Cursillo Movement Model
Cursillo is modeled after the example of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus searched out and called a small group of potential leaders (Pre-Cursillo); he trained them by word and example and inspired them with a vision (Three-Day Weekend Event); he linked them together and sent them out into the world to bring the world to Him (Fourth Day):
Pre-Cursillo
“Sponsors” have been to the Cursillo Three-Day Weekend Event and are living the Fourth Day. They, in turn, identify Episcopalians who are leading an active Christian life and are a living witness to their love for Christ, and recommend them to be “Candidates”.The Pre-Cursillo period is the time when selected candidates are informed of what to expect at the Three-Day Weekend Event and are assisted in appropriate preparations.
Three-Day Weekend Event
Cursillo includes a three-day weekend event held at St. Crispin’s Conference Center that typically contains group sessions, worship, music, fellowship, prayer and other activities. The weekend begins Friday evening with meditations and discussions. Then blessed silence is kept until after the worship on Saturday morning. Participants are assigned to close-knit table groups for the weekend.
St. Crispin’s Conference Center
36302 State Highway 9
Wewoka, OK 74884
The Cursillo weekend is not a retreat, but an opportunity to meet clergy and laity seeking to strengthen our faith. It provides an environment to experience the reality of the gift of God’s love through shared prayer, individual meditation, worship, study, fellowship, laughter, tears, and unconditional love.
These three days bring together a diverse group of Episcopalians to share the richness of many modes of worship and to broaden each one's appreciation for our Church. Lay people conduct the weekend with two or three members of the clergy functioning as spiritual advisors. Cursillo presumes that those who attend are already well grounded in the faith. It is not intended to be a conversion experience, but an enriching and deepening of what is already there. It often provides new insights into our faith as well as fostering ministry among lay people.
These three days are filled with talks and group discussions with emphasis on the doctrine of Grace, the Sacraments, and the great Cursillo tripod: Piety, Study, and Action. Plus there is fellowship, singing, good food, and time for privacy, meditation, prayer, and walks. Eucharist is celebrated each day.
Participants are expected to:
- Be open and willing to respond to what you experience
- Share your feelings with others, allow them to share theirs with you
- Make a genuine effort to discover where you are and where or how you can grow in your Christian life
- Feel secure in the knowledge that you are accepted where you are and as you are, and to know that a specific response is not expected of you
The Fourth Day
The Cursillo weekend is not an end to itself.It is a starting point that lasts the rest of your life and is a springboard to a long-range practice of the Baptismal Covenant in the life of the Church, called "the Fourth Day". Each person returning from a weekend is encouraged to join in the activities of “the Fourth Day” Community. The purpose of this community is to provide strength and support to each other as participants grow in faith and develop their unique gifts of ministry.
The Fourth Day is composed of three major elements:
- The Group Reunion is the heart of Cursillo; it is a small group of friends (usually 3-5) who meet regularly, and who hold each other accountable for their spiritual journey. They report on their piety, their study, and their apostolic action.
- The Ultreya, is a "reunion of the reunions". It provides support and builds community by allowing the sharing of communal experiences.
- Spiritual Direction is an important element of the Cursillo Movement. It is a commitment to seek out a skilled lay person or cleric for spiritual direction to provide help in deepening union with Christ.