Preparing for the School: Send an e-mail to normal attendees that the school is planned, any changes to the schedule or attendees (for instance - if someone is taking your place), and the subject we plan to study from the next page of this document.  Always include SOL coordinator
 Canceling the School: Before cancelling the school if possible: 1) Try to find someone else to run the school when you cannot be there 2) Send an e-mail to normal attendees checking to see if others can or cannot go 3) Send an e-mail to normal Attendees that the school is canceled 4) Always include SOL Coordinator
 
Format (do in the order that makes sense for your school): Remember you (the leader) are there to facilitate and help the flow of the school, so there is limited wasted time.  Since we are all friends, there will be some off topic conversation we don’t want to stop.  However, if that conversation is relative to a limited group, you may want to ask that people wait till after the School is over, for the sake of the other participants (also their friends).  Time is wasted when some people wish the meeting would continue, while others talk of personal subjects, not related to our spiritual lives.
 
- Leader's Prayer (3 minutes) - The best way to start - Wait no more than 5 minutes to start the prayer - This will help people to know they should be on time, and make them more likely to be on time, and help us keep moving for the rest of the meeting  - Song (5-10 minutes) - Best if there is a musician present for them to play - Not a requirement - Abbreviated Friendship Group Reunion (20 minutes) - split into groups of 3 if possible - never more than 5 in one group - Note: This is slightly different than the weekly friendship group reunion.  Now we gather not just as a group of friends, but as a group of friends with a mission. - Try and keep this to 20 minutes or so.  Best if the leader calls time at 15 minutes and again at 20 minutes - The leader should help along their group to be the example of this - Spiritual Presentation (20 minutes) - any religious, any topic, 20 minutes or less - This religious does not have to be a Cursillista - Lesson (see below) (20 - 30 minutes) - Leader should either start this off, or call on someone to start - Help people pause occasionally to talk and ask questions about the lesson - Secretariat Update (5 minutes)
- If possible get someone from Secretariat - Song (5-10 minutes) - Best if there is a musician present for them to play - Not a requirement - Always end with Prayer - Nice to have the religious lead if available - Offer Adoration if available
 
 
Lessons: A.  Everyone go to https://www.natl-cursillo.org/resource-center/ if possible and read the lesson before the meeting  B.  Someone for each School will print off the Lesson for Reading - Note: If People want to print their own copy, they can C.  Someone will be in charge to read the lesson - everyone should read it if they can, but someone has to work through difficult concepts, words, etc.  to help the school get through it. D.  Read the lesson at the school - spread the reading around (if possible) E.  Pause as you are going through it to ask questions, dialog, clarify F.  All schools will adhere to this schedule, Even if a particular meeting is canceled.  This is, if a School is canceled, skip to the next talk for the next meeting
 
2018 1. (July) Freedom part 2 - 4 pages (Start at top of pg 5) - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Freedom.pdf 2. (August) The Person Part 1 - 4.5 pages (Read through ‘In the history of Cursillo’ Paragraph) - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/The-Person.pdf 3. (September) The Person Part 2 - 4.5 pages (Read the rest) - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/The-Person.pdf 4. (October) The New Evangelization 4 pages - http://www.laici.va/content/dam/laici/documenti/rylko/english/new-evangelization-a-questi on-of-being-and-doing.pdf 5. (November) Hunger for God 2 Pages - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Hunger-for-God.pdf 6. (December)  Off - Go to the Christmas Ultreya!
 
2019 7. (January) Joy (Part 1 - 4.5 pages (Read through the first paragraph - Pg 5 - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Joy.pdf 8. (February) Joy (Part 2 - 4.5 pages (Start on the 2nd paragraph - Pg 5 - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Joy.pdf 9. (March) Normality Part 1 - 5 pages (Read to end of Page 5) - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Normality.pdf
10.(April) Normality Part 2 - 5 pages (Start on Page 6) - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Normality.pdf 11.(May) Life Part 1 - 4.5 pages (Read up to “The Lived Experience of What is Fundamental for Being a Christian) - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Life.pdf 12.(June) Life Part 2 - 4.5 pages (Start at page 5 “The Lived Experience of What is Fundamental for Being a Christian”) - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Life.pdf 13.(July) Criterion Part 1 - 4.5 pages (Read up to “Postcursillo: Us
“ ) https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Criterion.pdf 14.(August) Criterion Part 2 - 4.5 pages (Start on Page 5 after “Postcursillo: Us
“ ) https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Criterion.pdf 15.(September) Sincerity Part 1 5 pages (Read to the last 2 lines of page 5) - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Sincerity.pdf 16.(October) Sincerity Part 2 4.5 pages (Start at the last 2 lines of page 5) - https://www.natl-cursillo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Sincerity.pdf

Grand Rapids English Cursillo Secretariat 6/10/2018 
 
We want to make it as easy as possible for you to attend school of leaders. In addition to the regularly scheduled monthly meetings we’d like to make it so any group of 3 or more, on any day or night could have a school of leaders. 
 
Before going on though, we want to stress the importance of keeping our current schools going, and ask that you join us for those schools if at all possible.  Since school of leaders is mostly about building up the community of Leaders that will run the weekend,  The more people we get participating together, the stronger the community we build for the Cursillo weekends.
 
Regularly scheduled monthly School of Leaders meets every 3rd: Monday, 7pm, Holy Family in Sparta Tuesday, 7pm, St John Vianney in Grand Rapids Thursday, 7pm, St Joseph in Pewamo.
 
However, though these are very consistent and dependable times and places, and each has a leader responsible to run the meeting, many people cannot make those meetings for various reasons.  We’d like to make it possible for folks in that situation to set up their own School of Leaders when they CAN participate.  If you can follow all the directions below, you can set up a school when it is most convenient, in a place of your choice.
 
Note:  You do have to follow ALL the rules below.  There are lots of great reasons to get together, and community isn’t built only in the School of Leaders, but as that is a School of leader’s specific job, and as Grand Rapids English Secretariat wants to continue to hold authentic Cursillo weekends, we need you to insure the School of Leaders is authentic.
 
Rules for an authentic School of Leaders 1. You need 3 or more people.  We need to be building a community with these meetings. at least 3, such as the reunion for instance.  Also, the more, the better. 2. Someone must assume responsibility for an authentic School of leaders.  Below are the ways to do this. a. One person should take responsibility for the school b. Delegation is a wonderful tool for a leader.  As the one responsible, you don’t have to do all the work yourself.  In fact you can delegate all the work of preparation to others if you have willing hands, but one person assumes responsibility. c. That means reading all of these rules, all of the format guidelines, and ensuring the format of the school is followed.  3. You need to contact the School of Leaders coordinator before and after the school a. That’s currently Chris Towery, cell phone 616-262-4332 or e-mail at cmtowery99@gmail.com b. Let me know when you will have it, and about who will be there 4. You need to follow the format below.  Especially including studying the lesson the other schools are studying for that month. a. The school will take between 1 and 2 hours 5. You need to make accessible copies of the leader’s prayer (see below) and the lesson (see the format below) 6. Optional but recommended:  a. Have a Spiritual Advisor there!  Any religious can do this, and can do any 10 or 15 minute topic they would like. b. Music - depends largely on Musicians available and Music available, but most of the regular schools even sing at least once a capella if no musicians are available c. Adoration - this is an excellent thing for the community to do together if it is possible - though happens only rarely even with the regular schools. 7. After the school, Contact the School of Leaders coordinator again and report on how the school went,  how long the school was, who was there.  

When you approach the potential Witness Speaker, they may ask for some idea of how

to prepare the talk on the spot.  In that case be prepared to summarize the guidelines for

the Lay Witness Speaker:

o The talk should not exceed 15 minutes. (10 is best!)

o The talk should not be instructional.

o The talk is a simple sharing of the speaker’s own piety, study and action with a

witness or examples of their action following their weekend.

o A willingness to share and sincerity are necessary attributes of the Lay Witness

speaker.

o What have you done to further the Kingdom of God in one of your environments?

o The talk should be uplifting and encourage all who hear it to continue to bring the Gospel message to all of their own environments.

o Explain that their preparation also includes that they should ask a close

Cursillista friend to be the Lay Responder. (from reunion group?) 

If questions remain, please contact the current Post Cursillo chairperson.  Contact detail is available on the webpage. 

Lord, grant that we may understand the necessity for depth in our movement, rather than surface glory.  Convince us of the truth that colorful programs do not constitute success.
 
My God, give us a spirit of self sacrifice so that we may offer everything for your cause:  our time, our abilities, our health and even our lives if necessary. Instill in us courage in our initiatives, good judgment in our choice of the right means, and that determination which in spite of failures assures victory.
 
Move away from us the tiny rivalries, sensitivities, discourtesies, pride, everything which distracts from You, everything which divides or discourages.
 
Help us to maintain at a high level a meaningful supernatural and mutual charity among ourselves, so that each one will seek by preference the most humble tasks and will rejoice at the good performed by others so that all our spirits united in a common purpose will have one single spirit, Yours Jesus, and that this spirit may let us see Your attractive goodness marked in all our faces, Your warm accents in all our words, and in our lives something superior to the world, something that proclaims Your Living Presence among us. Amen
 
St. Paul, Patron of Cursillo - Pray for us.
 
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas - Pray for us. 

 

National Newletters 

https://www.natl-cursillo.org/ national-newsletter/   (English)

https://www.natl-cursillo.org/ espanol/boletin-nacional/ (Spanish)

https://www.natl-cursillo.org/ tieng-viet/ban-tin-trung-uong/  (Vietnamese)