Forming & Revitalizing Basic Ecclesial Communities:

Basic Principles & Best Practices

Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, STD

 There are many approaches and ways of building BECs  In spite of this, there are some common principles and strategic components based on best practices gathered over the years.

Pre-requisites for Sustainable BECs

Building BECs: Diocesan Pastoral Thrust

    The building of BECs should be regarded as part of the process of renewing the local Church. The bishop promotes the BEC vision and program to the clergy, religious & lay leaders. This includes a process of leveling-off and formal acceptance as diocesan thrust (ex: thru diocesan pastoral assembly/synod) A diocesan BEC commission may be formed to assist parishes in building BECs.

Other diocesan commissions should be oriented to support the formation & growth of BECs

Building BECs: a parish program

 The parish priest promotes the BEC vision/ program in his parish (seminars, consultation, parish assembly).

 A parish formation team is set up and trained that will assist in building BECs.

 Parish strategic/pastoral plan is made (SWOT analysis, setting parish vision-mission-objectives, adopting approaches & strategy, programming)

Recruitment and Formation of Parish Formation Team (PFT)/Core Group

 The team should be composed mostly of volunteers who have gone through the process of evangelization and conversion, who have imbibed the BEC vision, and who are highly committed and competent.

 If the parish can afford it, one or two full time pastoral workers can be hired from among them.

Role of the Parish Formation Team

      Help develop and implement a parish pastoral plan Help in gathering data about the parish and the local communities and make a strategic plan Assist in Evangelizing the local communities Organize the BECs and help train leaders Help mobilize BECs for social transformation Monitor the development and growth of BECs.

  The Diocesan BEC Commission/Formation Team can support the formation of the Parish formation team. Their function is not primarily organizing but training and providing material necessary for BECs formation. They can also link up with other diocesan commissions to help form the BECs in the parishes.

External Pastoral Agents can also help form the PFT and provide technical support. They can help the PFT carry out its function of evangelizing, organizing and mobilizing the BECs. Since they are transitory by nature, the external agents should ensure that the PFT become self-sustaining.

Strategic/Pastoral Planning

    The parish priest together with the parish formation team and other lay leaders should undertake strategic/ pastoral planning. The strategic plan should be based on the results of the environmental analysis and the vision-mission of the parish, the thrust of the diocese. The PCP II vision of a Renewed Church and the BECs can be adopted by the parish.

The goals and objectives can be set, the means can be determined, and initial programming be done.

 The team will have to decide what is the most viable approach: Pilot areas? afterwards.

Selecting two to four communities for experimentation. Develop these communities as model BECs. Replication can be done  Simultaneous? All the communities are developed at the same time. Top to bottom approach. Selecting leaders from each community, orient & train them, send them back to their communities for organizing.

Proclamation/ Witness ( evangelizing) Local Church/ & ( organizing ) ( mobilizing ) A framework for developing BECs

Essential Components in BEC building

 Evangelizing (Proclamation)  Organizing (Forming the Christian community)  Mobilizing for Social Transformation (Human Promotion and Development) how and when they are carried out will vary depending on the situation, and the strategies and approach chosen.

Evangelizing

Proclamation

The Importance of Evangelization

 Evangelization is an essential stage in building BECs. It precedes the organizing stage.

 Evangelization as the proclamation of the Christian message aimed at personal conversion  The growth of BECs is the fruit of evangelization

Expected outcome

 Accepting Christ as center of their life and deepening their relationship with him  Personal conversion (concretely expressed in going to confession)  Commitment to live out their discipleship in community.  Own and internalize the vision of new way of being Church – the BEC.

 Developing a missionary dynamism

Means of Evangelizing

 Family-evangelization (Visita Familia)  Bible-reflection sessions for neighborhood or family groupings  Evangelization seminars for the whole community [basic orientation seminars, Festival of Faith]   Men’s Fellowship, Youth Fellowship The liturgy (Eucharist) & popular devotions (novena) as means of evangelizing.

Content of Evangelizing

Since this is just the initial stage of proclamation, it is not necessary to cover all the topics. Just focus on the essential message that can make an impact. Sample content based on PCP II: - Jesus Christ (Prophetic-Priestly-Kingly Messiah, Lord, Savior) - Conversion & Discipleship - Discipleship in Community: the Church & BECs This is also the time for BEC orientation

Organizing BECs

Building up the Christian Community

Organizing BECs

Goal: to develop sustainable structures, activities, ministries and culture that will facilitate the growth of BECs as Community of Disciples This means concretizing what it means  To live in communion  To be a prophetic, priestly communities and servant  To be a Church of the Poor

Developing the BEC culture

BEC becomes a way of life, with established patterns of relationship, behavior and attitude among the members:  Communion : sense of belonging, closeness, friendship, sharing   Participation : a spirit of active participation in the community activities (worship, listening to proclaiming the word of God, social action/service), in decision-making and implementation of plans Missionary Dynamism : reaching out to others

Forming a Core Group/Nucleus

 The task of organizing BECs is not only the work of the PFT  It needs the active participation of a core group within a community  This core group is composed of committed people and potential leaders that have emerged during the evangelization stage.

 We follow Jesus’ method who called an initial core group of disciples and apostles whom he trained

Function of the Core Group/Nucleus

 The Core Group is like leaven, light & salt in the midst of the community  Filled with missionary dynamism they continue the process of evangelization  They expand the BEC, set up structures & activities that enable the BEC to grow  The leaders of the BECs will come from among them

Core Group/ Nucleus

Cell Cell Core Group Cell Cell Cell

Deepening the Bond of Communion

    There has to be a regular face-to-face encounter, interaction and communication in order for the members to know one another, deepen their relationship and develop a sense of belonging.

This means coming together to share their experiences, work, play, pray and celebrate. All these are necessary to deepen their bond.

Friendship and mutual support is an expression of communion.

Table-fellowship expresses and deepens their communion.

Sustainable Activities/Structures

   Prophetic Communities : bible-sharing, visita familia, men’s fellowship, ongoing catechesis, occasional seminars (Education Committee) Priestly Communities : Celebration of the Word (bible-service), Regular mass (monthly or bi monthly), Seasonal liturgies, mass-sponsoring, etc. (Worship/Liturgy committee).

Servant Communities : Regular meeting & assembly to discuss problems, action planning & evaluation (Social Action/Service Committee)

Emergence & Training of Leaders

 During the organizing stage, the potential leaders that emerged or spotted will be tested, trained and formalized  During the early stage of organizing an informal/adhoc leadership is more desirable to allow the emergence, testing and training of new breed of leaders.

 The formal election of leaders take place later after the BECs have become mature.

Emergence & Training of Leaders

 Leadership Training seminars should be conducted  Emphasize servant leadership  Participative/Collegial Leadership – Council of Leaders, teamwork, regular meeting (planning, evaluation)

Structure of Developed BEC (with cells)

Council of Leaders Worship Education Service Temporalities Youth Cell Cell Cell Cell Cell

Inter-connecting BECs and creation of new parish structures

      The BECs within the parish will have to be interconnected (zones, districts) Meetings and assemblies attended by BEC leaders can be organized Parish-level committees should be formed (WESTY) The PPC should be formed and the BECs should be represented.

A parish assembly should be held regularly A gathering of BECs should be organized (fiesta, Easter celebration)

Sample: Parish Organizational Structure

PP, pv Parish Office Staff Parish Pastoral Workers Parish Pastoral Council Worship liturgy Education catechetics Service Social Action Temporalities Finance Youth PCL (LOMAS) BEC Zone BEC Zone BEC Zone BEC Zone bec bec bec bec bec bec bec bec bec bec bec bec bec bec bec bec BEC Zone bec bec bec bec

Mobilizing BECs for Social Transformation

(Human Promotion and Development)

     The Evangelization and Organization of BECs should ultimately lead to mobilization for social transformation The BECs are instruments for renewing the Church and transforming society BECs should not be inward looking communities but have social responsibility.

Mobilizing BECs for social transformation is part of the mission of BECs as prophetic and servant communities. BECs are called to participate in the struggle for development, justice, peace and the integrity of creation

Socio-Economic

      BECs may be mobilized to engage in socio-economic projects that can transform the socio-economic terrain. (IGP, coops, livelihood projects) This should be done only after evangelization and organizing phase Participatory research & planning Linking up with parish/diocesan social action program Networking with NGOs The need for close monitoring and system of check and balance

Political

      BECs can be mobilized to empower people to participate in the decision making process During elections, BECs can become part of the local network of PPCRV or NAMFREL BECs can become fiscalizers in the LGU (IRA watch) When it is necessary, BECs may be mobilized to protests against government policies that are contrary to common good BECs can be part of the peace constituency – advocating for peace & building zones for peace BECs can monitor human rights violations

Ecology

 BECs may be mobilized to protect the environment and maintain ecological balance  This may mean struggling against companies that destroy the environment (logging, mining, pollution, etc)



Parish/BEC social action structures

There should be a parish social action center or committee (PSAC) that initiates and supports social action projects in the BECs.

 There should also be a service/social action committee in each BEC (BSAC) that oversees the social action projects of the community.

 These committees should be staffed with committed and competent people who have undergone training/formation required for the social action apostolate.

Active participation of BEC members

     Social action programs/projects require the active participation of the members They should actively take part in the process of Analyzing their situation, problems and resources Determining what projects/programs to undertake as response to their problems (every program should be a response to felt needs and issues of the community) Planning, implementation and evaluation

Capability/Skills Building

The members of the social action committees at the parish and BEC level, as well as the leaders and member of BECs need to learn the following:   Environmental (SWOT) Analysis Planning (strategic/operational), implementing, monitoring, evaluation    Resource identification and mobilization Management, Entrepreneurship, marketing Skills training (livelihood, handicrafts, sustainable agriculture, etc.)

Encouragement and Support of Bishops and Clergy

     The BEC-based social action program should be owned by the diocese and the parish.

They should be initiated and supported by the bishops and the parish priests.

This should be reflected in the strategic/pastoral plan of the diocese and the parish.

This should also be reflected in diocesan/parish budget.

Bishops & parish priests should monitor the development of the BEC-based social action program

Sample Approaches in Forming/Revitalizing BECs

Piloting Approach

1.

a.

b.

c.

Preparatory Phase

Recruitment/Formation of PFT Data-gathering Strategic Pastoral Planning

2.

Piloting Phase (3-5 communities)

a. Evangelizing b. Organizing Forming Core group/leaders Developing BEC culture and Structures c. Transforming local situation (economic, political, etc.) (the pilot areas become model BECs or showcases, which can be used as exposure areas – “ come and see, go and follow ” program)

3.

4.

5.

6.

Expansion/ Replication Phase

(evangelizing, organizing, transforming)

Creating/Reforming Parish Structures

parish commissions – WESTY, PPC) (zones,

Ongoing Mobilization for Social Transformation - Parish, Regional Level.

Missionary Outreach/ Helping other parishes build BECs

(the parish can becomes a model BEC parish, which can be used as an exposure and training center)

1.

2.

3.

Saturation Approach

Preparatory Phase

Recruitment and Formation of Parish Formation Team/Core Group Data gathering, Strategic Pastoral Planning

Evangelizing Phase Organizing Phase

(all local communities) (all local communities) Core group/leadership formation Introduce sustaining activities Expansion – clustering, family groupings Create structures – BEC, Zone, parish levels

4.

5.

Mobilizing for Social Transformation

(Human Promotion and Development)

Missionary Outreach

    

Summing up

The building up/revitalizing of BECs should be the pastoral thrust of the diocese and every parish.

It is a gradual and on-going process It is the fruit of evangelization and conversion (not imposition and coercion) The structures, activities, ministries and culture that are developed are meant to concretize the PCP II vision of BECs (communion, priestly-prophetic-servant community, church of the poor) BECs are called to renew the Church and transform society

“We simply plant seeds that will one day grow. Nothing we do is complete. This enables us to do something and do it well. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. We may never see the end results. We are workers, not master builders, servant leaders, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.” Archbishop Oscar Romero