Can I make a Difference?

Introduction & Welcome (1 min.)

I. Opening Prayer (5 min.)

Grace: To identify my five loaves and two fish and give them to Jesus to feed others.

Use the grace or the suggested scriptural passage above to create your own prayer. You can also use the one below:

Lord, we thank You for gathering us here. We believe You are here with us, for You promised to be present wherever two or three are gathered in Your name. There are so many problems and issues in our community….it can be overwhelming to think of them….like the disciples we just want to send people away and don’t have to deal with the problems. But you challenge us to feed them. Give us a discerning heart to identify our five loaves and two fishes. With you, we can feed more than 5,000 people in our community. Amen.

II. Check-In (5 min.)

• What were some of your high and low points of the week?

III. Focus Exercise (40 min.)

Materials Needed: CLC supply box (CLC journal booklets, papers, pens, etc.), instrumental music, laptop (video and article below)

Introduction

Make connection with last week’s meeting. Last week, we talked about Following Jesus. Tonight, we are going to explore what it means to follow Jesus in a more concrete way. The question is, “Can I make a difference?”

Exercise: Rosa Parks Reflection

Explain what you are going to do. We are going to watch a video clip on the life of a young woman who has changed American History forever. Her name is Rosa Parks. As you watch, pay attention to what drives Rosa to choose to fight for justice rather than give in.

Note: If you don’t have access to the video below, read this article out loud.

Pray

After the video, give members 5-7 minutes to pray with the questions below.

Suggested questions to pray and share

1. What thoughts and feelings stir within you when you watched the life of Rosa Parks?
2. What motivates or drives Rosa Parks to choose to be arrested rather than give up her seat?
3. What would have happened in the American History if Rosa had chosen to give up her seat?
4. “We all want to make a difference. Most people hope that when their lives are over, they will be leaving the world a slightly better than it was when they arrived…And just as surely, most of us don’t really believe our lives can make a difference. We think we are too small to count, too insignificant to have any impact on the big scheme of things, too unimportant for our tiny voices to be heard…” (Margaret Silf, Simple Faith, p. 37-38).
   • In what concrete ways does God invite you to make a difference here and now?
   • What are your five loaves and two fish?

Sharing

Invite members to share. Use the questions above to facilitate if helpful.

Listening Deeper

• What has struck you as you have been listening to others share? Do you notice any patterns or commonalities?
• How have you been feeling throughout the meeting? Comfortable? Anxious? Curious?
• Is there anything you would like to share after listening to another person share?

IV. Moving Forward (5 min.)

• Wrap-Up: Thank members for their openness and participation.
• Action:
  • To do one good deed a day for the rest of the year.
• Announcements:
  • Topic for next meeting and upcoming CLC events
  • Bring any items that we have done in the CLC meetings this year that remind us of God’s love (e.g., my self box, etc.)

V. Closing Prayer (5 min.)

Pray for one another. One suggestion: to pray for the person on your left. Group leader might begin…

End with the prayer below by St. Teresa of Avila.