Warm welcome from group sharing faith and support

By Wendy Shaw

Helping families to grow in their spiritual encounter with Jesus is just one of the aims of a Couples For Christ Australia program in the Burnie-Wynyard Parish.

CFCA is a Catholic renewal community that aims to strengthen the Christian family.

It supports families committed to living by Bible principles via regular meetings where members share faith and support.

Members commit to serving God, to evangelise and to spread the good news of Jesus.

​Burnie-Wynyard Parish Administrator Fr Jessie Banez is the spiritual director for CFCA Tasmania.

The CFCA program began its inaugural Christian life program in Burnie-Wynyard in May at Star of the Sea Church with weekly talks and activities about living the Christian faith.

The sessions are free and are aimed at everyone seeking joy through a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Fr Jessie explained that the program aims to invite households, especially families, into a meaningful encounter through shared personal insights and experiences.

“It consists of 12 sessions in which pioneer members journey with new participants, helping them deepen their understanding of relationships, strengthen family values, and grow in their spiritual encounter with Jesus,” he said.

“The group also seeks to accompany families, encourage a family-centred way of life, and form missionary disciples within the community who serve one another as members of one family.

“Different participants from Ulverstone and Devonport come to share their experiences and insights every Sunday to meet the new members of this parish.”

Fr Jessie said the program started with a small group in Burnie and the hope was that it would continue to grow over time.

“As the program is still new to many people, we encourage them to attend, experience it for themselves, and see whether it is a good fit for them,” he said.

“For those interested, we begin [on Sundays] with lunch at 11:30am, followed by the session from 12 noon to 2pm, which includes praise and worship, sharing and a guest speaker.”