LOCAL GROUP WORKSHOP at Storm of Hope

GREENING THE PARISHES

John Vivian, CEL Local Groups coordinator writes:

1.   It was a good day at All Hallows by the Tower the local groups workshop was attended by experienced campaigners.
2.   We began with a prayer from the Iona Worship book, which is a good book to use if anyone is looking for material to use.
3.   I always begin meetings or workshops by asking everyone where they come from and what are they looking for from the workshop.
4. Then the Big Question is asked -these generally generate discussion as we did at the big justice and peace conference in Basingstoke.

     Where is your Church environmentally - Does it understand its responsibility in our times - Does anyone feel isolated?

•  WHAT CAN A CEL LOCAL GROUP OFFER YOU?

Sharing examples of what our existing groups do was interesting. We do things like recycling tin foil stamps, plastic milk tops, using coat hangers and rejected cloth materials make peg bags. The revised Local Group leaflet shows examples. One person suggested getting a group to go and visit shops and offices and suggest to the management how much electricity was being wasted by keeping the lights on late at night.

•  The workshop at Storm of Hope would like to see more networking amongst secular and other non Christian faith groups such as Buddhists, Muslims and others by local groups and would like to see how others feel about this idea. One person suggested it was relatively easy to arrange a workshop based on the "Abrahmic Faiths" - Muslims Christians and Jews - since we all have the same God. He was trying to arrange for Fazlun Khalid of Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES) to come and speak at a meeting.

•  Perhaps we can expand some of these issues at the Annual Members meeting and conference at LANCASTER on November 3rd - details of which will be sent out shortly. This is a good opportunity for local groups and individuals to meet others of similar mind and share ideas.

•  If any one would like to get in touch and arrange for me to pay a visit with the local groups display please do get in touch.

•  Storm of Hope was a great day and I hope that it inspires all CEL members to start a local group and Green the Parish.

John Vivian sfo Local Groups Coordinator

End with Prayer