Action Plan Instructions


Action Plan Instructions Have a Plan: It is important to have a plan for greening your congregation. Otherwise, the process will be scattered-shot and haphazard. It is also important for the plan to be comprehensive. Otherwise the actions will be quite limited. We recommend the following model to use when making an action plan. It has five areas: Worship, Education, Building and Grounds, Discipleship at Home and Work, and Public Ministry. Be visionary! Be a Catalyst. We remind you that it is not the work of the planning committee to carry out all the actions. Rather, it is the goal of teh "Green Team" to be a catalyst for teh whole community to become engaged. Work with various people responsible in different committees of the congregation -- provide ideas, resources, and support -- so that they incorporate care for creation into their arena of responsibilities. This way the work is shared and many people take ownership for the greening of the congregation. Make it Policy. Institutionalize and regularize the actions as quickly as possible. This way, it will not depend on the committee to suggest them anew each year. For example, if you celebrate Earth Week on year, seek to make it a regular part of the worship schedule for every year. Do not reinvent the wheel each year! Do not try to do it all at once. Do not be overwhelmed by all that there is to do or all that could be done. The idea is to choose projects that are manageable and that have a good chance of coming to fruition. So pick and choose. You will find that there are good starter projects. Then, as you reach a threshold of interest and support, more ambitious projects will be possible. Celebrate what you get done without worrying about what does not get done. You can only do what you can do. Use the Action Plan forms. Use the descriptions of the action plan in the five areas to fill out the Action Plan Form to establish the projects and events you hope to accomplish. Then follow through. Check out these action plans: Transformation through Worship Transformation through Education Buildings and Grounds as a Model Discipleship of the Community Members (at home and at work) Public Ministry/Public Advocacy Revisit the model. We encourage you to keep coming back to this action plan so that you keep the larger picture before you and that you keep the process of brainstorming and planning as an ongoing part of your work.

Have a Plan: It is important to have a plan for greening your congregation. Otherwise, the process will be scattered-shot and haphazard. It is also important for the plan to be comprehensive. Otherwise the actions will be quite limited. We recommend the following model to use when making an action plan. It has five areas: Worship, Education, Building and Grounds, Discipleship at Home and Work, and Public Ministry. Be visionary!

Be a Catalyst. We remind you that it is not the work of the planning committee to carry out all the actions. Rather, it is the goal of teh "Green Team" to be a catalyst for teh whole community to become engaged. Work with various people responsible in different committees of the congregation -- provide ideas, resources, and support -- so that they incorporate care for creation into their arena of responsibilities. This way the work is shared and many people take ownership for the greening of the congregation.

Make it Policy. Institutionalize and regularize the actions as quickly as possible. This way, it will not depend on the committee to suggest them anew each year. For example, if you celebrate Earth Week on year, seek to make it a regular part of the worship schedule for every year. Do not reinvent the wheel each year!

Do not try to do it all at once. Do not be overwhelmed by all that there is to do or all that could be done. The idea is to choose projects that are manageable and that have a good chance of coming to fruition. So pick and choose. You will find that there are good starter projects. Then, as you reach a threshold of interest and support, more ambitious projects will be possible. Celebrate what you get done without worrying about what does not get done. You can only do what you can do.

Use the Action Plan forms. Use the descriptions of the action plan in the five areas to fill out the Action Plan Form to establish the projects and events you hope to accomplish. Then follow through. Check out these action plans:

Transformation through Worship
Transformation through Education
Buildings and Grounds as a Model
Discipleship of the Community Members (at home and at work)
Public Ministry/Public Advocacy

Revisit the model. We encourage you to keep coming back to this action plan so that you keep the larger picture before you and that you keep the process of brainstorming and planning as an ongoing part of your work.