Atmosphere is both physical and emotional comfort. Physical needs include enough chairs for all arranged so all can participate, good lighting, materials needed (books, format for meeting, music), and a candle. Some leaders may also use a timer, cloth or items suggested by the theme of the readings. Emotional needs can be called norms.

It is natural and healthy progression for a group to form habits with each other as they become familiar and bond. These habits can be called "Group Norms". Each group has norms.

Some examples of norms are: whether the group starts or waits for late comers, when refreshments are served, the day and time of meetings, how groups break up for sharing, who leads sharing discussions, what topics bring controversy in the group, what is expected of each member.

Unhealthy norms can slowly develop over time. This can lead to problems in the group. Since the Pastoral Facilitator creates the emotional & social climate of the room, it is important for the PF to be aware of norms developing and be ready to deal with the unhealthy ones before they become a problem. An example: Some members may always answer first or the group may always look to certain members for their input. A good facilitator can help get the group through this problem by making it a point to look at and include each member as much as possible. She/He does this with facial expressions, body language, making sure the seating arrangements make it easy for all to be seen and contribute, finding common ground and opinions within the group, trying to bring quiet members into the conversation and varying sharing groups.

A healthy group has all members participating at varying levels. How and at what degree members participate should continue to increase as the group bonds and grows. Below is a list of ways members in your small church could/should be growing.

Do Members: *Share responses to questions. *Share facilitating responsibilities. *Create questions. *Restate what another is saying in order to clarify *Ask for more info or meaning from the sharer, to better understand. *Name feelings as well as thoughts. *Harmonize two opposing views. *Make room for others to enter the discussion by not monopolizing. *Inject humor at appropriate times. *Observe what the group as a whole seems to feel. *Direct the group back to topic.

It is however, important that the group stay focused as to what they are and why they are. Very important tools used to help focus are the Evaluation & Basic Agreement. An evaluation should be done at least once a year, more often if the questions will help to refocus the group. The basic agreement should be available at all times and used frequently to keep all members comfortable and used as a tool when problems arise. A copy of each is included.

A "Facilitator Bag": Ask all members of the group to contribute to this bag articles which would make it easy for any member to facilitate the group. Some items that may make it in the bag: Quest, Catechumen Lectionary, Faith Sharing for SCCS, Bulletin Questions, a timer, meeting format sheet with the amount of time for each part and the order of the meeting, a copy of the group sharing guidelines, a cd or tape of music, a candle and cloth.

Name Cards: In groups that have been meeting for a long time, one of the norms that may have developed is people may sit in certain seats when they come to the meeting. This makes counting off difficult since the same groups are formed each meeting. Write the name of members on index cards and have a person chose three cards. That is her/his group. If the person gets their own card, they pick another. Continue until all groups are formed.

What Parts of Facilitating are Easy? What Parts are Hard?

Gleaned from "Facilitating for Growth: A Guide for Scripture Study Groups and Small Christian Communities" by Barbara J. Fleischer; The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota

Basic Agreement Between Group Members

1. Don't miss, except for emergencies. A group works because members make the group a priority. Each member must make a commitment to each other.

2. Share yourself. Let people know you to the extent you are willing. How you feel and how you look at life matters.

3. Listen closely to others. Don't give advice, counsel or therapy or comment on what others say, but let people know you understand and are trying to appreciate the feeling they are expressing.

4. Never argue your point or badger another . Be yourself, be firm, but don't try to win others over to your viewpoint. People can be different. In fact, differences enhance a group.

5. Try to show support to each person in the group. Help people see their strengths and confront them when they are not using their strengths.

6. Expressing negative feelings can be helpful. Bottled-up feelings can set up unspoken barriers. Avoid ridicule or attack. Focus on how someone's behavior in the group affects you and how the situation can be improved. A one-to-one talk can help sometimes.

9. Take responsibility for the life of the community. Take a turn facilitating or hosting the meeting. Do something that might help another ‘ s contribution to the group get noticed. Call an absent member. Pray for each other.

* Does our SCC see itself as church? How do we fit into the total vision of the parish? How can we grow in our sense of belonging to the larger church? Be specific.

*How is this SCC meeting helping each of us be different in our family, work place, society, attitude toward the poor of the world? Be specific.

*Do we often get bogged down in small talk? In discussion from the head instead of speaking and listening to life experience? What specific ways can we agree to that would deepen our time together?

*Is our SCC depending too much on one or a few people? What are the ways that each person in our SCC is taking responsibility for the group?

*What is the best thing we have going for us? What is the main obstacle to growth? To the group get noticed. Call an absent member. Pray for each other.

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