St Anne’s and Elizabeth’s parishesDouai Abbey 2011 visit

Developing connections, pathways and journeys

-Outcomes and aspirations

A really good day!

The key to wisdom is asking the right questions!

Understanding “community”

How can an understanding of community help us build our work with

children and young people

Reflections on “Community”

Support Patience Respect Helping Trust Love Understanding Sharing Belonging

Continuity Encouragement Care Security Scaffolding Shared

responsibility Receptive Renew Refresh

Reflections on “community”

Receptive Recycling Relationship Communication Cohesive Contributing Listened to Embracing difference Welcoming all Feeling valued

Help Place to celebrate with Somewhere to turn to Your opinion is valued Shared

value/perspective Open to others Not stifling individuality Open to others Role models Journeying together

Reflections on “community”

Accountability Involvement from an

early age Time Journeying together Ownership Responsibility Inspiration from

people What’s a “good”

catholic?

Always there Where do we want

young people to be? Establish what

young people want from church

Specific involvement in community

Spiritual inspiration

Welcoming and being open

We could be clearer about how we welcome people into all of the groups including the church services so that new people feel they belong from the start?

Be clear about the connections and pathways between groups?

Review -11-13 – what works?

Are there sufficient opportunities out of school where the Parish welcomes and works with this age range?

Should there be a pre teens liturgy of the word experience similar to the children’s liturgy?

Would a once a month experience provide a connection with this age range?

Review - faith based or community friendship events – a blend

Should we recognise that community type experiences without a faith component can act as a connection and a pathway to other experiences?

Such experiences should be unconditional and not require the faith commitment should build friendship and community?

Review - 14-18 – what works?

A critical gap in our contact? A priority for the future plans? A participative and small scale Liturgy

experience could make the difference? Other community events? Is it working now? What’s the role of “branding” in putting

the work across?

Review - What support for transition

At critical points like pre-teen years› Support for moving to Secondary

At critical points like post 16› Moving schools out of area, travelling› When friendships change› When success hangs in the balance› When work is scarce

What role for guidance, mentoring and “introducers”

Review - Confirmation – post changes

What experiences should we be offering at Year 10 which allows for a deepening of friendships and an experience of community

Is there a life stage event which could be designed to prepare for transition to College post 16? While maintaining parish connections and friendships?

Review - young people and the mass

a focus for celebration and thanks Do big community masses “do it” for

teens? Should more varied and “different”

experiences be used to build relevance for young people› Small scale› Youth Mass- › Experiences which explain the mass’s

parts

Next steps 1

Vision and planning

Create a vision we can all share Agree our “mantra” Annual planning event at Douai plus a St

Elizabeths Barbecue to disseminate plans Shared plan written up and costed Work to a plan which connects, builds

pathways and assists young people be involved in their journey and those of others

Clear roles and responsibilities Clearly communicated to Parish and young

people

Different CH&YP’S groups

Separate purposes but same vision and common ground

Coordinated with each other Connecting and building community Bringing in and welcoming Purposeful pathways and connections

Future involvement in plans

Groups not at the event- critical – Scouts, Guides, Alter Servers

Groups not attending activities – faith or other

Links with school based groups and activities – St E’s, St A’s and St B’s

Young people from all groups – capture their views

How should we plan

Build our community – a team approach A vision for our young people’s work

linked to the Parish vision A coordinated approach between groups Short medium and longer term goals Important or urgent/ Hard or Easy Working groups Project managed chunks – small steps

Next steps 2

Next steps 2

Have an annual planning event at Douai Review what we currently have and do

well against our plan Establish what actions are needed for

next year and write these down Plan up the programme for this year Strong pathways for adult involvement

in leadership roles

As an annual programme for young people and children

Strong branding and make it cool? An experience of prayer- shadow a

monk! And other Douai experiences Young people’s annual barbecue? Youth Group Wed? Youth Group Sunday? Regular welcoming events? Annual Gap year apprentice selection?

Yes weeks eg– an affirmation

Damian Lundy (De la Salle) Yes Weeks inspired a positive approach to being teen and experiencing community – themed days› Yes to my changing world› Yes to my tomorrow› Yes to my today› Yes to my community› Yes to my changing church› http://www.kintbury.org/confirmationretreats.ph

p› http://www.kintbury.org/yesweeks.php

Communicating what’s there

Clear ways of communicating key messages to young people and parents

Explaining what’s on Explaining what’s there – map it! Stress the links and pathways Outlining the benefits Signposting to other services Learning from other organisation Christ Church Aughton http://www.christchurchaughton.org.uk/?pag

e_id=15

Draw other adults in

Essential to involve more people Recruit with a managed process Apply professional standards to

developing roles and responsibilities Maintain a process of authorised work

and accountability Review progress with people and

teams

Cottages strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, challenges

•Setting lovely next to abbey facilities•Small group venue for planning possibly•Small group planned programmes on site and off site•Community catering and self contained

•Small venue for up to 10 with a male and female leader if a mixed group•Layout of the lounge limits group meetings to 12/13 max and doesn’t allow breakout except in bedrooms•Adult’s privacy and space issue

•Is there access to the tennis courts•Walking in the country around the Abbey•Perhaps a single sex group could occupy the cottages with staff and the other sex in the Abbey residential setting next door?

•Limited staff accommodation except by taking single rooms•Disadvantages in having shared washing areas•Bedroom facilities very basic•Fire prevention work currently underway•Scope for better seating in the lounge to accommodate a few more , more comfortably

Event slides

These slides are enclosed as a reminder for participants on the day only

Aims – your invitation

Look at the Cottages in the Abbey grounds, together with other facilities there and see if and how we might use these facilities for parish groups (especially the suitability for use by our young people)

Explore how we as parishes may experience and foster community through being with the monastic community and joining in the prayer of the monks at the Abbey on the Saturday and through future events

Establish, through discussion, if we share the same vision for our young people, if there is scope for a greater collaboration in our work with young people and if establishing an annual programme would help to bring all the pieces of the jigsaw together.

Why we’re here – further thoughts

To explore our thinking around young people and children’s ministry using the themes of

› Making connections› Creating pathways› Supporting journeys

Objectives

Understand and appreciate the assets which are our parishes, the Abbey and surrounding area and the community at Douai Abbey

Decide on the suitability of the Cottages as a venue for residential work with groups of young people and other parish groups

List the features of a thriving community especially those which would nurture our young people and which together we can cultivate through our joint ventures

Make connections and identify potential pathways between our different activities which might support our young people in a journey which is linked to community and parish life

Describe ways of jointly planning and developing a coordinated collaborative ministry for our young people in our parishes

Describe the journey we might take together to improve young people's experiences of community

Contracting check list

Happy to work together, listen, give air time

Happy to take a lead from Ann and Grant

Happy to work on aims and objectives set

Anything else??

Programme

7.30am Set off from St Anne’s Car park 11.30am Arrive at Douai Abbey

Welcome and Introductions 12.00 noon Join the Community for the Jubilee Mass for

Fr Gervase 1.15pm Hot lunch 2.00pm Emmaus walk – community, making connections for young people, sharing

pathways 2.50pm Abbott Geoffrey - the Abbey, community life and its contribution to parish life 3.10pm Tea/coffee 3.20pm Fr Godric - Community as the life of the parish  3.35pm Groups Exercise – sharing from the walk 4.00pm Feedback 4.30pm Planning together 5.15pm Next steps 5.45pm Prepare for Vespers 6.00pm Vespers with the Community 6.30pm Cold supper and depart

Emmaus – meet a stranger and feedback!

Start by introductions to one another. What is my involvement/interest in the

children’s/youth ministry? Do we share common ground? (worksheet)

What does community mean to me? (Key words on worksheets then post-its)

What helped me on my journey within the Catholic community?

How can we enable our young people to appreciate the parish community and offer a sense of support for their journey?

Our interests and involvement

Young people and children Guides/Brownies Marriage preparation Confirmation preparation Youth Ministry Amplify groups Music in the Liturgy Children’s Liturgy Scouts - apols

Community – key ideasConnections Pathways Journeys

current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, challenges

Is there a case for planning together?

If yes? What are your reasons for this If so how would we go about this? If no ? What other ways forward are

there

Ideas about planning and next steps

Our venue as a parish resource

Is it suitable for groups of young people to visit and hold residential or days away?

Benefits/Drawbacks Other uses? Opportunities and ideas?

Tramlines after

1. To what extent do you feel we are currently making use of our links with Douai Abbey, its facilities and the Community there?

2. How well do our parishes currently foster community?

3. How far do we share the same vision for our children/young people?

4. We share a vision for our work with children and young people?

5. I feel an important part of the Children and Youth Ministry in the Parish?

6. How possible would it be to plan a co-ordinated approach to our ministry for children/young people?

Evaluation

Objectives succeeded? Inputs helpful? Venue? Catering? Next time?...........