A Family Life Group is a group of two or more families who meet together to grow in faith and live life together.

The large group/classroom model hasn’t been working for a while. In both local and national statistics, research shows that a large number of young people in the US who are raised Catholic walk away from their faith by their mid-twenties. Folks used to hold out hope that young adults would return to the church when they had children of their own. This is happening less and less.  

When asked about why they no longer identify as Catholic, many young adults say that they do not see the faith as relevant to their lives. The faith is distant from them and disconnected from the reality of their everyday experience. We hope to help young people discover just how relevant Jesus and his Church are to their everyday lives through the Family Life Group model, where faith is incorporated into the fabric of family lives.

The new approach focuses on the primary role of parents as witnesses to the faith, with lots of support both from the parish and their peers. We are trying a new model because we want a better future for our church and our children. The old method was not firing up our children as much as we want for them with the joy of being a friend of Jesus and the excitement of sharing that faith with others. 

We want to treat being Catholic as a way of life and not a subject in school. Family Life Groups focus on building and strengthening Catholic families, the place where we learn how to live our lives of faith. We honor these family relationships and provide resources and supports to make this fun and approachable. Meeting with several families on a regular basis allows your children to develop friendships with adult role models and peers in the faith who will grow alongside them. Family Life Groups make faith more personal and integrated into the fabric of daily life.   
 

It’s convenient: For many families this model fits into your existing peer/family relationships and routines. For others, perhaps new to the parish or community, it can be a great way to build roots and make new friends.

It has a flexible schedule/time: Your Family Life Group determines how often and where to meet. 

There’s one meeting for the whole family: Everyone has the opportunity to learn from those older and younger. There will be ideas for adults, teens and children that are adaptable for different learning styles and abilities. 

Parents are empowered as primary decision makers: As parents you know your children best: when they understand something and if they’re ‘ready’ to celebrate a sacrament. There’s a place for the child themselves to determine if and when they want to proceed with celebrating a sacrament. 

Covid sensibility (another benefit, just for the time being): Family Life Groups are adaptable to changing circumstances with regard to the pandemic. Gatherings can be outside, on our plaza under the umbrellas, or at public places like parks. If your group chooses, you can also meet at someone’s home. 
 

It’s a holistic approach encompassing the entire family. Instead of faith formation being head knowledge imparted by an expert on a strict time table and having an informal ‘graduation’ we’re going to focus on the heart, head, and hands of each member of the family. 

We will provide 3-4 hours of content for each month. It is up to your Family Life Group to decide when you get together and for how long. You may decide to meet once a month for 3-4 hours or weekly for an hour or some other schedule of your choosing. It’s up to your group! 
 

Yes. When your family registers as a part of a Family Life Group, there will be an option to request to begin preparation for a sacrament. 

It starts when your child is ready. Determining when your child is ready to receive a sacrament is a discernment process for the parents with the child; we’ll be here to help as needed. We are moving away from a ‘cookie cutter’ approach that sees every child or family situation as exactly the same. The Family Life Group model can be quite flexible. Children preparing for sacraments will have supplemental materials and experiences as part of their growing toward the reception of a sacrament. They will be supported by the entire Family Life Group.

What do you mean ‘flexible’?

Celebration of sacraments will happen on a rolling basis throughout the year. Per diocesan parameters, First Communion can be received as early as 7 years old and Confirmation can be received as early as 14 years old. A child’s unique needs and understandings, or a family’s realities may lead a family to choose different timing that’s more appropriate for them, and that’s just fine.  
 

Yes! No matter where you live, where your child goes to school, what language you speak, or whether you have a child preparing for a sacrament of initiation, this program is for you!

The entire family is expected to participate. If a parent is not Catholic, they do not have to participate, but we would encourage them to do so.

How to be a Catholic family

How to live the faith in everyday life

Faith sharing with my family and other people

Bible, prayers, Mass, saints, traditions, Catholic identity, Ignatian spirituality, and more...
 

You don’t need to be an expert or be good at teaching for this model to work for your family. We will provide resources each month that take you step by step through any learning. And you will get to learn alongside each other together as a family!

As a parent, your kids need to see you as a committed Christian. That role modeling is what matters. 
 

We will provide 3-4 hours of ready made content for each month (October-June). There is no preparation needed on your part other than determining where and when your group will meet. 

There will be a parish support person who remains in regular contact with the lead adult of your family group.
 

Yes! The volunteer roles for the Family Life Groups use many of the same skills that a Catechism class teacher used for teaching a class. Full descriptions of all the roles are available here. Contact jschirripa@saintraphael.org to explore the possibilities!

When you register your Family Life Group, you will indicate whether you want to have the materials emailed to you each month or to pick up a packet each month at the parish services desk in the atrium.

You don’t need internet access to participate in the activities. You can pick up a paper packet at the parish services desk in the atrium each month.

We’re not really creating something new. The early church did faith formation like this. Much of what the New Testament tells us about what it looks like to function as a church, can’t be done unless you’re in some type of smaller community. In Acts 2: 42–43 we can see how the early Church lived in relationship with each other: They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

Choosing to journey together with other people who follow Jesus accelerates our growth, just as it did for those first Christians. When we have the connection of good friendships with other disciples, it’s easier to pray, serve, and deepen in our faith. It’s easier to invite and welcome new people to our faith and our parish. It’s easier in every way to be the people that God calls us to be.
 

Yes. We realize that this is a different way of doing things and it may be uncomfortable at first, but we hope you will give this model a try because of all the benefits it can bring to your family. 

Parish staff and volunteers will be providing support to Family Life Groups to help them navigate any challenges that come with being the first to try something new. 
 

We will have a kickoff event in the afternoon on Sunday, September 12th and Family Life Groups will begin in October.

That’s up to you! You can rotate homes, meet at a restaurant, park, playground, the parish plaza, the clubhouse at your apartment complex.

Due to the large number of Family Life Groups, indoor spaces at the parish are not available for groups to meet. Unfortunately, there is just not enough space to be able to allow all groups to do this.  And this is actually a good thing, because we will reach so many families with this initiative! 

Absolutely! Need help learning how to make this happen. We’ll be glad to assist.

The Family Life Group has a $50 flat registration fee for the whole family.

Fees reflect the costs of building out the monthly resources, as well as the additional resources for sacraments including the retreats. 

During trying times, financial stress can be a part of our lives. Talk to us if this is an issue. We would never want to make money be an obstacle to participation.

Registration for Family Life Groups will open in mid-September and we will begin sending Family Life Group and sacrament preparation materials in October. One of the best things that you can do now is to talk to other families and form your Family Life Group. 

To form a Family Life Group, you might consider another family that is approaching the same sacrament within their family, but this is only one option. Most families have more than one child and all kids are included. Here’s where a fourth grader might be a great witness to the children preparing for First Euchaist and the kindergartener could be watching and waiting for their turn. You get to decide what’s best for your family and the families in your group. Since families and children grow, it’s perfectly fine to gather with other families that do not have children interested in receiving a sacrament this year or next. In a Family Life Group we all get to shine in our own time.

Are there Catholic families that you hang out with regularly in the carpool line or chat with each weekend at Mass? Do you see neighbors or co-workers with their families at Mass? Do you chat with other Catholic parents at your children’s sports practices? Maybe your extended family could become your Family Life Group! Any combination can work. It’s a bit like a first date, go ahead and ask!

Once you have your group, here are some things you can talk about so you’re ready to go in October. 

• When do you want to meet and how long do you want each gathering to last?

  • We’re providing a menu of rich resources on a common Catholic theme each month. Your Family Life Group will decide how to approach the content. You could meet once a month as a group and do some things throughout the month as individual families. You could meet weekly as a group in person or on Zoom. You might have parent discussions. You might plan to participate together in a larger community event. It is up to your Family Life Group to decide!

• Where should we meet?

  • Groups can meet virtually or in person following appropriate Covid guidelines. If you meet in person, here are some ideas to get you started: you can rotate homes, meet at a restaurant, park, playground, or the clubhouse at your apartment complex. If you want to meet virtually and are unsure how to do so, we can help you get started. 

  • Due to the large number of Family Life Groups, indoor spaces at the parish are not available for groups to meet. There is just not enough space to be able to allow all groups to do this. 

  • Please keep in mind that Family Life Group gatherings are not ‘drop off’ events. Parents are expected to be present and participate not only in their role as the primary witness to the faith, but also for Safe Environment protocols. 

• Do we need a group leader?

  • A leader or facilitator is not necessary, but each group should have a point of contact designated for your group. This contact person will regularly communicate with the parish. 

• How do you register your group? 

  • Look out for information about registering Family Life Groups in the parish e-newsletter and on the parish website. Or sign up to get text and/or emails with the latest information here.

We will help match you with other families. We look forward to connecting with you at our Kickoff Event on September 12th and assist you in the process.

Please click here to submit a question. We will have answers to questions on September 12th at the kickoff.