Lift Up Your Heart!
Mission of SCC
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."
Matt 28
Our Mission: To build a local, inter-generational, Catholic community where we live out our call to evangelization through a life-giving culture of joy, service, and humility.
Jesus gives us all a mandate, to "go and make disciples." Growing as a disciple is a life-long quest, and one that takes not only good formation, but also ongoing support of a community. If we are to love the Lord our God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength (Luke 10:27, Mark 12:30), we need to be surrounded by others who are similarly striving.
We are fortunate to live in a time when many wonderful resources are available to help in our formation process: scripture studies, retreats, podcasts, accountability programs, men's and women's support groups, parenting programs and many more. Sursum Corda Community provides a framework for connecting with other Catholics and integrating all we learn from many sources into a life-giving community.
​
Below is an overview of our four pillars of discipleship and community. These pillars provide the framework for a community imbued with Goodness, Truth, and Beauty. Each pillar provides a lens to evaluate our maturity as a disciple, and guides us toward grow, both individually and as a community.
​
Pillars of Discipleship and Community
​
-
loving God
-
cultivating healthy relationships
-
building a live-giving culture
-
living our call to evangelization
​
Go here to learn more about the pillars: Four Pillars of Sursum Corda.
Background and History of SCC
In the fall of 2016 two Catholic missionary families: Tim and Cathy Keller and Mike and Rachel Dill gathered a group of Catholics and began meeting in homes for prayer, study, meals, and fellowship. We wanted help other families and singles to experience a richer Catholic ecosystem that would help people grow in faith, but also support them in the day-to-day challenges of life.
Building on the Kellers' and Dills' extensive experiences with community, discipleship, ministry, and mission work, we sought to connect Catholics to one another more deeply so that they and their children could experience the fullness of life in the Church and grow in the richness our faith has offered over the centuries.
As we grew, we were able to integrate the gifts, talents, and experience of many Catholics that have been striving to live their faith fully. We have gone by several names: Alpha, Family Support Group, Faith Support Group, and finally our official name: Sursum Corda Community.
​
We are a community, not a "program." Although we pray and study together, the primary goal is to support a lifestyle of holiness, discipleship and evangelization as Catholics. This means we don't just meet formally together, but we strive to share everyday life with plenty of opportunities for fun, like hiking, picnics, camping, parties, game nights, and other creative ways to build a life-giving culture.
Many have read and been fascinated by the "Benedict Option," which argues the necessity of solid Christian community for preservation of the deposit of faith and the renewal of our society. St. Augustine addressed our Lord as: "O Beauty ever ancient, ever new." It is easy to lose sight of the beauty of Jesus and his Church in our busy world, but within the healthy culture we are forming, we are confident we can make that beauty a vibrant part of our lives. The Church contains all the richness and grace needed to renew our lives and the world. We just need to live our lives in a way that makes the love and power of God visible in our lives. We need to be a first hand experience of the "Beauty, Ever Ancient, Ever New".
“Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you.... I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.”
St. Augustine
Our founders bring together many decades of experience of the beauty and richness of the Church, as lived in different Catholic communities. In addition, they have served in many parish and diocesan ministries, led retreats, evangelized, spoken and taught in many different venues. Most importantly, they strive daily to live their vocation to holiness and to understand that we, as baptized laity, share in Jesus' office as priest, prophet and king. This is a profound reality, not a poetic expression. Indeed, it defines the privileges and responsibilities of a Catholic, as discussed so beautifully in Pope St. John Paul IIs seminal work on the laity: Christifideles Laici (The Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful).
​