What is Faith
Sharing - notes from the Westminster website
A Note to Small
Community Leaders
Small Community Leaders are...
- People who encourage participation and the sharing of our
Christian faith.
- People who encourage the spiritual growth of the
community and its individual members through communal
prayer, a prayerful atmosphere at meetings, and daily
prayer and reflection on the Scriptures.
- People who move the community to action to be carried out
between meetings. They are not satisfied with a self-centered
comfort level in the community but are always urging that
the faith of the community be brought to impact on their
daily lives and the world around them.
- Community builders who create a climate of hospitality
and trust among all participants.
Small Community Leaders are not...
- Theologians: The nature of the meeting
is faith sharing; should a theological or scriptural
question arise, the leader should turn to the pastor or
staff to seek guidance.
- Counselors: The small communities are
not intended for problem solving. This is an
inappropriate setting to deal with emotionally laden
issues of a personal nature. The leader is clearly not to
enter the realm of treating people with emotional, in-depth
feelings such as depression, anxiety or intense anger.
When someone moves in this direction, beyond faith
sharing, the leader should bring the community back to
faith sharing. With the help of the pastor or staff, the
person should be advised to seek the assistance of
professional counseling.
- Teachers: The leaders are not teachers.
Their role is to guide the process of the faith sharing
as outlined in the materials.
