this reason, the Church strives to bring people to faith in the love of God and to faith in Jesus Christ as their personal savior. The Church also strives to accompany people in their journey of faith so that their faith may grow to maturity and that people may come to the full awareness of the purpose of their life according to the will of God. Therefore, whenever the Church finds that one method of evangelizing is not as effective as expected, she finds another method to complement the old one. This thesis endeavors to analyze Small Christian Communities as a platform for continuous catechesis in Eastern Africa. The AMECEA region consists of nine member countries namely: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. According to Healey, the region has about 180, 000 Small Christian Communities. 1 The thesis looks at some essential elements that are found in Small Christian Communities (SCCs) which can foster the ongoing formation of faith. It also looks at some challenges found in SCCs that can be hindrances to continuous formation of faith. In the first chapter, the researcher presents the background of the study and the problem statement. He also presents the research objectives, research questions and the significant of the study. In the collection of data and the writing of this thesis, the researcher used the pastoral cycle methodology which involves four steps namely; insertion, social analysis, theological reflection and action.