St Philip Howard Catholic Parish
Couples for Christ

Parent Organisation

Couples for Christ (CFC) is a movement intended for the renewal and strengthening of Christian family life. The members have committed themselves to the Lord and to one another so that they may grow in maturity as men and women of God and fulfilled their primary vocation of raising up families under the lordship of Jesus Christ and for the service of the Kingdom of God. Couples for Christ is a work of Christ which raises up Christian couples and establishes Christian families committed to the work of evangelization, winning the world for Christ and Total Human Liberation through the power of the Holy Spirit. It grows mainly through the establishment of localized units in different parishes.

WHERE AND HOW DID THE COUPLES FOR CHRIST BEGIN?
Couples for Christ (CFC) began in 1981 in the Philippines when a local Christian community tried a new approach in evangelizing married couples. The method used consisted of bringing together a small group of prospective couples in a private home. There they were brought to a living relationship with Jesus Christ and to a renewal in the power of the Holy Spirit through a series of weekly informal discussions of the gospel in a social setting.

Soon, CFC became a Catholic Christian Family life renewal program made available to parishes and groups of married couples who wished to live out their Christian life in an active and supportive relationship with one another.

Through the succeeding years, CFC and with it's family ministries has blossomed into a world-wide ministry. Membership is in over 124 countries with numbers adding up to one million members which is continuously growing.

WHY IS SUCH A MINISTRY NECESSARY?
It is God's plan that the family be the basic unit of society, such that the condition of families determines the condition of society. However, many forces in the world today would, wittingly or unwittingly, destroy the very foundations of the family. Couples for Christ (CFC) wants to rise in defense of the family which is God's work. CFC wants to bring God's strength and light to those who are struggling to be truly Christian families in the modern world.

Couples for Christ raises up Christian couple and establishes Christian families committed to the work of evangelization and winning the world for Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a servant and lay arm of the Catholic Church in the work of renewal, and has a number of priests and bishops as it Spiritual Directors.

HOW DOES COUPLES FOR CHRIST INTEND TO WORK FOR THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN RENEWAL?
CFC intends to carry out its work by focusing on three specific objectives:

1. Individual Renewal – Before one can even consider the whole family, the husband and wife need to renew their commitment to God. CFC first takes the basic message of Catholic Christianity and proclaims it anew so those that hear it can make a renewed commitment to God in a way which will allow them to receive a fuller experience of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
2. Family Renewal – As couples renew their commitment to God, they also renew their commitment to one another and to their Christian family life. Gradually, the new life that they find in the Lord filters down to all their family relationships.
3. Church Renewal – As individual families are renewed, they form a network of equally committed Christian families which not only support one another but also strengthen the Church of which they are members.

HOW TO BECOME MEMBERS OF COUPLES FOR CHRIST AND IT'S FAMILY MINISTRIES?
Those who want to join CFC go through a seminar, which is called a Christian Life Program (CLP). CLP is an integrated course leading into a renewed understanding of God's call to Christian families. It is divided into 3 modules of 4 talks each, making a total of 12 talks. Most sessions consist of talk, group discussion, and some time for fellowship.

• The 1^st module (first 4 talks) represents the absolute basics of the Catholic Christian life, with the emphasis or accent on our hearing it with an adult perspective.


• The 2^nd module (next 4 talks) represents the kind of life that God calls us to. It spells out the personal response involved in receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior and helps the couple to make reorientation of their lives around Jesus Christ.


• The 3^rd module (last 4 talks) helps the couple to commit their lives in a serious way to Jesus. It helps them appropriate for their lives the power of the Holy Spirit. It provides the basis for continuing spiritual growth.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE CHRISTIAN LIFE PROGRAMME?
After the CLP, those who finish are invited to join the CFC or part of its family ministries. When they do, they are made part of a small cell group called a Household. The household is composed of 4-7 couples who meet weekly for mutual support and encouragement in their Christian life, under the direction of a Household Leader/Head.

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF A HOUSEHOLD?
The purpose of the household group is to build an environment for the support of the individual and to provide a means for encouraging and hastening spiritual growth. It provides friendship and brotherhood/sisterhood. It helps individuals to overcome obstacles to growth in Christian life.

The Household meeting is held in the homes of the members, on a rotation basis once a week. A typical meeting would involve sometime for prayer, sometime for sharing and discussion and finally some allotted time for fellowship. Normally lasts about 2 1/2 hours.

WHAT ABOUT CHRISTIAN FORMATION?
Finishing CLP is just the beginning of process of growth and transformation in Christ. As such, Couples for Christ provides the continuing program of formation which includes Christian teachings, recollections, retreats, conferences etc.

IS COUPLES FOR CHRIST RECOGNIZED BY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH?
YES. CFC is a servant and lay arm of the Roman Catholic Church in the work of renewal and has a number of Bishops and priests as its Spiritual Directors. Couples for Christ is also a member of the COUNCIL OF THE LAITY IN THE PHILIPPINES. CFC has also been approved by the Vatican as a PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE FAITHFUL authorized by Cardinal James Francis Stafford, the president of the PONTIFICAL COUNCIL OF THE LAITY.

HOW IS COUPLES FOR CHRIST DIFFERENT FROM OTHER MOVEMENTS OR ORGANISATION?
CFC differs in a number of ways but the most significant are the following:

• It fosters deep spiritual renewal conversion, developing a personal relationship with Jesus, and living in the power of the Holy Spirit.


• It focuses on the family, with emphasis on husband and wife growing in their Christian lives inviting Jesus into their homes making in the domestic church. Couples are renewed and strengthened. Strong faithful couples make strong secure families, which will make Spirit filled parishes that will serve society.


• It provides continuing support and formation, recognizing that programs can only plant seed, but that growth is long and difficult process.


• It has proven to be an effective tool for fostering unity among mandated organizations and other parish groups, redirecting leaders to focus on the Lord rather than on their service.


• It is a working model of the Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) and can hasten the formation of a strong, vibrant parish community.


• It concentrates on evangelization, reaching out to more and more families, in line with the Catholic Church's call for lay people to participate actively in the building of God's Kingdom on earth.


• It provides marriage preparation talks "Pre-Cana" for engaged couples.


• It has renewal programs for all sectors in a family. That's why Couples for Christ is known as "womb to tomb" ministries.

CFC-Singles for Christ (CFC-SFC) is a ministry of Couples for Christ intended for single men and women who are at least 18 years old.

WHY IS SUCH A MINISTRY NECESSARY?
The single men and women of today face an uncertain future, without much to hold on to, since traditional support structures are starting to break down around them. Being on their own they experience a tremendous pressure to succeed, or perhaps, for most, simply to survive. They face the hostile world that may lead them in paths away form God. They chart career paths that do not consider God as a priority and worse, develop new activities and habits, including vices, which make them turn away from God.

CFC-SFC intends to provide an environment for personal renewal. It is a support environment where God's plan is revealed to us that we can draw spiritual strength from other single men and women who are committed to love and support us. It is an environment where energies and talents can be developed and put to good use to serve God and His people. It is a place where we can be formed to prepare us for the next stage of life, either to marry or to live a single life in total dedication to the Lord.

CFC YOUTH FOR CHRIST is for older youth age's 13-19 years. The Lord imbued YFC with a strong missionary spirit. The youth can be effective partners in mission and are in fact crucial to the future of Couples for Christ (CFC), the church and the country. To spread the good news more effectively by creating an environment in the campus and the community that is appealing and life-giving to young adults.

The entry point to YFC is the Youth Camp. To fully appreciate the value of the Youth Camp, and to make the most out of it, it must seen not just as a three day experience, where the teenagers can have fun, (although this is also important), but in the light of overall objectives of the Youth Camp, so that the youth can develop to be joyful, responsible and fruitful men and women of God.

SHORT TERM OBJECTIVES

1. To make the Youth Camp a fun, exciting and life-giving experience to the young adult.
2. To help the young adults undergo a "conversion to Christ" experience.
3. To help the young adults experience healing and reconciliation with the immediate members of their family, especially their parents.
4. To give the young adults the opportunity to make new friends in a wholesome environment.
5. To expose the participants to young people of their age who find joy and fulfillment in serving the Lord, and in serving them.

LONG TERM OBJECTIVES

1. To make the Youth Camp the start of a life-long process of conversion and transformation in the life of the young adult.
2. By joining YFC, the young adults are placed in a support environment where they can be sustained in their Christian lives.
3. By joining YFC, they can sustain and develop the friendships that were established during the Camp.
4. The young adults can also be supported in the renewed relationships that they have with their parents and the other members of the family.
5. To create a desire, as well as a real opportunity to develop their gifts and talents in serving the Lord and other young adults in future Youth Camps.
6. Hopefully, the positive experience of the Youth Camp will remain a special memory that the person may look back to and draw strength from throughout his life.

CFC Kids for Christ aims to provide a Christian support environment for Kids of Couples for Christ members who are between the ages of 4-12.
Owing to the wide age range covered by the ministry, we have programs for the Junior Kids, those of ages 4 to 8, and the Senior Kids, those of 9 to 12.
Realizing that a program for kids needs to be simply understood, exciting and fun-filled, we have put a premium on four characteristics for our Kids for Christ program.

• It is fun- activities are enjoyable and stimulate the child's creativity, perception, and sensitivity.
• It is build upon Friendship- activities encourage members to build strong friendships with one another
.
• It enhances faith- activities explain Christian faith elements in kids language.
• It allows free but responsible expression- activities respect the kids for who and what they are and what they can be.

CFC Handmaids of the Lord aims to provide a Christian support environment for single mature women, widows, separated or divorced, single parents, wives of overseas workers, and those whose husbands are incapacitated or in prison.
Realizing the difficult life and role that these women play in family and society due to loneliness, rejection and fear, HOLD provides pastoral guidance and support to its members following CFC's network of households (a cell group of 10 to 12 members led by a household head). Correspondingly, unit heads lead household heads, chapter heads lead unit heads, and cluster heads lead chapter heads. Over-all direction is provided by a national council.
HOLD is established all over the Philippines and in many key cities and states of other countries around the world.
HOLD's formation program teaches that:

1. the woman is a beautiful creation of God, chosen for greatness and designed for excellence;
2. while loneliness, rejection and fear in their lives are real, they have God who loves them and cares for them through community;
3. to fully experience a life of joy and fulfilment, they need to heal, forgive, and decide to be happy and productive; and,
4. by serving other women whose circumstances are similar to theirs, they thank God and gain empowerment.

CFC Servants of the Lord aims to provide a Christian support environment for single mature men, widower, separated or divorced, single parents, husbands of overseas workers, and those whose wives are incapacitated or in prison.

Gawad Kalinga
Gawad Kalinga has evolved into not just a work with the poor but also a work of nation building, from a simple but daring CFC initiative to a growing multi-sectoral partnership by the same spirit and vision. GK hosts people-empowering activities moving towards building integrated, holistic and sustainable communities focusing first and foremost on depressed areas throughout the Philippines. Not one organization has the capability to rebuild the country, not even the government. The challenge that lies before us, the very stability and growth of a people and nation, compels more and more of us to work together. For more information, please visit the Gawad Kalinga Website

CFC Social Ministries. In 1995 CFC established Social Ministries. The CFC Social Ministries comprise our work of building the Church of the Poor. They look to the social dimension of our life in the Lord. They focus on external service. They are designed to help us grow in stewardship and servant hood.
These ministries cover all the areas of the life of a people. They are designed to make a difference in the social, political, economic, cultural and environmental life of a country. They are meant to confront structures of sin in society. They are intended to work to make this world a better place to live in, reflective much more of the kingdom of God that is already in our midst.

*	Flame Ministries	*	Isaiah 61: 1
*	Tekton Guild	*	Family Enrichment and Ed ucation
*	CFC Cooperative System	*	TEODORA
*	Education Foundation, Inc.	*	St. Thomas More and Associates
*	Medical Mission Foundation	*	Oikos Society
*	The Sword of Gideon

1. Missionary Society of St Francis and St Paul

What is MSFP?
The MSFP is a charismatic, missionary association of consecrated persons? Priests, nuns, brothers and other lay persons. It is part of the community of Couples for Christ (CFC).

PATRONAGE
MSFP seeks the patronage of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the first domestic church, which inspired CFC to renew society and the world by first renewing the family, its basic cell. Further, MSFP draws inspiration from St. Francis of Assisi, for a life of poverty, of passion for renewing and building up the Church, and of working for justice, peace and the integrity of creation; and from St. Paul the Apostle, for missionary zeal, the work of building up Christian communities, and orthodoxy in faith and teachings.

MEMBERSHIP
Aspirants for MSFP will come from those young men and women who are already active members of the CFC Singles for Christ (SFC).

THE FAMILY OF CFC
As a part of the larger family of CFC, community life in MSFP assumes the added dimension of active involvement in the life and mission of CFC. Would you like to know more about MSFP?