Family Home Groups (FHG)
Contact Dave or Margo Schaubs, 949-3832
Family Home Groups. . . made up of 5 to 7
households who have made a commitment of PRESENCE, PARTICIPATION, &
PRAYER to God and each other, meet twice each month, learning and growing
together.
Involving people of all ages, FHG teach that religious formation is a
lifelong endeavor. The elderly bring the wisdom of experience; the
middle-aged, the wisdom of the practical; the teenagers, the wisdom of idealism;
the children, the wisdom of discovery; the little ones, the wisdom of
wonder. The focus is no longer on knowing the answers to a set of
preconceived questions, but on discovering what one's own religious
questions are.
Based on three elements:
Message . . .
Worship . . .
Service . . .
. . . done in context of community, the goals of FHG include:
1. to establish intergenerational communities
where faith can be shared and values transmitted in an atmosphere of
acceptance and support;
2. to encourage people to grow in their faith
through prayer and Scripture study;
3. to draw people more deeply into the
liturgical life of the community;
4. to challenge people to live out the Christian
message in service to others;
5. to assist families:
-in developing communication and affirmation
skills
-in talking about God and in praying together
-in discovering their gifts and using them in the service of others;
6. to help people recognize the presence of God
in their everyday lives and so internalize their concepts of faith and
ministry; and
7 to teach people, especially children, that God
is not boring and that leaning about God can be fun.
The Leader/Facilitator of a Home Group can be any adult in the group who
understands how families function and is comfortable in a family
situation. They do not necessarily have to be parents, but they need to
be able to work well with families and have an interest in the development
of children. Since the central purpose of FHG is growth in faith, leaders
need to have a strong commitment to growth in their own faith life.
On a practical level, leaders need to have the time and motivation for
the training and preparation that will be required of them. Some groups
have rotating facilitators, sharing the responsibility with others in the
group.
