ECO Church Awards

Parish News

We are delighted to tell you that all three of our churches have been awarded BRONZE ECO CHURCH awards in the last few weeks.

To be awarded an Eco Church award we have to give evidence across 5 different categories. These are Worship & Teaching, Buildings, Land, Community & Global Engagement, and Lifestyle.

St Andrew’s, St John’s & St Mary’s have all been graded as Bronze Eco Churches and will now begin the journey to Silver!

But why are we doing this?

  • Global heating is already causing a rise in sea levels, increase in ocean acidity, and an increase in extreme weather events and droughts. Tearfund and other NGOs have identified climate change as a contributor to rising hunger globally and in making storms, floods and droughts more severe for people already living in poverty.
  • These changes, predicted to become significantly more severe, are set to catastrophically affect the lives, health, food and water supplies and economic security of many millions of people, and the fundamental ecosystems on which humans and other life depend.
  • There is broad agreement that the next 10 years offer an unrepeatable window of opportunity for action. 
  • The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of listening to scientific advice and the fragility of the systems we all depend on daily

As Christians we have reason to speak and act in this area:

  • We have a mandate to speak truth without fear. This includes the truth of the precious interdependence of God’s creation, of which we are only a part. It also includes warning of the need for radical action to mitigate future disaster, in the Biblical tradition of Noah, Jeremiah, Jesus & Agabus.
  • We are called to show love to our neighbours around the world already suffering the effects of climate change, and to act now to reduce catastrophic harm in the future.
  • We are called to act with hope, refusing the temptation to despair, moralism or self-preservation. Our witness of love is a witness to the power and freedom of the gospel.

Not to mention that the Church of England’s fifth mark of mission is:

To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

If you would like to help us work towards a silver award, please speak to a churchwarden or Rev’d Mike.