Parish Forum Saturday 13 th March 2010

Introduction The Sign We Give Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, 1995 "We are convinced that the manner and style of relationships in the Church are part of the sign it gives and, for this reason, we must develop patterns of collaborative ministry as a key feature of Church life to come."

The Collaborative Parish A shared vision – of what the Parish can be Involvement in ministries and activities Responsibility for ownFormation A Forum contributing to vision and decisions Consultation with as many people as possible Openness about ideas and decisions Celebration of the Liturgy Sense of sharing & equality in attitudes & relationships

Practical Steps Develop a parish council / forum / pastoral group Develop a parish ministries plan Enable effective consultation Engage with as many people as possible in the parish Look for opportunities to reflect on the culture of the Parish

What are the strengths of the Parish?

Strengths of the Parish Attractive church Young families Active ministries Other

What are the areas for development in the Parish?

Areas for Development Liturgy Involvement of young people Space and facilities Other

What are the outside opportunities for the Parish?

Outside Opportunities Links to other parishes Diocesan resources for learning Other

What are the outside challenges for the Parish?

Outside Challenges Growing population Secularisation of society Other

Links in the Church

Links to the community

What if ? How would ?

Key Issues Parish survey Local development plan Extension Ministries Facilities

Actions Key people / Groups Communication Other