EcoCongregation an environmental toolkit for churches

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Eco-Congregationan environmental toolkit for
churches
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What are your environmental concerns?

• climate change ?
• traffic congestion and air pollution ?
• waste and landfill sites
• rainforest destruction ?
• housing built on green field sites ?
• litter on your streets ?
• cancer and the ozone layer ?

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• Christian Perspectives
• 1. Belief in God as Creator
• 2. Stewardship of the good things entrusted to
  us
• 3. Justice for the poor and the land
• Our mission to proclaim repentance and hope
• Aim
• Eco-Congregation aims to encourage Churches
• and their members to celebrate the gift of
• creation and care for it in appropriate practical
• and spiritual ways

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Eco-Congregation - the toolkit

• 1. Resources
• 12 written modules
• 2. Support
• web site www.ecocongregation.org/scotland
• newsletters
• links to other organisations
• support and advice
• networks of local churches
• 3. Award scheme

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Module 1 The Church Check-Up

• A simple environmental audit to
• identify and affirm current good practice
• prioritise your next initiatives
• In your Churchs prayer life, do you
• ? Praise God the creator ? Say sorry for the
  harm done to the environment
• Give thanks to God ? Pray for the healing for
  the gift of creation of creation
• In your church grounds, do you have native plant
• species and plants that benefit wildlife?
• ? Present ? Potential to develop

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Growing in Faith and Understanding

• Module 2 Celebrating creation
• Resources for worship
• Module 3 Creation and Christianity
• Overview of green theology
• Module 4 Acorns to oaks
• Ideas and suggestions for childrens work
• Module 5 Tread gently go green
• Activities for environmental youth work
• Module 6 How Green is Gods word
• Bible studies for House Groups and leaders

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Putting Gods House in Green Order

• Module 7 Greening the cornerstone
  Guidelines on caring for
• church premises
• Module 8 Greening the purse strings
• Stewardship of financial,
• catering purchasing matters
• Module 9 Planting and conserving Eden
  Ideas to care for church grounds and
  land

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Changing Lives Changing Communities

• Module 10 Green choices
• Tips for greening personal lifestyles
• Module 11 Community matters
• Ideas to help churches work with and
  through their local community
• Module 12 Global neighbours
  Sources and resources for churches to
  think globally and act locally.
• Module 13 Climate Change
• Information and tools on managing and
  reducing your carbon footprint

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What are churches doing?
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Holding special Creation Care services
? Environmental pledge tree

• .

altar frontal ?
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Teaching their young people environmental
awareness

• .

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Undertaking an energy audit and implementing the
recommendationse.g. using energy-efficient
light bulbs ?

• .

? e.g. making the church self-sufficient in
renewable energy!
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Promoting recycling of cans ?
Christmas cards ?

• .

• And also
• paper
• milk cartons
• printer cartridges
• spectacles...

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Cleaning up their neighbourhood

• .

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Improving their grounds for wildlife and community

• .

before and after
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Making and installing bird boxes

• .

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Installing environmental notice boards

• .

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Encouraging Green Lifestyles through articles
in the parish magazine and local papers

• .

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Helping countryside rangers with local wildlife
conservation projects

• .

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Promoting and selling Fair Trade goods and
Eco-friendly products

• .

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How to get going

• 1. Request an introduction pack and get together
  a Green Team
• 2. Fill in the environmental check-up
• 3. Get the support of a church meeting
• 4. Order the free resource modules of your choice
• 5. Dip into the toolkit and get going!

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Eco-Congregation - the Award

• given in recognition of
• linking environmental issues to the Christian
  faith
• practical work in the church/churchyard
• having a positive impact on the wider community

71 Scottish churches have gained the award!