Gathered and Sent: Classroom as Small Christian Community

Prayer, liturgy, and contemplation are vital to living the mission: they are the times when we are present to God in order to be present to the world. While all-school masses and liturgies are important means of uniting the community in the Body of Christ, we often neglect to offer students the nourishing experience of small Christian community.

Through classroom and small group Mass, Liturgy of the Word, and other prayer/reflection experiences, we invite students into fuller participation in the life story of Jesus.

Here are some ideas:

• Allow students to craft prayer services around the needs of classmates, community members, and the world
• Prepare and invite students to lead theological reflections of Scripture passages, considering what they think, wonder, and feel about the passage, and how they are called to act
• Help students collaborate to develop group prayers of the faithful based on a common vision for their community and the world
• End prayer services with students reflecting upon and sharing calls to action ("How will you announce the Gospel with your life?")
• Encourage students to develop concrete plans out of their prayer experiences for engaging the world around them in mission