Commencing The Walk in The Spirit
The "Journey of renewal" begun by encountering the risen Lord through participation in the Initiation talks, Repentance service, Commitment service, and the Assistance talks needs an environment and nourishment to last. The basic environment for this purpose is provided by the “Praise meeting”, “Discipleship Community” and the "Fellowship Community"
Praise community and the Praise meeting
The smallest or the basic unit of the Kithu Dana Pubuduwa structure is the 'Praise Village'. This meeting conducted by all those involved in the Kithu Dana Pubuduwa at village level is called “the Praise Meeting”. Whilst each village has at least one Praise group they fix a day and time of the week for this meeting. They conduct a Praise and Worship session while sharing the message or 'Good News' received for the week. There are altogether 390 praise meetings conducted here and abroad.
Discipleship Community
A "Discipleship Community" is made up of several praise villages coming together. The first Sunday of each month is reserved as the community day of the discipleship community. On that day the discipleship community get together to celebrate their unity and communitarianism. They not only engage in praise and worship and sharing of a spiritual message on this day but also share their meals and wind up with a celebration of song and dance. There are altogether 98 Discipleship Communities here and abroad.
Large Area Community ("Sanghikaya")
A few Discipleship communities are brought together to form a Large Area Community. Sectional leaders and leadership for services are appointed at a Large Area Community level. There are altogether sixteen Large Area Communities locally and abroad.
Small Community (Fellowship) Group
These are separate small groups of mothers, fathers, boys and girls who meet (Luke 24: 13 – 35) to share their life experiences related to encountering the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Night Vigil"
An all "Night Vigil" or semi “Night Vigil” is conducted every fourth Friday of each month as discipleship communities where they engage in a deep prayer experiencing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These "Vigils" are helpful in the growth and maturation of deep unity, community spirit and the renewal of spirituality.
Family Worship
Thursday of each week is reserved by the Pubuduwa membership as the day for the family. Uniting as a family they take part in a service similar to the Holy Mass. During this service the members of the family share their insights into the readings of the Sunday Proclamations, sharing of their life-experiences during the past week, reconciling with each other as and when necessary and most importantly sharing a meal as a family. In this manner the members of the family enter into sacrificial experience which helps them to live a life of witnessing in the community as a family
In this way those who join the Pubuduwa through evangelization and the commitment service receive the required spiritual nourishment.
The Pubudu "Sudu Mudu" Weddings
The Pubudu "Sudu Mudu" Wedding is a gift received from God by the young boys and girls who have accepted Jesus Christ as their only Lord, to offer their loyalty through their entire lives. It's a blessed calling , to fulfill through their very life the calling to become "a family for the kingdom of God".
Today the wedding celebrations push the poor into further poverty. Thus it has become a celebration causing slavery. Demanding a dowry from the bride is prevalent in the Sinhala, Tamil and Hindu and several other cultures. It is truly a Social sin. Because of this a big problem is faced by the parents of the bride. The females of the poor have to face big problems.
Being poor on the one hand and being a poor female on the other doubles the problem faced. The Kithu Dana Pubduwa gives females a very respectful place. Giving her the place that is properly hers she always had a resspectful environment. The male youth section of the Pubuduwa rose up in protest regarding the question of the dowry stating that it is contrary to christianity and thus decided to reject it totally. This was a huge challenge. Thus they became shareholders in a sustainable reform program through their embracing a radical simple life-style. While becoming pioneers of a reform among catholics they gave a thrust to a social reform also.
At present there is a situation where the cost of a wedding celebration runs into several hundred thousand. This has been so since recent times. The reason being the commerciallization of all aspects of the wedding.
At a time when no one expected the Pubudu "Sudu Mudu" Wedding came into being. The wedding couple exchange stainless steel rings instead of gold rings. The bridegroom is attired in a simple white national dress made out of inexpensive white material. The bride needs to be beautiful on her wedding day. But to become the bride in the Pubudu wedding, she rejects all artificial make up and becomes a simple but naturally beautiful bride. The wedding saree is purchased at an affordable price. She is bedecked with simple but attractive jewelry in accordance with the local culture. They exchange marriage vows at the holy alter and exchange Stainless steel rings to affirm their promises.
Those who attend the wedding are offered simple traditional refreshments like "milk rice", "lunu miris" oil cakes and a cup of tea. This is truly a challenge to the wedding receptions we see in the weddings of ordinary society. This brings to one level all in society, whether they are rich or poor doing a respectable job or not whether they are from a high-class family or not etc. It is like a preparation for the great wedding feast of Jesus Christ the eternal Bridegroom.