Eco Church
St Mary’s is proud to be registered with Eco Church: A Rocha UK’s award scheme for churches in England and Wales who want to demonstrate that the gospel is good news for God’s earth.
Eco Church aims to equip our church to express our care for God’s world in our worship and teaching; in how we look after our buildings and land; in how we engage with our local community and in global campaigns, and in the personal lifestyles of our congregations, small groups and course attendees.
Having gained a prestigious Eco Church Award at Bronze level, we are now working toward Silver, and eventually Gold level, however, it goes far beyond receipt of an award.
Our vision is to create a community here at St Mary’s with a passion for all of God’s creation and a heart to care for our planet, nature and each other.
“Almighty God, in the beginning you spoke forth all creation, from the smallest organism to the biggest stars, and said 'it is good'.
We praise you for creation's beauty and intricacy and your power and majesty that we see through it. Thank you that in nature you provide for us, you teach us about the life you give, and you give us a job to do: to care for it. Help us through your Spirit to see your glory in creation and to put our trust and hope in you, the Creator of all things. Amen”
What are we doing as a church so far?
We have adopted three newly planted trees on Nielson Field. We regularly love and bless them during our weekly Thursday walk & talk The Path, and can’t wait to see them grow and flourish!
We installed a new boiler with an A rating, replacing 35-year-old energy inefficient boilers thereby reducing our energy consumption. All lighting within St Mary’s uses LED lightbulbs and external lighting is on a sensor/timer to limit the amount of energy consumed.
Recently the churchyard was designated a rewilding area, along with the introduction of bird boxes, compost bins and installation of cycle racks to encourage cycling to St Mary’s. The growing of native plants is encouraged to benefit birds, bees, butterflies etc. Sapphires Nursery have been designated an area for use by the children to help with their development and awareness of nature and sustainability.
St Mary’s Café use environmentally friendly and Fairtrade products by purchasing through Kingdom Coffee. The café and our courses/activities provide vegan alternatives where food is shared.
Recycling is encouraged both within the church and in the churchyard.
We are excited to announce that we will be hosting our next annual Eco Fair on Saturday 7th September 2024 from 11.30am - 3.00pm.
How can I get involved?
There are so many things we can do to live lives that are just and fair and that respect this beautiful world God has made. Here you will find ideas, which range from simple things you can do straight away to more demanding challenges. Some of them provide useful resources or websites and others give thoughts to reflect on and contemplate. We’d love to hear about your tips and suggestions, let us know so we can share them.
Be a part of the St Mary’s Eco Church team and help to raise awareness about care for all God’s creation. For more details contact our Eco Champion Kate Lee kate.lee@smem.org.uk
Complete a lifestyle audit and share with family and friends. This month we are looking at 'You and Your Stuff', you can download a copy of the resource here.
Set yourself goals and challenges with WWF My Footprint
Register with A Rocha UK’s Wild Christian scheme, a community of families and individuals exploring the connections between our Christian faith, the natural environment, and how we live.
Join our weekly walk The Path, an opportunity to come together and support each other whilst being amongst God’s creation. We walk every Thursday at 10.30am for around an hour, usually leaving from St Marys. At certain times of the year we are joined by our butterfly expert who helps to locate and identify different species.
Organise a litter pick in your street or local neighbourhood.
Participate in a local car-share scheme / share lifts to St Mary’s, or walk or cycle.
Consider ways of reducing waste at home and at work by recycling and composting.
Consider using food at home that is LOAF (Locally grown, Organic, Animal-friendly, Fairtrade).
Organise an event with Creation Care as the theme.
Declutter any good quality surplus items you may have in your home and bless someone else by donating them through The Besom.
