Forming & Revitalizing
Basic Ecclesial Communities:
Basic Principles & Best Practices
Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, STD
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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The team will have to decide what is the most
viable approach:
Pilot areas? Selecting two to four communities
for experimentation. Develop these communities
as model BECs. Replication can be done
afterwards.
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)
Formation ofHuman
the
Promotion
Local Church/
&
Christian Community
Development
(organizing) (mobilizing)
A framework for developing BECs
Essential Components in BEC building
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 and servant
communities
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
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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
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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
Cell
Core Group
Cell
Cell
Deepening the Bond of Communion
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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
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Prophetic Communities: bible-sharing, visitafamilia, men’s fellowship, ongoing catechesis,
occasional seminars (Education Committee)
Priestly Communities: Celebration of the Word
(bible-service), Regular mass (monthly or bimonthly), 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
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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
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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
Cell
Cell
Service Temporalities Youth
Cell
Cell
Cell
Inter-connecting BECs and creation
of new parish structures
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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
Education
liturgy
Temporalities
catechetics Social Action
BEC Zone
bec bec bec bec
Service
BEC Zone BEC Zone
bec bec bec bec
Finance
Youth
PCL
(LOMAS)
BEC Zone
BEC Zone
bec bec bec bec bec bec bec bec
bec bec bec bec
Mobilizing BECs for Social
Transformation
(Human Promotion and Development)
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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. Preparatory Phase
a. Recruitment/Formation of PFT
b. Data-gathering
c. 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. Expansion/ Replication Phase (evangelizing,
organizing, transforming)
4. Creating/Reforming Parish Structures (zones,
parish commissions – WESTY, PPC)
5. Ongoing Mobilization for Social
Transformation - Parish, Regional Level.
6. 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)
Saturation Approach
1. Preparatory Phase
Recruitment and Formation of Parish Formation
Team/Core Group
Data gathering, Strategic Pastoral Planning
2. Evangelizing Phase (all local communities)
3. Organizing Phase (all local communities)
Core group/leadership formation
Introduce sustaining activities
Expansion – clustering, family groupings
Create structures – BEC, Zone, parish levels
4.
Mobilizing for Social Transformation
(Human Promotion and Development)
5.
Missionary Outreach
Summing up
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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