As with many ‘corporate’ journeys, it is difficult to say where we started. A number of things came together in 2018 and 2019 that caused individuals to re-assess their lifestyles. One of our leaders engaged in formal study which covered the issue of environmental awareness and justice; a couple in the church engaged in a very low energy building project; several people attended Martin Charlesworth’s seminar on environmental issues at Devoted 2019. I’m confident that God was also at work amongst us in other aspects of our individual lives, in ways we’ll perhaps never fully know.
Our first attempt at corporate action was to engage in the Church of England’s Lenten study book for 2020: ‘Say Yes to Life’. This highly engaging book by Ruth Valerio formed the basis of a small WhatsApp group amongst church members, reading a chapter a week and discussing it in the group. Sadly, the initial outbreak of Covid-19 meant we never finished.. But we had started our journey. There was no going back.
We had never addressed the issue of care for creation or environmental justice in a Sunday meeting, but the time seemed right to do so. In November 2020 a leader used the opportunity of our studies in the book of Nehemiah to raise the issue of justice seen through the lenses of care for creation and attitudes to race. It got the church talking and was followed up by a weekly stream of practical steps to help us be better stewards of our environment, using our weekly emailed newsletter.
In January 2021 we launched a midweek Zoom group focusing on better understanding of environmental theology and practical steps for individuals to care for God’s creation and. Its success exceeded our expectations! There was a real energy and enthusiasm, and the rigours of Lockdown forced us to find new ways to ‘do group’, including outside speakers and documentaries. During this time, we devoted a few of our fortnightly church prayer meetings to focusing on what God is speaking to us about caring for his creation.
In keeping with Hope’s established pattern, after a term the group was disbanded and we started again with a different group. Continuing with this pattern will enable more of the church to grapple with sustainable living within a Christ-centred lifestyle.
Several people joined the Christ Central training initiative with Tearfund to empower Climate Leaders. A small task group has been formed to help take the church forward and we held a Climate Sunday to coincide with the COP26 event, where we publicly recognised a Climate and Environmental Emergency, committing ourselves to:
• Examining our lives individually and corporately in relation to this crisis, and seeking to live faithfully to God;
• Bringing forward, by September 2022, an action plan to minimise our negative corporate impact on the environment and climate and to help restoration where possible;
• Encouraging our members to make relevant lifestyle changes appropriate to their circumstances;
• Encouraging action on this emergency in our neighbourhoods, workplaces and other spheres of activity; and
• Using whatever influence we may have to bring about positive actions by local and national government and by corporations.
We are using A Rocha’s Eco Church assessment framework to highlight areas where we can make care for creation a more central aspect of our church life and support families in moving towards more sustainable lifestyles; we are prioritising short-term practical steps, starting with our church-based refreshments.
We are seeking to engage in conversations on the fringes of our Sunday meetings, and are encouraging families in the church to use the Creation Care website to assess their own position on caring for the environment and set personal targets. We hope to be at the Eco Church Bronze Award level by early 2022, drawing on the changes we are making.
What have we learned so far? To recognise how little we know and understand, and that new knowledge requires us to continually reassess our life choices. We have to depend upon God for direction in this vital area. We have to be flexible in our approach. We have to engage better with our local community and draw on the benefits of working across churches. Our Christian witness can be exercised to influence society though local environmental groups and as part of political processes. And, very importantly, we must act graciously towards one another as we proceed.
We look forward confidently to continuing to equip individuals and the whole church to better care for His creation. This is a journey; there is a direction but no clear destination, just a series of staging points along the way. And as we engage with our local community more effectively we seek to persuade others, by actions and words, that the church is relevant to the Climate Emergency and that we can approach the crisis with true hope.
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