Recommendations
for the
Christian Life Community
South Africa
from the
La Verna
National Assembly
July 2009
Guided by the spirit of integrity the Christian Life Community of South Africa came together at La Verna on the Vaal to identify and prioritise recommendations from the responses to the Themes of the General Assembly at Fatima 2008 for the South African Region. It was with a generosity of spirit that we developed the following criteria for growth in our Community over the next years which will culminate in the 16th General Assembly of the World Community.
1 APOSTOLIC BODY
We are challenged as a Community to develop a visible apostolate that identifies us as CLC and through this to be able to say that this is what CLC South Africa is about.
It is recommended that the most urgent, universal and greatest need is for CLC to take risks within the community to do something (however small) in a visible way in some community project/issue for some category of “poor”/marginalised, so that we begin to move from discipleship to apostolate. In this the Group’s support of the individual’s, as well as the Community’s, endeavours, is essential.
2 MEMBERSHIP
To encourage membership, with the help of the Ecclesiastical Assistant, CLC is to introduce its way of life to other parishes through engagement with the parish priests. Where the introduction is well received, CLC is to offer Weeks of Guided Prayer or Open Door Retreat etc. Where these have already taken place, we may introduce CLC. However, the Exco in consultation with Fr Graham Pugin and Fr Alberto Brito, recommend that the recruitment of new members is to wait until an apostolic initiative has been discerned by the Community.
3 FINANCE
It is recommended that we organise One Big National Fundraising Event annually for our National Community and One Fundraiser in each group while at the same time encouraging individual initiatives.
To this effect the Exco has identified the weekend of October the 3rd/ 4th as the 2009 National Fundraising Day which will take the form of The Ecclesiastical Assistant’s Garden Party. All regions are asked to take part in this initiative, most particularly to raise funds to send out delegates to the Nairobi Leadership course at the end of November.
4 FORMATION
It is recommended that Formation for Adults, (new and experienced), be encouraged with the aid of a Formation Resource Pack including in alia
· Historical background
· Current Exco member profiles
· Ignatian Spirituality
· CLC Documents
· Glossary of terms
5 COMMITMENT
It was recommended that we clarify what commitment entails at an early stage in the formation of new members.
6 SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
.
It is recommended that CLC members be encouraged to experience the Spiritual Exercises whether it be in experiential workshops or retreats on the Spiritual Exercises which have been creatively adapted to the situation, in the traditional 19th Annotation or the 30 Day Directed Retreat.
7 LEADERSHIP
It was noted that a group with a poor guide floats while a group with a good guide sails, therefore it is recommended that each region have at least one person trained in leadership skills to assist in the growth of groups.
The importance of training group guides is paramount as the group guide is the objective person in a group and in formation acts as a consultant, together with the leader. The group guide helps to move the group forward into apostolic projects.
The Exco is to maintain an eye on the process and encourage groups and guides in formation and to ask for reports on the progress of the group.
To obviate the shortage of guides CLC is to have regular short workshops, on leadership topics, in all regions.
Exco recommended that a formation programme for group leaders is urgent, as well as a formation module for CLC people involved in regional structures.
8 NETWORKING
It is important that there be networking between CLC and other groups within the Church and outside of it, as CLC exists as a vocation within the Church.