Welcome to Small Groups!

Praised be Jesus Christ!  

In my short time here at Nativity I have been impressed by the passion and hard work so many of you share to make Nativity Parish and School a strong and vibrant Catholic community.

As we continue to implement Archbishop Hebda’s pastoral vision for our archdiocese, each parish is being asked to create or expand a new small group ministry, based on the Church-approved Parish Evangelizing Cells System, or PECS, small group model.

In my twelve years as Pastor at St. Hubert Catholic Church and School in Chanhassen, I helped create men’s and women’s healing retreats as well as a small group ministry, so I am eager to expand small groups here at Nativity and to help us all grow in our relationship with and in our love for Jesus Christ our Lord.
 

• Click here to Register for a 2024 Lenten Small Group now

These PECS small groups are designed for parishes, by parish pastors. They are focused on helping parishioners evangelize relationally, through the everyday relationships they have with fellow parishioners, family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.

They have a concise structure of 90 minutes that leads us from verbal praise of God, through an awareness of God’s action in our lives and our response, a short teaching and discussion, to intercessory and healing prayer in an intentional path of formation as joyful missionary disciples.

In Archbishop Hebda’s vision, he hopes every parishioner in every parish will eventually be in some kind of small group within the parish, strongly connected in faith, fellowship, and formation, to make each parish stronger and to actually live out our mission to make Jesus Christ better known, followed, and loved.

Why not begin with us this Lent?

I am grateful for the hard work our generous Leaders and Co-Leaders accomplished in the Small Group Leader Formation course they recently completed. Congratulations!

In our homilies for January 20 and 21, Fr. Duffert and I will talk more about these small groups. At the end of Masses next week and in Donut Sunday next week, you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions about and sign up for our Lenten PECS small groups. We will also commission our new small group leaders and co-leaders.

For the small group content this Lent, I will be providing short videos on prayer.

As you will find over time, I am passionate about helping you, the people of Nativity, to deepen your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, continue to be proud of being Roman Catholic, and to spread the Word that Jesus is Lord! These new small groups will be a great addition to help accomplish this at Nativity.

Please consider joining one this Lent. You are invited!

Father Rolf Tollefson
Pastor of Nativity of Our Lord
 

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