Eco Church
Eco Church is a new, web-based award scheme for churches in England and Wales who want to demonstrate that the gospel is good news for God’s earth. It is organised by A Rocha UK, a Christian charity working for the protection and restoration of the natural world, both as a response to the biblical mandate to care for the earth, and as a demonstration of the Christian hope for God’s world.
This scheme is designed to motivate and resource churches in establishing caring for God’s earth as an integral part of their everyday work and witness, working with their local communities to achieve a more sustainable future.
More information and resources can be found on the Eco church website
Eco Church News
In our diocese, St Paul’s Church, St Albans was the first church to be awarded an Eco Church Bronze award and in December 2021 achieved Silver – read more: St Paul’s – an Eco Church.
There are now 92 churches registered for the Eco Church scheme in our Diocese, and I’m pleased to be able to share the good news that 31 have now reached Bronze level and this month All Saints’ Leighton Buzzard have achieved silver, becoming the fourth church in our Diocese to achieve this award. We hope that this number will increase, and since we have already achieved the required numbers to satisfy the Eco Church section of the Eco Diocese Bronze award, our current target is now to achieve 40% of churches in our Diocese registered (176) and 30% with awards (132), the new criteria for silver Eco Diocese level. To help us on our way, five experienced churches have volunteered to act as mentors to any church that would like support in the initial stages of registration or working on the route to Bronze. Please contact me if your church would like a mentor and I will be happy to send further details.
Eco Church Conference 2022 ‘Sustaining God’s Creation’
Saturday June 18th, 10-1pm, free event
This conference is aimed at anyone who is anything to do with a church – clergy, churchwardens, PCC members, congregations – to help people find reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and increasing biodiversity a less daunting prospect. Please encourage your congregation to attend and circulate the attached publicity as widely as possible. Further details of the programme, speakers and how to register can be found at: Eco Churches Conference | Sustaining God’s Creation (sustaininggodscreation.org)
Act for Nature Days
If your church is registered as an Eco Church, you should be receiving the e-newsletter. News and events can also be found on the A Rocha UK website: Events Archive – A Rocha UK and on the Eco Church pages of their website. This year a series of Act for Nature days has been planned in different parts of the country, on their reserves and partner sites at Hugh’s meadow, Northern Ireland, Foxearth Meadows in North Essex, Hilfield Friary in Dorset, and registration has now opened for the first of these events at Wolf Fields in West London on 25th June: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/act-for-nature-at-wolf-fields-tickets-288444504277 Each day will provide demonstrations and training to churches and individuals on specific conservation techniques.
