Revd Nick Parker, Area Dean for Yardley and Solihull, writes:
I need to start by coming clean. I am writing this in the hope of persuading every church to register for EcoChurch, so joining others on the journey towards putting care of the environment at the heart of our church life and decision making, yet, when vicar of Coleshill and Maxstoke, it is something we never did, despite the 5th Mark of Mission (Treasuring God’s Creation) being a personal priority. Such can be the busyness of parish life.
Registering is refreshingly straightforward and completion of the questionnaire best done by a small group led by someone commissioned for that task. This could be the Parish Environmental Contact who all parishes have been asked to appoint to liaise with their Deanery Environmental Champion. If you are not yet registered why not add it to your next PCC Agenda?
Becoming an Area Dean has afforded me the opportunity to make care of the environment a key deanery focus, to visit several deanery churches to take a Climate Sunday service, and most notably to celebrate with parishes as they reach the significant milestone of an EcoChurch Bronze or Silver Award – knowing that they are doing something positive as a church community whilst helping to transform the community around them.
In leading Climate Sunday services during Creation-tide, I leaned heavily on high quality resources from A Rocha – the ecumenical Christian charity which runs the EcoChurch scheme, which offers resources for education as well as worship, and campaigns from a Christian perspective for the care of God’s Earth. COP26 underscored the enormity of the challenge faced by humanity in cutting carbon emissions to net zero and repairing the damage to the world we share, yet in my experience Climate Sundays have been occasions of great hope and joy as we focus on the 5th Mark which matters to everyone – whatever their age or background. A salient reminder that faith has a vital part to play in this challenge and that our missional voice will not be coherent or heard until we honour this part of God’s mission along with the other 4 marks.
As CofE Birmingham, we have set ourselves the ambitious target of obtaining the Eco-Diocese Silver Award. Subsequent articles from the EcoChurch Committee will focus on what actions are being taken at the diocesan level, but the first step is getting the majority of our churches to register with EcoChurch, which in turn will generate the parish awards which must undergird any diocesan award. At the time of writing, we are more than half-way there with 76 churches registered out of a possible 182, with 36 having gained awards, 9 of which are silver. The steps required for the bronze award do not require large sums and should be achievable in every context of our diverse diocese. Could your church be next?
Please register at: Eco Church - An A Rocha UK Project
And do contact us if you need a local speaker, advice/support or when you reach an award.
Nick Parker, Member of the EcoChurch Committee (Area Dean for Yardley and Solihull)
Revd Patrick Gerard, Chair of EcoChurch Committee (Bishop’s Environmental Advisor)