Birthday for Eco Church

An awards scheme encouraging churches to put care of creation at the centre of their work and worship is about to celebrate its first birthday.

As part of the Eco Church initiative, churches complete a unique online Eco Survey about how they are caring for God’s earth in different areas of their life and work. Churches collect points toward Eco Church awards at various levels.

Other religious bodies are also eligible to take part, and Hilfield Friary, a Franciscan community in West Dorset, was awarded the first Eco Church Gold award anywhere.

Eco Church has worked in partnership with the Church of England, Methodist Church, Christian Aid and Tearfund to achieve much in a short time, and has a particularly high profile in this Diocese with Tools for Transformation events being held in each archdeaconry (the last one, in Devizes, will take place in late February).

A year ago St Paul’s Cathedral was turned green for the evening to mark the launch of EcoChurch, and to mark the first anniversary celebrations, churches across the country are being encouraged to hold a ‘Green Communion’ as part of their worship services on Sunday 5 February.

Ready to use resources and liturgy have been prepared in conjunction with Canterbury Cathedral. And are free to use and download via this link: http://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/introducing-green-communion/ 

There is even a recipe for baking your own, earth-friendly bread for use at your ‘Green Communion’ – supplied by Hilfield Friary! (Where else?)

The anniversary celebrations offer a great opportunity for more churches register with Eco Church and deepen their journey in Anglicanism’s fifth mark of mission during 2017. If churches have already registered for Eco Church they could use this occasion to work towards getting their Eco Church Award.

For more information about Eco Church visit http://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/