No, this is a community group. We welcome people in any state of life and we intentionally want to build community with people who are in different states of life than each other.
This is primarily a group for adults because building community as adults is hard and we want to make it easier for all of us.
We are aiming for folks who have outgrown “young adult” groups, but aren’t ready for the “senior” groups.
There will be some events that have age restrictions, but since we expect that people will be in different states and stages of life, we have intentionally designed some events to be welcoming for kids.
Nope. There is no membership fee and we don't ask for cash donations.
Most of our events are free or at locations (like restaurants) where you can control your own costs.
A few events (like concerts or sports games) will be at venues that charge admission or require tickets. You're responsible for your own ticket.
Our current group of organizers live in Chicago on the north side, so most of our events are currently on the north side.
But if you can help organize events closer to you, please reach out. We'd love the help and to expand our networks.
We're always looking for great event ideas, and we'd love help hosting them.
The easiest to get involved with are the monthly "Mass and Meal" events, and they're very simple to host. Here is what that looks like:
Check with your church (or the one you'd like to visit) to see if we can reserve a pew.
Choose a restaurant nearby for a meal and find out if they need reservations for a small group. (We can help coordinate RSVPs if the restaurant needs a firm headcount.)
Get to church early on the day to put up a reserved sign and welcome people before mass.
After mass, help people find the restaurant and get settled, then enjoy a meal with new friends.
No. This is something to enhance parish life, not replace it.
But being part of a parish is a very good thing. If you don't already have one, this group might help you find a parish home. The C4 organizers are from 4 different parishes, and we have social ties to many more.
You don’t need to be Catholic, but you do need to be respectful of Catholic doctrine and practices. Strong community groups need shared values and practices, and Catholicism is the foundation for this group.