Connect Groups are small groups of 10-12 members that gather to grow deeper in their relationships, care, and love for each other and Christ. Connect Groups are only open to Alpha alumni. This is not meant as an exclusionary premise but more as an opportunity for folks to continue and deepen their Alpha experience while at the same time assuring that all members have the commonality of the shared Alpha Experience as a foundation for the group.
Connect Groups may choose to meet at the members' houses or public places. Where the group meets is ultimately at the discretion of the group. (Meeting at the parish is not a viable option as space continues to be seriously overbooked.) If private homes are chosen as the meeting location, this is usually rotated between some or all of the group. The group is asked to be considerate of any possible limitations that may be an obstacle for any particular member’s ability to host, ie, small apartment, exceptional living arrangements - ill family member in the house, etc. Using a public space, at a library or restaurant also works well.
This should look and feel very familiar. First, there is a food component, followed by a discussion and finally a song or singing (optional) and prayer. Connect Groups follow a very similar format to a typical Alpha series gathering. Why? Because this format works! The meal/snack could be prepared by the host “home,” be a potluck, or might be as simple as a designated person bringing a dessert to go with coffee. The discussion prompts are provided by the parish office and the song and prayer may be led by anyone in the group.
The discussion component of the gathering may follow one of two models. In the first model, a volunteer from the group provides a 5-10 minute personal talk/reflection on the provided question followed by an open discussion among the group. In the second model, each member shares their own personal thoughts on the question in an open discussion format. The group does not have to permanently commit to either model and may fluctuate between both depending on the members’ desires and comfort levels with either.
These are samples of the types of questions which would be provided by the office for discussion among Connect Group members.
The suggested meeting frequency for Connect Groups is once a month. However, groups determine for themselves the frequency of their meetings. It is strongly recommended that groups not meet more than twice a month. The normal duration for a gathering is somewhere between one and a half hours to a maximum of two hours.
Yes, the typical gathering consists of three components a meal, discussion, and prayer. A suggested allotment of time, for an hour and a half gathering, is eating together and catching up for thirty minutes, discussion for forty to forty-five minutes, and song and prayer for fifteen minutes.
Gather and share meal 20-30 minutes
Presentation and/or discussion 20-30 minutes
Praise and worship/prayer 10-15 minutes
Yes and no! Each Connect Group will need to designate a group “Connector.” The group Connector is really more of a liaison between the group and the parish office than a discussion or group leader. The Connector’s main responsibilities consist of obtaining the discussion questions or necessary resources from the parish and distributing to group members, periodically updating the parish office with the group's status and forwarding any concerns or questions from the group to the parish office. All of these responsibilities will be managed through quarterly gatherings for Connectors.
The Connector is not a permanent “facilitator” or “leader” at gatherings. The role of facilitator for each Connect Group gathering is decided by the group. It may be the host or another member of the group on a rotating basis. The primary role of the facilitator is to keep the evening and discussion on track. The Alpha model for small group discussions (making space for everyone to share, being respectful of ‘where people are’ on their faith journey, offering genuine support and connection), is our goal.
Connect Groups are only open to Alpha alumni. Connect Groups are generally created/updated at Alpha Reunions after the completion of each Alpha series. There are currently a number of Connect Groups in place from the previous Alpha series and some of these groups may have openings for new members. New Connect Groups may be formed once there is an adequate number of interested people, 10-12, who can agree on a particular meeting day and time. This process is facilitated most easily during the Alpha Reunions but certainly can happen outside of that context. If a group decides to form outside of an Alpha Reunion they are invited to visit the parish website to make the necessary arrangements to register the group with the parish.