Couples for Christ (CFC) is an International Association of the Catholic Faithful that has been granted official recognition by the Holy See. Its International Council governs CFC in accordance to its statues as described in the official website of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. 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 fulfil their primary vocation of raising up families under the lordship of Jesus Christ and for the service of the Kingdom of God. CFC 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 localised units in different parishes. Why such ministry? It is God’s plan that the family be the basic unit of society. However, there are many forces in the world today that would, wittingly or unwittingly, destroy the very foundations of the family. CFC wants to rise in defence 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. Through the years, CFC has blossomed into a worldwide ministry, becoming a major force for the renewal of Christian family life and of the church. How do we work for Christian Family Renewal? 1. Individual Renewal. Before one can consider the whole family, the husband and the wife first need to renew their commitment to God. CFC takes the basic message of Christianity and proclaims it anew so that those who hear it can make a renewed commitment to God in a way that 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 families that not only support one another but also strengthen the Church of which they are members. Who can become members? Any validly married Catholic couple can become members of CFC. Although a Catholic movement/organisation, CFC remains open to having non-Catholic Christians as members. CFC draws its membership from all sectors of society, young and old, rich and poor, etc. CFC transcends all cultural, economic, educational, social, and other distinctions. How does a couple become a member? Those who want to join CFC go through a seminar that is called the Christian Life Programme (CLP). CFC GLOBAL VISION - FAMILIES IN THE HOLY SPIRIT RENEWING THE FACE OF THE EARTH Moved by the Holy Spirit, one with the Catholic Church, blessed to witness to Christ’s love and service, Couples for Christ is a united global community of family evangelisers that sets the world on fire with the fullness of God’s transforming love. CFC GLOBAL MISSION - BUILDING THE CHURCH OF THE HOME AND THE CHURCH OF THE POOR We are Couples for Christ. We are committed to live in God’s righteousness and holiness, evangelizing people through a life of love and service; we shall work for the renewal of families that will serve God and build generations of Christian leaders; and, we shall pursue Total Christian Liberation through social justice, respect for life, and work with the poor. CFC GLOBAL GOALS 1. EVANGELISATION AND FORMATION To strategically locate in the world to evangelise peoples and inculcate a way of life based on Gospel values. 2. FAMILY RENEWAL To strengthen and defend the family as a basic unit of society and of the Church in accordance with God’s plan. 3. TOTAL CHRISTIAN LIBERATION (Justice, Life, and Poor) To help the least of our brethren based on Matthew 25:40, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” 4. EFFECTIVE / EFFICIENT GOVERNANCE To provide effective and efficient support services to fulfil the vision and mission of CFC. Family Ministries Family Life Renewal An offspring of one’s personal renewal and the deepening of relationships between spouses is the call to bring Christ to the other members of the family. The CFC Family Ministries is Couples for Christ’s response to building the Church of the Home. The family ministries look to the spiritual dimension of our life in the Lord. It focuses on internal formation and is designed to help us grow in holiness of life. CFC Kids for Christ, CFC Youth for Christ, CFC Singles for Christ, CFC Handmaids of the Lord and CFC Servants of the Lord provide a support environment for every member of the family. A person moves form one ministry to the next, as his state of life changes. Thus, the whole life of a person while on this world is covered. CFC Kids for Christ (KFC) aims to provide a Christian support environment for children of CFC and non-CFC who are between the ages of 4-12 years old. Owing to the wide age range covered by the ministry, we have separate programmes for the Junior kids, those of ages 4-8 and Senior kids, those of 9-12. Realizing that a programme for kids needs to be simply understood, exciting, and fun-filled, we have put a premium on four characteristics of the KFC Programme. • 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 Youth for Christ (YFC) aims to provide a Christian support environment for young teenagers between 13 to 21 years of age. The programme is oriented towards meeting the needs of our young people to belong, to be motivated, to be useful, to be good examples, to be Christian witnesses. It has put a premium on four characteristics: it is Fun; it builds Friendships; it enhances the Faith; it allows the young Free, but responsible expression. YFC's future is directed towards giving the youth a worthwhile cause to support as we seek to address, in our small way, the plight of the poor and the less privileged and the social and environmental issues that trample on the youth's human dignity: abortion, drugs, fraternity violence, sexual immorality, corruption and even the rape of our natural resources. Entry point to the CFC Youth for Christ programme is through a Youth Camp. Pastoral formation is given to the youth after the camp through household meetings, assemblies, teachings and trainings, international conferences, youth forums and other interesting and dynamic activities dedicated to the holistic development of the youth. CFC Singles for Christ (SFC) aims to provide a Christian support environment for single men and women who are at the crossroads of their state of life, choosing between marriage, a religious vocation, or single blessedness. SFC as a support environment: • teaches the individual the right values to build their future in; • surrounds the individual with friends who are well meaning and have a positive influence; • provides the individual with opportunities to meet potential partners in life who believe in the same Christian goals and values; • involves the individual in service that prepares them for the responsibility of marriage and family life; and • helps those with a vocation for the priesthood or religious life to discern their calling. Entry point to the CFC Singles for Christ is through a Christian Life Programme (CLP). Pastoral formation is given to the singles after the CLP through household meetings, assemblies, teachings and trainings, international conferences, discernment seminars, Singles Enrichment Retreat and many more teachings directed towards the maturing needs of young, single individuals. CFC Handmaids of the Lord (HOLD) 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. HOLD’s formation programme teaches that: • the woman is a beautiful creation of God, chosen for greatness and designed for excellence; • while loneliness, rejection and fear in their lives are real, they have a God who loves them and cares for them through community; • to fully experience a life of joy and fulfilment, they need to heal, forgive and decide to be happy and productive; and • by serving other women whose circumstances are similar to theirs, they thank God and gain empowerment. CFC Servants of the Lord (SOLD) aims to provide a Christian support environment for single mature men. It is a parallel ministry of the CFC HOLD but directed towards the mature men. Entry point to the CFC Handmaids and Servants of the Lord programme is through a Christian Life Programme (CLP). Pastoral formation is given separately to both ministries after the CLP through household meetings, assemblies, teachings and trainings, international conferences, Enrichment Retreats and many more teachings directed towards the needs of matured men & women of Christ. Area Head: Mr Noel Descalzo Chaplain: Rev Antoine Thomas CSJ Phone: 03 981 5009 Email Address: bongjing@paradise.net.nz Web: http://couplesforchristglobal.org Physical Address: 25 Dufek Crescent Wigram Christchurch 8042 New Zealand