“God enters our hearts through deep relationships” – Fr. Bryce Evans
Looking for a chance to form authentic friendship and fellowship and also grow in your faith?
Small Group Ministries – An Avenue for Building our CommUNITY
As printed in the August 2018 HNOJ Newsletter:
As Catholics, we believe that God created us in His likeness and image. In our spiritual journey, we are called to a deeper and deeper conversion to grow in holiness and become more God-like. God has revealed that He is One but is not alone. The essence of God is a triUNITY, a commUNITY of Love expressed in the Blessed Trinity, a pivotal mystery of our faith. As believers, we are invited to imitate the loving intimacy of this Community. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “Unity is the essence of the Church.” (CCC 797).
Jesus came to tell us and to show us how to be holy. He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12: 30-31)
This is a timely and relevant message for our frantic lives! Through the advancement of technology, we are more connected than ever to our neighbors---at least digitally. Yet, paradoxically, we feel more isolated, hungry for authentic relationships and, and despite numerous virtual friendships, loneliness has become a public health epidemic. Just as we are intentional about carving out time for our personal prayer, it’s good to set time aside for cultivating deep friendships, for building our faith community. This is a tall order---so we lean heavily on the graces of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist to nurture our souls, for the Holy Spirit to provide counsel and consolation and on each other for friendship, support and encouragement.
To help all cultivate a sense of community, we are enhancing our Small Group Ministry at HNOJ. You can see a list of the ongoing groups below. Our vision is to build the Small Group Ministry so that, eventually, there will be a small group option for everyone in our parish family.
If you are interested in facilitating a group, we will be holding the next three-day training (Turbo Group) session on Aug. 21 and 22, from 7:30-9 p.m., and Aug. 26, from 6:30-9 p.m. Sign up form is on this page; register by August 10.
By signing up, you are not committing to lead a group, so if curious, join us and you can discern in prayer if you would like to facilitate a group. Please contact Chris Kostelc at ckostelc@hnoj.org or 763-745-3489 with questions.
Join a small group at HNOJ!
Jesus started his universal church in a small group; so we are adopting the same strategy at HNOJ.
While we are blessed with a very large, dynamic parish, it can be overwhelming to find close connections and friendships.
Whether you are new to the parish or not, we can help you get started.
- Meet people with similar interests at HNOJ
- Develop authentic friendships and support group
- Deepen your faith in God
| Who is in the group? | When does it meet? | What do they talk about? |
|---|---|---|
|
Seniors (55+) Bible Study |
Mondays, 10-11:30 a.m. Weekly |
Preview and discussion of upcoming Sunday Scripture |
|
Young Couples (Married or Engaged) |
Thursday, 6:30-8 p.m. Monthly |
Food, discussion and Sunday scripture |
| Women's Wisdom on Wednesdays (WWW) |
Wednesday, 10-11:30 a.m. Weekly |
Scripture study |
| Divorced Women |
Wednesday, 7:30-8:30 Biweekly |
Surviving divorce curriculum |
| Young Women (20s) |
Thursday, 8-9 p.m. Weekly |
Young women building community, growing in faith |
| Catholic Converts |
Thursday, 7-9 p.m. Monthly |
Continued spiritual formation and fellowship for converts into faith |
| Divine Mercy |
Thursday, 7-8:30 p.m. Biweekly |
Adults Interested in studying St. Faustina's Diary and praying intercessory prayer |
| Women (20-40y) |
Tuesday, 7:15-8:30 p.m. Biweekly |
Young women share faith and study various video series or books |
| Men (20-40y) |
Tuesday, 7:45-9:30 p.m. Biweekly |
Young men looking for community and spiritual support in midst of busy lives |
| Parents of Adult Children |
Monday, 6:45-8:30 p.m. Monthly |
Read about and praying for fallen away kids |
| Parents of Elementary Children |
Tuesday and Sunday, 7:15- 8:30 p.m. Biweekly |
Gathers for spiritual nourishment and faith sharing |
| Women's Book Club |
Thursday, 10 a.m. to noon Weekly |
Read and discuss spiritual books |
| Women's Small Group |
Monday, 1:30-3 p.m. Biweekly |
Women (40s and 50s) gather for study and faith sharing |
Get connected to your faith family and sign up for a group!
Don't see your topic of interest? Let us know.
Want to start your own group? We can help.
We are eager to help everyone in our family to get connected.
Contact Chris at ckostelc@hnoj.org or 763-745-3489.