Small Groups at Saint Raphael

At the call of Archbishop Hebda for renewed missionary discipleship across our local church, many members of Saint Raphael have created a thriving network of small groups. You might hear a call to join one of these groups, especially to deepen your love for Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist. You might be considering joining the Church, and want to learn more about the Faith. You might even hear the call to start your own group with people in your life who have been thirsting for communion with friends and with God. Come and See!

click here to see our small groups

Click Here to Read the Archbishop’s Year of the Mass Letter

Join a Group

If you are new to small group discipleship or have not been in one for while, choose this option.

1. See all our groups here and discern which might be for you.
2. Fill out this form and wait for the group leader to contact you. You can indicate a specific group you would like to join in the comments section.

Start a Group

This option is for those who hear God’s call to invite people in their lives into a new group, and want to grow as a leader. It might also be for those who already lead or belong to a particular ministry and want to see it grow.

1. Sign up for the new leader group here.
2. You will be contacted about joining a special new leaders training.

Attend a Group Event

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Group Events are special opportunities to grow in your relationship with Christ and with your fellow disciples. Come as an individual disciple or as a small group together!

1. Sign up to receive our newsletter about new group events here.

Future Groups

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Now might not be the right time for you to make small groups a part of your life. You might not have found the right group, or all the groups might have been full. We want to create a waiting list with your ideas for a new future small group that you would want to join once we have enough interest and train a leader.

1. Email your idea for a future small group to missionarycouncil@saintraphaelcrystal.org

Learn More about Small Groups

First watch Archbishop Hebda’s invitation below.
Then keep scrolling for more information.
Haga clic aqui para espanol.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I read the Archbishop’s full Pastoral Letter?

Visit https://www.archspm.org/synodletter/

What is a small group at Saint Raphael?

A small group is 6-12 people gathered in the name of Jesus around the Word of God for friendship, spiritual growth, and prayer. They may meet in homes, offsite at local places, or onsite at Saint Raphael.

Groups commit to share life and faith together. Life in small groups oftentimes leads to connection outside of group meetings for common interests or acts of service.

What kind of small groups are offered?

While some groups are open to anybody, many groups have a specific commonality. For example:

-moms with small children
-seekers desiring to learn more about Jesus and his Church before they join
-those in their first five years of being Catholic
-coworkers or a group of professionals integrating faith with their work
-high schoolers discovering their charisms and leading their friends to God
-widows sustaining each other in fruitful service
-and many more to come!

What does a typical meeting look like?

While the particular commonalities of a group’s members might determine the flavor of their conversations and content, all groups share the same seven principles:

1. Praise of God through psalms or song
2. Sharing about our lives with God
3. Instruction
4. Discussion
5. Business or practical service plans
6. Prayers of Intercession
7. Prayer for Healing

When do the groups meet?

Groups meet on different days and at different times in order to accommodate the right fit for each group. We continue to launch new small groups as leaders are formed, trained, and ready to begin.

Generally, groups meet 2-4 times per month based on the small group leaders discernment as well as group member availability.

Small groups typically meet for 90 minutes with freedom to stay longer for hospitality and fellowship.

In Lent of 2024, Small Groups will be invited to begin with a 5-7 week season as they get started. Established small groups are encouraged to keep meeting as their schedule allows, and discern the ongoing pace and teaching content moving forward.

Where do the groups meet?

Preference is given to meeting in homes, but many groups meet offsite at a local establishment or onsite at Saint Raphael as our limited spaces and staffing allow.

Are there any other kinds of group formation at Saint Raphael?

There are many other kinds of group formation and ministries that are held at Saint Raphael. Ignite Family Faith Formation, OCIA, Navarre Bible Study, the Rosary Society, the Holy Name Society, Cana Family Institute, Parents Helping Teachers, and many others all have small group components to their meetings. That said, our Archbishop has asked that each parish pay special attention to develop what are called “Cell” groups, which is our primary focus this Lent.

A Cell group is unique in that it is small (6-12 people usually in a home so familiarity can flourish) and operates on a constant grow-and-divide principle. Cell members are constantly on the lookout for new potential members both within and without the actual church, and this means that as a group grows, two or three members are invited to become trained leaders themselves and expand into a new group. It is an extremely effective way to grow the parish and even find ourselves baptizing new Christians.

Some of our parish ministries are in the process of incorporating Cell principles into their way of meeting and will essentially become a kind of specialized small group. Cana Family groups, Ignite, OCIA, and Navarre Bible Study are all basically a type of small group with a specialized interest. They might require some additional steps (i.e. a Cana Family leader might have to also register their participants on the Cana Family website to get materials and such), but they can post their groups to our shared parish GroupFinder page so potential members can sign up.

Other parish ministries have something of a different structure than a cell group. We encourage members of these groups to either join a cell group in addition to their ministry or else explore how they might add elements of personal shared life, praise, intercessory prayer, etc. into the group’s usual encounters, and especially to have a clear path of welcome outlined for newcomers to the parish.

While most groups will discuss the ‘Teach us How to Pray’ Lent content this year, some may have other programming or themes in mind, and all group leaders will discern their content into the future after Easter. All content must be approved by the Pastor and Executive Team.

Are there any special future groups planned?

We hope to continuously train new small group leaders as groups grow. We especially hope that some of those leaders may have a passion to start groups for:
-Newlyweds in the first five years of Marriage
-Families new to our school
-and many more!

Who can I contact for more information?

For more information, email missionarycouncil@saintraphaelcrystal.org

Learn More about Small Groups

Frequently Asked Questions

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