Greening in the Church
As individuals, a great many of us are occupied with some aspect of caring for the environment, whether we are recycling our paper and glass, or buying more environmentally-friendly products. However, the Church as a whole has now begun to waken up to the endangered circumstances of Planet Earth, and the various denominations are slowly coming on board.
In fact, the Church of Ireland is now very much involved in several aspects of the “greening” process, and some parishes in Down & Dromore diocese have been working away on various environmental projects.
Getting Started
Are you interested in coming on board? Take a look at
Eco Congregation Ireland
is an environmental programme for churches, set up through co-operation with four denominations – the Church of Ireland, the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church – whose ecological representatives are in touch with the many groups operating in Britain and Europe.
A simple environmental audit is provided to help congregations assess what they are already doing and to determine future priorities. Parishes can then download the appropriate resource modules which aim to integrate environmental care into different areas of the life of the parish family. Each church will normally choose three modules on which to concentrate for a year; the list includes Worship & Teaching, Children’s and Youth Work, Property and Grounds Management, Finance – Purchasing and Waste, Personal Lifestyles, Working with the Local Community and Thinking Globally.
The programme is available to any parish interested in trying to reduce its ecological ‘footprint’. All Eco Congregation Ireland resources are free and can be downloaded from the website. Just register your interest and a free starter pack will be sent to you.
The Church of Ireland representative on the Eco Congregation panel is David Humphries – he will be happy to answer any questions or give further advice: (9048 2292 or stormont@down.anglican.org).
Some parishes in our diocese have been involved in ecological and environmental matters for a while now. For example, the people of Knocknagoney have become beekeepers and are about to engage in a tree-planting exercise; parishioners at St Molua’s Stormont have completely changed their way of parish life after a serious and detailed examination of their own impact on the environment, and a few rural deaneries have included ecological and environmental matters on their agenda.
So in the 21st century, Christians are being led to rediscover the meaning of God’s command to be stewards of his creation. To be more environmentally aware is a big challenge. Is your parish up to it? Join the club!