Category: Small Groups

LEADING A SMALL GROUP

Small group time is some of the most important time that will take place during the retreat. It is a chance for young people to share with one another their thoughts, feelings, and what God is doing in their hearts. By listening and loving them during this time, you incarnate the love of Christ and reinforce all other aspects of the retreat.

 

ROLE OF THE SMALL GROUP LEADER

• “To convert somebody, go and take them by the hand and guide them.” – St. Thomas Aquinas. You are there to walk with teens and guide them closer to Jesus.
• To model availability and authenticity.
• To serve.
• To facilitate a conversation – a conversation where you are doing the majority of listening.

 

PURPOSE OF SMALL GROUPS

• To help participants process their experience.
• To answer their questions.
• To share parts of your testimony.
• To pray with the participants.

 

SMALL GROUP LOGISTICS

• Find a quiet place to meet with minimal distractions.
• Make sure that everyone is sitting on the same level and looking at each other.
• Small groups should not be mixed gender. This will allow for greater intimacy and more directed conversations coming out of the men’s/women’s sessions.
• Small groups should be around 6 people in size. With larger groups, comfort and intimacy can be lost.
• If possible, try to your best to avoid assigning best friends or cliques to the same small group.

 

DISCUSSION-LEADING TIPS

• Begin with prayer. Model it in the first small group meeting and ask others to lead prayer in subsequent gatherings.
• Learn names and spend time just getting to know the teens. They won’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.
• If it’s the first or second small group for the weekend, play an ice breaker game or ask some icebreaker questions.
• Start every small group with asking teens if they have any comments/questions from the talk – if there was anything they didn’t understand.
• Use open-ended question and allow people to respond honestly, without judgment.
• Be patient and don’t fear silence. They may be processing.
• Keep speech positive. No negative humor.
• Don’t allow one person to monopolize the discussion.
• If someone derails the conversation, kindly say “Thank you so much for sharing! Let’s talk more about this later today!”
• Don’t allow interruptions.
• Do not correct in front of everyone.
• If someone does not seem to want to talk in the small group, try engaging them one on one.

 

OTHER THOUGHTS

• Don’t have an agenda. Have an open heart and let God lead.
• Small group time is for them to speak and for you to listen. Do not preach or teach during this time.
• Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid. God’s chosen you for this.
• Don’t move on from a fruitful conversation.
• Make the most of each small group meeting.
• Everyone is encouraged to share, but no one has to.
• Be honest and authentic – we are on this journey together.
• Do not break the privacy or confidentiality of another member. Let the small group know that everything is confidential unless something that could be harmful to them or someone else is shared.
• If someone shares about something harmful or is in imminent danger to themselves or another, tell the group leader. The group leader will then take any necessary next steps per diocesan safe environment policy.

Goal: To invite young people into an open, honest moment of self-reflection on their own faith. Have them ask the question, first, “Do I truly believe in God?” and second, “Do I trust God?”.

Friday Night Keynote Scripture: Mark 10:46-52 (The Healing of the Blind Man, Bartimaeus).

Entering into the Conference Weekend:

• Where are you (physically, spiritually, emotionally) coming into this conference weekend?
• What are two words you would use to describe your relationship with God right now?
• How have you seen Jesus working in your life during the past few months?

Experience of Praise and Worship:

• Describe your experience of praise and worship this evening.
  • What was something the worship leader said that struck you? Have you ever prayed like this before? What did you enjoy about this style of prayer? Why? What was difficult about praying like this? Why?

Keynote:

• What struck you from the Gospel reading of Jesus Healing the Blind Man, Bartimaeus
  • Who do you relate with most in the story? Why?
  • What are those things in your life rebuking you and telling you to be silent? What are those things in your life attempting to undermine your understanding of Jesus?
•  Just as Jesus comes to Bartimaeus and brings light/ restores his sight, we have those things in our lives which provide meaning/ purpose/ light. What are those?
  • Do these things, in turn, illuminate God or obscure Him? Do they help us see God for who he really is? Or, do they make us blind to who he is?
• If you could pick two words to describe who God is to you/ your relationship with him, what words would you pick? Why?
• If Jesus were to ask you the same question he asked Bartimaeus, “What can I do for you?” how would you respond? What would you ask for?
• For the small group leader: we encourage you to share parts of your story of how Jesus came and brought sight to your own life. At the end of this small group session, please share your story with your young people. In addition, invite them to share their own stories of how Jesus has worked, or hope he will work, in their life this weekend.

Men’s Session Questions (prior to the session):

Take some time to discuss in the morning:

• From Mass this morning, what is one thing that struck you from the Mass or the homily? Why?
• How can the Mass help illuminate our minds to who Jesus is?
  • Follow up with an encouragement on how to participate more fully in Mass at your home parish.
• What comes to mind when you hear “masculine inheritance”? In other words, can one’s masculinity (or expression of masculinity) be influenced by or inherited from others? Why/ How?
• What does this masculine inheritance look like in your family, friends, school, or yourself?

Note: you can also use some of the questions below to help them begin to consider the content that will be presented.

Men’s Session Questions (after the session):

Goal: For the young men to realize how, through Christ, our masculinity has been redeemed. Where Adam’s inheritance is that of concupiscence and sin, through our baptism we’re able to share in Christ’s inheritance from the Father.

Men’s Session Scripture: Romans 8:16-17 – “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” / Ephesians 5:14 – “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

Note: if you didn’t get to use the questions above earlier, feel free to include them now.

• In what ways do you see the inheritance of Adam ‘take flesh’ in your life?
• In what ways do you see the inheritance of Jesus ‘take flesh’ in your life?
  • In what ways do you hope to grow more like Jesus in his expression of authentic masculinity?
• In your own life, do you find that there’s a battle between the masculine inheritance of Adam vs. Jesus?
  • In what way?

For the small group leader: We encourage you to briefly share how the contrast between Eve’s inheritance and Mary’s inheritance has impacted your own life.

• Who are some people in your life who live out an authentic femininity? In what ways do you see them live our authentic femininity?
• What was your experience of the prayer time after the talk?
• Did God say anything particular to you? Did anything stick out to you in the time of prayer?
• How can you pray with your friends more after this weekend? How can this kind of prayer be incorporated more in your youth ministry?

Women’s Session Questions:

Goal: For the young women to realize how, through Mary’s fiat, their femininity has also been redeemed. Where Eve’s inheritance is that of concupiscence and sin, through our baptism we’re able to share in Mary’s inheritance from the Father.

Women’s Session Scripture: Ephesians 5:14 – “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

Take some time to discuss the morning:

• From Mass this morning, what is one thing that struck you from the Mass or the homily
  • Why?
• How can the Mass help illuminate our minds to who Jesus is?
  • Follow up with an encouragement on how to participate more fully in Mass at your home parish.
• In what ways do you see the inheritance of Eve ‘take flesh’ in your life?
• In what ways do you see the inheritance of Mary ‘take flesh’ in your life?
  • In what ways do you hope to grow more like Mary in her expression of authentic femininity?

For the small group leader: We encourage you to briefly share how the contrast between Eve’s inheritance and Mary’s inheritance has impacted your own life.

• Who are some people in your life who live out an authentic femininity? In what ways do you see them live our authentic femininity?
• What was your experience of the prayer time after the talk?
• Did God say anything particular to you? Did anything stick out to you in the time of prayer?
• How can you pray with your friends more after this weekend? How can this kind of prayer be incorporated more in your youth ministry?

Saturday Afternoon Questions:

Goal: to show how Jesus, through his cross and Resurrection, has overcome sin and death by suffering with us. Through this session, our hope is to continue to remove barriers and develop an expectant and eager faith in Christ.

Saturday Afternoon Keynote Scripture: Luke 22:39-46 (Agony in the Garden) & John 20:11-18 (Appearance to Mary Magdalene)

Keynote:

• In what ways do you or people you know try to avoid or ignore suffering? Why do we tend to hide from and avoid suffering?
• Which “Garden” do you find yourself in? Why?
  • Eden – distant from God, feeling cut off, abandoned, or that you cannot approach God as a Father or friend.
  • Gethsemane – life sometimes feels really dark or heavy; there may be a lot going on that’s overwhelming and stressful; lack in trust that God is who he says he is.
  • Empty Tomb – there’s joy and a feeling of closeness with Jesus. While issues may exist, they may not feel so intimidating.
• What is preventing you or what hesitations do you have when thinking about entering into and embracing the garden of the empty tomb?
• Just as through the cross suffering and death is transformed into glory and resurrection, what do you hope that Jesus’ cross will ‘transform’ in your life? What areas of darkness do you want him to bring light into?

For the small group leader: briefly share a time when you experienced the transforming power of Jesus’ cross in your life. What was that like? What did you feel or experience? How was life different after?

Silence:

• What stood out to you in praying through the Scripture of the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene?
• Was that experience of praying with Scripture new? What did you enjoy/ find difficult?

If time allows, lead your group through a prayerful reading of Scripture (Luke 22:39-46; the Agony in the Garden).

Goal: To show how an encounter with the Holy Spirit has the power to transform our lives.

Saturday Night Keynote Scripture: The Road to Emmaus (Lk. 24:29-35)

• What stood out to you when we read the Road to Emmaus together?
  • Was there a time in your life when you felt like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus? How do you think the Holy Spirit was at work in your life then? How have you seen the Holy Spirit at work prior to this conference weekend?

Adoration:

• What was your adoration experience like tonight?
• Has your image of Jesus changed after the talk and eucharistic adoration? How?
• Has your image of the Holy Spirit changed after the talk and eucharistic adoration? How?
• What did God do in your heart tonight during eucharistic adoration? Did he speak anything specifically to you?

Help the youth understand that, even if they didn’t feel anything, God is still working in their lives and calling them to an intimate relationship with him.

• Do you have any questions about what you experienced tonight?
• Are you hesitant to journey with Jesus and the Holy Spirit? Why or why not?

Sunday Morning/ Afternoon Questions (possibly during the ride home):

• What was one commitment you made to Jesus this morning during our time of prayer? What is your plan to ensure you follow through on that commitment?
• What did your experience at this conference show you about God’s love?
• What is one thing you can do to foster your relationship with Jesus after the conference and every day?
• How can you continue to foster a relationship with the Holy Spirit?
• What are some challenges you are going to face returning home?
• What will you do if you struggle to live your life in Christ or if the circumstances at home make it challenging to live your faith?
• How will you stay connected with your youth group, friends, and community members who are striving to live as followers of Christ?
• How can you bring this conference experience back to your parish, youth group, high school, family, friends, etc.? How can you share this faith with others?
• What did you hear this weekend that gives you hope for going back home today?
• When you encounter those areas of darkness that you came into the conference weekend with, what is your ‘action plan’? How will you seek Christ as the one true light?
• If you could ask the Holy Spirit for two things, what would they be?
• Continue to ask questions based on what you know about each of the youth in your small group and
  how they experienced this weekend conference.

Note: be sure to follow up with those young people in your group who gave their life to Jesus for the first time during the commitment call, or those who expressed a desire to come into full communion with the Catholic Church through the Baptism Call.