Response to Living Stones Ideas for taking Living Stones project forward within Holy Trinity

What is Living Stones The document offers an opportunity for parishes, deaneries and the Diocese to create a platform for sustainability and growth for the future. It is also an opportunity for the Diocese to explore Pope Benedict’s call to seek ways of deepening social engagement. It would seem therefore that such an important opportunity needs enough time for a full and prayerful reflection on where we are and where we can realistically go. This requires a greater emphasis on involving the laity, both practising and resting.

What to avoid… A rushed audit and plan may well result in a cold and lifeless restructuring of the parish and Diocesan structures which will only slow the decline in active involvement in the Church for a time. Superficial involvement will leave no real sense of ownership of the changes by parishioners. A careful and reflective audit, which involves as many people as possible, will energise parishioners and give long lasting benefits for the parishes and the Diocese

Whilst recognising that the parish priest has leadership responsibilities, building a successful and active parish community requires skills in facilitation, guidance and encouragement - a tall order. Trusting relationships are the foundation of community which encourage people to come together and work together on shared interests and concerns. In this way they ‘own’ the work and enjoy working together. But because the parish is not in charge of its own destiny in all things, the process requires managing.

Consultation and discussion will bring out many ideas, so the process needs to keep proposals for activities which the parish can get on with separate from suggestions which require Diocesan discussion and approval. Parish activities could be about catechesis, adult formation, the needs that people see around them, about caring for each other, talking to non-involved Catholics and developing outreach in to the wider community.

Livesimply awards CAFOD and Eco-congregations have developed the Livesimply parish scheme which would be an excellent tool in deciding what and how to move forward. It supports individuals and groups within communities to come together and to strengthen relationships – with each other, with nature and with God – and so to transform themselves. More information about the scheme can be found at or through the Diocesan Justice & Peace Office.

So, if the Living Stones timetable can be viewed as the beginning of a longer process, what might be attempted in 2012? A suggested way forward based on a tried and tested listening process – Root Solution-Listening Matters. The process was developed by the RE:generate Trust and has been used in a variety of different communities for over ten years in the UK. RE:generate are currently working with Holy Trinity Parish in Newark. Reaching out and listening to a wider community there has resulted in greater involvement, strengthened old and built new relationships and encouraged people to work together.

In the end parishes will know better what they are doing now and have plans for the future. At a deanery level, parishes will be able to link in with similar activities and projects in other parishes and begin to work together. Perhaps a ‘natural’ restructuring of the parochial structure will emerge which will have the support of parishioners.

The disciples on the road to Emmaus were despondent. A stranger reminded them of their history and tradition. They realised that there had been ups and downs but lots of good things had happened. And then he broke the bread. And then they knew that, if they continued to break the bread and share God’s love, good things would continue to happen. There is a history and a tradition in every parish community. They have had their ups and downs but good things have happened. The call is to continue breaking the bread and sharing it.

Living Stones – a process for Sustainability and Growth Session 1 - Looking back. Begin with a reflective reading which will get people to think about the history of the parish. Draw a time line on a roll of backing paper (on the floor or stuck around the walls). Invite people to write the dates of things that have happened in the parish and to them, some of which will be internal to the parish and some engaging with the Diocese or local/wider community. Ask people to take their time and walk round the finished time line and then in a plenary invite them to talk about the highs and lows, the good and the not so good. End with a liturgy giving thanks for all the people who have been involved over the years and all the things that have happened.

Session 2 - Audit of the Present. Take an audit of what goes on now, both in the parish and in the local community. There will be formal groups and activities but it may be worth acknowledging the informal activity which takes place e.g. visiting, helping neighbours and so on. This could be an evening session.

Session 3 - Looking forward. This is where the listening process is introduced. The session requires enough people to be involved in both a listening exercise and then to listen to each other. So it might be best if parishes in a deanery came together for this. The purpose of the listening is to draw out what people love and cherish, what concerns them and what hopes and dreams they have and, most importantly, what they are prepared to do to help achieve them.

The session begins with a listening exercise which will take up to an hour. This is followed by input about listening skills which would include a participative element. After a break (lunch?) begin with a reflective reading about hopes and dreams and then some input about building trusting relationships and working together. Introduce a prepared ‘questionnaire’ and describe how to use it – see suggested questionnaire attached. Explain that the results will be collated and published. Get people to listen to each other in pairs using the ‘questionnaire’ as a guide – ten minutes talking and ten minutes listening. This can be repeated with new pairings as many times as time allows. End with reflecting in a plenary session on how the process worked, how did it feel, and ask the question, ‘are you prepared to listen to your friends and families so that we can build a fuller picture?’ End with a liturgy gathering hopes and dreams and offering them to God. Another good half day.

Session 4 - The Results. A date needs to be set for ending this initial listening time and for the collated results to be published. These should include the audit of present activity. Ideally the results should be imaginatively displayed in a large room so that people can wander round, look at them and talk to each other. The parish might wish to use the Livesimply analysis forms to categorise existing and potential activities.

Identifying people. Out of all this will emerge new leaders, new thinking and ideas and new people will get involved in parish activities. Hopefully part of the display of results will be identifying people with ‘projects’ and asking others to join them in making hopes and dreams come about.

More listening. Ideally there will now be time for a further round of listening to include people who have not yet had a say. If those who are actively engaged either in the parish or in the Church have not yet made a proportionate contribution, it would be good to try to include them.

Parish Pastoral Cycle. By now leaders, old and new, will have emerged who could join or form the parish pastoral team. Their role is to co- ordinate activities, ensure everyone has a voice and produce the parish plan. The process they could use is the Parish Pastoral Cycle: What is our shared experience of what is going on? Look, analyse and learn Reflect Plan and take action Celebrate Evaluate Start again

The process is a cycle which never stops. Establish a parish listening team whose role is to regularly listen and feed back. They should not be part of the parish pastoral team but gathering information/views/ideas to help decision making. The listening team will need constantly rejuvenating through training/away days and new people.

Timetable for 2012: January Arrange and hold the Looking Back session FebruaryAudit Looking Forward session and training February/Listening takes place March/April March/AprilCollation and analysis of listening results End AprilResults display day – more input and ideas come out of the day PentecostCollation of the interim results May/JuneNew Parish Pastoral Team formed and begin to use the Pastoral Cycle JulyGroups form to take on activities and projects Further Listening refines the proposals and plans Plans and suggestions put to Deanery SeptemberDay of celebration for all that has been achieved onwardsPrepare to implement any structural changes Continue developing projects and outreach Continue listening