Reflection & Worship
Helping the whole parish link its faith with livesimply principles through worship and teaching
The ways & means through which we are already "reflecting and worshiping"
1	Passover suppers held in 2008 and 2010.
2	Visit to Streatham Liberal Synagogue for their Sabbath Service.
3	Taizé service each month.
4	Children's Christmas service and crib collection.
5	CAFOD Lent and Harvest Fast Days.
6	Ecumenical Lent Choir.
7	Lenten discussion groups.
8	Weekly Lectio Divina - reflection on.
9	Gospel for each Sunday.
10	Holy Communion taken to the sick and housebound.
11	Journey in Faith.
12	Two children's liturgy groups run each Sunday.
13	Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation preparation groups.
14	Regular Masses for St James' School (in church and school).
Proposed actions to deepen and extend our thoughts and prayer life
1	Outdoor service, i.e. appreciating and celebrating the gift of our natural surroundings.
2	Regular bidding prayers about livesimply activities and related issues.
3	livesimply Masses:
	theme for each one;
	different groups to contribute;
	include occasional school Masses;
	celebrating achievements of the project.
4	Water reflections at baptisms:
	prayer - perhaps led by baptismal party;
	planting (or sponsoring) tree in relation to baptism.
5	Local bidding prayers, e.g. children starting school for first time, taking A Levels, uniformed group camp week, etc.
6	Flag up and celebrate particular days which relate to the environment:
	St Francis (04 October);
	UN World Environment Day (05 June);
	Earth Day (22 April 2012);
	Climate Justice Day (early December).
7	Community of Prayer. Every Wednesday 6-9am and 9pm-midnight. See www.christian-ecology.org.uk/prayers-for-hope/index.htm
Practical
Putting simplicity, solidarity and sustainability into practice within our parish
The ways & means through which we are already "practical"
1	Purchasing environmentally friendly cups, plates, etc., for use during the various church events e.g. Autumn Festival.
2	Using crockery rather than disposable cups and plates for tea, coffee and refreshments after Mass.
3	Sales of secondhand uniforms at the St James' School Summer Fayre and St James' School Christmas Fayre [if school participates in scheme]
4	Provision of bicycle racks [and at school?]
5	Providing the capability for separating glass, plastic and metal at the St James' Church Hall
6	Double-sided printing of church materials and handouts.
7	Use of energy-saving light bulbs within St James' church and Social Centre.
8	Reminders on the church entrances to conserve heat by shutting the exterior doors.
9	Heating within the church and church hall is scheduled through timers.
10	Catholic Women's League (CWL) shared a Christmas card.
11	Use of Fairtrade tea, coffee, etc.
12	Regular scheduling of Traidcraft stalls.
13	Memorial Rose Garden planted
14	Regular meter reading performed to assess energy usage.
15	Lift share to the 'Mass for the Sick'.
16	Guides lunch for the housebound and elderly.
17	Regular collections for the Manna Centre.
18	Collections for the Orpington Foodbank commenced.
Proposed actions to "improve our practices"
1	Creation of an area in the Presbytery garden for quiet prayer and reflection.
2	Explore the ethical investment of the church's bank accounts and funds with the Diocese.
3	Increase the level of composting and recycling including additional bins and encouraging their use.
4	Consider air-dryers rather than paper towels for the toilets.
5	Consider using 'Hippos' in the cisterns to reduce water usage and look at options to encourage deployment in the parish plus other water savers.
6	Shoe Rafiki project.
7	Explore Water Harvesting.
8	Create a crib sheet for the use of all groups and users of the Social Centre for the use of recycling bins, etc.
9	Explore the promotion of all opportunities to recycle - creating a list that makes it easier for parishioners to know where various items can be recycled.
10	Consider an Advent Giving Calendar or Lenten Giving Calendar.
11	Ensure lights in the church and church hall are switched off when not appropriate
12	Parish Group Gifts for Christmas or Lent.
13	Bulb planting at church and school
14	Joint Parish Christmas Card - agree as a parish what gift we will purchase.
15	Display local bus routes in the church entrance and Social Centre.
16	Consider a lift share scheme for weekly Mass including offering a rota to enable the housebound or elderly to receive a lift each week.
17	Further promotion and support for meat-free days as well as abstaining from eating meat on Fridays.
18	Specific talks after Mass in the Social Centre on topics such as choosing eco-friendly products.
19	"Walk to Church Sunday" and events to encourage walking/cycling to church
20	Regular outdoor Masses.
21	Woodland Mass.
22	Promote Green energy options, for example Good Energy and Ebico.
23	Increase the parish awareness and lobbying for change with OFGEM.
24	Consider providing facilities within the church car park for recycling, thus encouraging parishioners further.
25	Specify environmentally conscious building methods to be used on the Social Centre refurbishment project.
26	At the school - 'Forest School Project'
Reaching Out
Extending the principles and activity of livesimply beyond the visible boundaries of our parish
The ways & means through which we are already "reaching out"
1	Communication and engagement through the "Briefly" newsletter and Parish booklet.
2	Communication and engagement through the St James website.
3	Communication and engagement through the noticeboards within the Church and Social Centre
4	Hosting the Autumn Festival.
5	Hosting cake sales by Parish groups.
6	Religious goods/ Fairtrade goods sales.
7	Lent / Advent books for children.
8	Parent & Toddler group welcomes mothers/ carers and their children from the wider community.
9	Festival chorus.
10	You Touch Africa fund raising initiative.
11	Parish walk and picnic social.
12	Litter picking and planting initiatives conducted by the Scouts.
13	Christmas lunch for the elderly organised by the Brownies.
14	Lenten talks.
15	Donations collected for the Manna Centre.
16	Donations collected for Orpington Foodbank.
17	Lobbying undertaken by some parishioners, e.g. letter sent to Jo Johnson MP regarding environmental issues and parliamentary lobby about Overseas Development.
18	Carol singing in Petts Wood.
19	CWL charity work incl that for Relief & Refugee.
20	St Vincent de Paul charitable initiatives.
21	Knights of St Columba charitable initiatives.
22	Active Justice & Peace Group.
Proposed actions to "reach further"
1	Introduce the Shoe Rafiki Project - this involves the donation of shoes which children have grown out of.
2	Host a table sale e.g. toys, CDs, jumble - to raise money from recycling
3	Support Mary's Meals.
4	Collect superfluous household items to pass on to rehoused homeless people.
5	Continue and build upon current support of the Manna Centre & Orpington Foodbank.
6	Reach "in" as well as "out i.e. encourage greater transparency between parish groups so that the parish appreciate what each do and know how to become involved, e.g. through rotating introductions at Mass.
7	Introduce a Parish suggestion box to collect views of the parish, particularly those not represented by a group.
8	Periodically call for parishoners to introduce themselves to their pew neighbours so we get to know members of our community.
9	Call for monthly themed Friday self-denial e.g. in support of Mary's Meals, Water Aid etc.
10	Adopt a parish - so we connect and learn from other parishes as well as help them to develop. We could expand on this relationship by, for example, introducing tree planting into baptisms.
11	Host sponsored events - input / ideas particularly welcome from the parish for different / fun initiatives in this respect.
12	Climate change quiz night.
13	Explore opportunities for giving voices to those not currently represented within the parish, for example, children under 5, housebound / disabled parishoners.
14	Create more opportunities for housebound / disabled parishoners to attend Mass and functions held at the Social Centre.