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Young Adult Small Groups

In Sacred Scripture, the Church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, “but as what it really is, the word of God.” “In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church 104

These groups are specifically designed for young adults of Denver looking to grow deeper in their faith and wanting to meet other young adults. We have groups for men, women, mixed groups and married couples! We have two launch nights a year in September and January.

If you are between the ages of 21 and 39, we welcome you to join the Facebook group Lourdes Young Adult Small Groups

If you do not have Facebook and would like more details, please email youngadultgroups@lourdesdenver.org. Twice a year, a Facebook event invite will be posted with details regarding the small group launch night. While at the launch night, you are given the opportunity to identify a small group that best meets your preferences for location, day, and time of week.

 

We need community. We are also called to come to greater knowledge and love of God. The Scriptures and Church teachings are clear: the Christian life is meant to be lived in community. We need others to help us apply the all-encompassing and ultimately satisfying truth of the Gospel.

“All men are called to the same end: God himself. There is a certain resemblance between unity of the divine persons and the fraternity that men are to establish among themselves in truth and love. Love of neighbor is inseparable from love for God.”                   – Catechism of the Catholic Church 1878

Everyone has communities in their life, whether it be family, co-workers, friends, and our local parish. Why a small group if you already go to church? Our local parish community is very good, yet none of us can socialize on an intimate level in crowds. Within this crowd that gathers to worship, there ought to be smaller groups who know each other well, who are searching to know God together, and who are pushing each other in their vocations to the Christian life. A good small group will offer a chance to explore the Scriptures, pray for intentions, and share concerns – all with people you trust. And importantly, there will also be times to relax and simply have fun.

      The Importance of Small Groups - Fr. Brian Larkin

What if I am unable to attend an upcoming launch night?

If you are unable to attend, email smallgrouplourdes@gmail.com, and a small group team leader will help you select a group on your behalf.

What if I want to join a small group, but missed the launch night by a couple days/weeks?

If it is still early in the semester, email smallgrouplourdes@gmail.com, and a small group team member can reach out to small group leaders to check if there are any open spots!

What if I want to join a small group, but missed the launch night by more than a couple weeks?

To support consistency and relationship-building in small groups, we don’t ask groups to add new small group members mid-semester. Please plan on joining a group at the next launch night!

To join a group, come to a launch night or contact Katie Miller at youngadultgroups@lourdesdenver.org! Or fill out the form below!

What format will my small group follow?

The format provided below serves as the classic model for a quality small group meeting time.

  1. Gather: Social time and opening prayer. (10 min)
  2. Check In: Humanity is important; rather than jumping right into the chapter or topic for the day, we need to grow in our knowledge of each other’s lives.  During check ins, group members can share a moment since the last meeting when they saw God at work in their lives. Other options are to share something you’re grateful for, or to ask for prayers for a specific intention. Note: As a rule no one should give advice or correct whoever is speaking during this time. (15 min)
  3. Bible Study: The Group Leader should facilitate the Bible Study rather than control it. The goal is not to become experts, but simply to let God’s word speak to us. The group should take turns reading the parts of Scripture that Fr. Brian highlights. Discussion is more important than covering all the material, what matters is that we engage God’s word and each other.  The questions should not function as a straitjacket. Instead allow the questions to serve as the launching pad for answers, comments, and discussion. It is important that no one person dominates the discussion – if you know more about the bible than the other people in your group – resist the temptation to control or dominate the discussion. (25 min)
  4. Intercessions: Each person shares with the group something that they would like to pray for. It could be a family member, a job situation, encouragement with a life question or something else. It can be simple, deep, light, whatever the person feels he or she needs the group to pray for.
  5. Closing Prayer: The group leader should close the group by saying a spontaneous prayer followed by a Catholic prayer such as the Our Father, Hail Mary, or Glory Be.

The Ten Commandments of a Small Group

I. Be prepared

II. Prayerfully expect that God has something to say to you and the group

III. If you did not prepare, allow others to speak before you do

IV. Listen to others – do not dominate the discussion

V. Stick to the topic and questions at hand

VI. Never ridicule or cut down another’s answer

VII. When you disagree, do so with respect and charity

VIII. Don’t fear silence

IX. Don’t share confidences outside the group

X. Enjoy yourself!

Questions?

Send Me a Message!

John O’Brien

Director of Faith Formation

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