The Basic Christian Community Spiritual Care

BASIC CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY SPIRITUAL CARE

You are a "chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own . . ." (1 Pt 2:9).

Community spiritual care is the way the church undertakes and cares for her local baptized members of her local Christians. Today what we call the church has to fully emphasis the element of people, baptized and received in a specific family of believers with the threefold mandate of priestly, prophetic and kingly ministry.

This ministry has to be based on the Eucharist, where people as a family share at the same table of breaking and sharing of the body and blood of Christ, for sharing is a Christian way of saying I love you. This love is not bought or forced but cultivated and nurtured by Christian hearts open to the call to reconciliation. In the unity of this Body there is a diversity of members and functions. All members are linked to one another, especially to those who are suffering, to the poor and persecuted (Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 805-806).

The ministry of community life is built on an environment of love, support, appreciation for diversity, and judicious acceptance that models Catholic principles of developing meaningful relationships in nurturing Catholic faith. The content of our message will be heard only when it is lived in our relationships and community life. Through catechetical teachings we are taught and share through compassion, generosity, tolerance, peace, forgiveness, acceptance, and love of gospel values and to identify ourselves as Christians. We are called upon to live these values in our interactions with young people and in our community life.

As members of the community we need to accept the blood of Christ to purify our thoughts not the blood of our tribe. God's reign was proclaimed through the relationships Jesus baptized not because he was a sinner but because he wanted to show solidarity with mankind, and continues to be heralded every time we witness our belief in him through the relationships in our community.

 Our Christian communities should be places of acceptance of all without thinking of where one comes from, community life is not a tribal skirt to practice our tribal and cultural believes, but a renewal centre of believers in Christ with all characteristics we read in Acts 2:42–47. The ministry of community life is not only about what we do as an activity.

Community life is nurtured when the atmosphere that is welcoming, comfortable, safe, and predictable, one in which all members know that their presence is welcomed, their energy is appreciated, and their contributions are valued. Community life is enhanced when leaders promote and model an attitude that is authentic, positive, accepting, and understanding assuring all people that they are valued and cared for as gifted individuals.

Community life is encouraged when our actions are inviting, supportive, and gospel-based. Community life is created when activities build trust and encourage relationships, and are age appropriate. The ministry of community life with the youth has several distinct features that give direction to community life programming. Specifically, community building with the youth. The youth are not only future leaders in theory but all members of the community ought to be actively involved to find out what the youth are doing and how they can be helped to improve their lives from the great temptations of this world.

The community needs to create an environment that characterizes the gospel values and nurtures meaningful relationships among young people and adults in the Christian community. This develops the friendship-making and friendship-maintaining skills of young people grounded in Christian values.

The local Christian communities ought to enrich family relationships through programs, activities, and resources to improve skills such as family communication, decision making, and faith sharing, provide opportunities for multicultural community building that promotes respect for young ethnic cultures and develop skills for communication and understanding.

The community has to engage the young men and ladies in activities, and ministries of the parish in meaningful and age-appropriate ways. Providing avenues for the youth to participate as members of the faith community and opportunities for the faith community to acknowledge, celebrate, and value its youthful members with an attitude of welcoming and acceptance, understanding of Jesus' call to "love your neighbor as yourself", an appreciation for both the uniqueness of individuals and the support of a community united through faith through an awareness of the importance of their role as members of the community.