What are Community Challenges?

Last year we asked the Catholic community to respond to the livesimply challenge by making Promises. If you made a Promise, you were one of more than 18,000 that we counted - and there were probably thousands more.

People often made Promises together: in J&P and parish groups, in youth and Confirmation groups, and as tutor groups and whole schools.

This year we asked livesimply network members to think of ideas for social justice that would make a difference to our world. Community Challenges are the result.

How can we get started?

It's really easy to get involved in Community Challenges. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Think about the communities to which you belong - it could be a small one like the florists at church, or a big one like a high school - and bring one of them together.

2. Together, reflect on the gifts you have, and think about the things you are passionate about and the organisations you would like to support.

3. Look at the list below, choose your top couple and click on the links. Each Challenge has its own page with everything you need to get involved.

4. Celebrate your success! Take photos, write an article, send them in to us and to your local diocesan paper. Everything you need to know to do that is on this part of the website.

Liturgy

Prayer Community (Verbum Dei) Take time to come together and reflect on livesimply-related Scripture

Saying Grace (Loreto Sisters) Whoever you're with, take time to appreciate what we've been given

Peace Sunday (Pax Christi) Celebrate Peace Sunday on 18 January 2009

Pray about Homelessness (Housing Justice) Pray about people who are homeless on five Sundays of the year

Prayer as Action (CAFOD) Take time to reflect prayerfully on why we need to look after the world

Walking with the Light (Church Action on Poverty) Get involved with Poverty and Homelessness Action Week

Lifestyle

Eating Simply (National Justice & Peace Network) Reclaim the Friday Fast as a Catholic practice by eating simply on Fridays

Form an Environmental Plan (Hallam Diocese) Give your church an eco-check and lead by example

Plastic Pledge (Operation Noah) Learn more about the effects of plastic on our environment and change the way we use it

Supermarket Vouchers (Jesuit Refugee Service) Swap cash for vouchers so that refugees can do more

Water is Life - We can Preserve it! (Progressio Ireland) Dedicate a day/week or month of careful use of water

Local Action

Come and Meet Noah's Barge An opportunity to talk about the environment with Mr & Mrs Noah

Peace Garden (Pax Christi) Build an oasis of calm for the local community

Tools for Self Reliance (Myddelton Grange) Collect old tools and help others grow their own

Take Out (YCW/Impact!) Take action to respond to the needs of your local area

Just Church (Church Action on Poverty) Explore and commit to tackle poverty in your community

Learning

Peace Movies (Pax Christi) Lights… Camera… Action for change!

Voices from the Edge (Church Action on Poverty) Put on a play about poverty and homelessness

Acting up for Change (CAFOD) Perform an inspiring and entertaining play about the impacts of climate change

Call of Creation (CAFOD) Learn about how our Catholic faith is related to environmental issues

Climate Cocoa Challenge (Progressio) Host a cocoa making session in your parish and learn about links between climate change, water and agriculture

Fair Finance Groups (Oikocredit) Find out how our savings could provide fair finance for others

Working together to change our world (CAFOD) Can your school community work together to make a difference in the world?

Lobbying

East Timor: Who Cares (Progressio) Call on the UK Government to take action for reconciliation

Create a Climate for Justice (CAFOD) Call for a fair climate change deal that puts poor people first

Get Fair (YCW/Impact!) Take a stand locally against domestic poverty

Join the Wave (CAFOD & Progressio) Join us on 5th December at the UK's biggest Climate Change rally

community challenges

Liturgy

Lifestyle

Local Action

Learning

Lobbying