CREATION CARE

"The earth is the LORD's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it'"

~ Psalm 24:1 ~

A Climate Emergency!

Our climate is breaking down. Rising seas and extreme weather events are putting tens of millions of people around the world at direct risk. And younger generations are being robbed of their future on a healthy, habitable planet.

St John's Church has joined with those Churches, Dioceses and other organisations who have officially declared that we are living in a Climate Emergency! The list of those taking this step is growing and includes The Dioceses of Oxford, Bristol, Norwich and Sheffield as well as hundreds of District, County, Unitary and Metropolitan Councils, including our own Hart District Council.

Tearfund, one of the primary Christian organisations working to alleviate poverty in the developing world, has also declared a climate emergency. Our links with our Mission partners in Myanmar and Bolivia reinforce our understanding of the adverse effect that climate change is having on vulnerable communities.

By declaring an ecological and climate emergency, we add our voice to those asking the governments of the world to take urgent action on climate change and all of God’s creation for the sake of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Why Should We Care?

"The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." ‑ Genesis 2:15

As children of God, we have a special duty to care for the world God has created.

In line with our church values...
grace‑full	The Earth, along with the whole of creation, is an unmerited gift from God.
thank‑full	As we are thankful for Creation, so we must do what we can to take care of it.
faith‑full	"Faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26), so we actively look after God's creation.
joy‑full	We find great joy in working in partnership with God to sustain and nurture Creation.
hope‑full	Our hope in God motivates us to work with Him to protect and restore the Earth.

Our Faith In Action

Below are some examples of what we are doing as a church to combat climate change.

The vast majority of hot drinks at St. John’s are served in china mugs. For the remainder, we choose environmentally-friendly disposable cups wherever possible.

When a straw is requested, the Coffee Shop uses non-plastic versions, as we avoid single-use plastics where possible.

The Coffee Shop is always happy to fill up your glasses, cups or water bottles at the tap, saving on disposable cups.

The bacon served in our Coffee Shop is outdoor bred and antibiotic-free, and we purchase free-range eggs and meat for church functions.

We recycle as much of our waste as possible, using a number of different recycling points. We also host an additional recycling bin for Village Magpies, a local recycling group.

Our Church Centre has an A‑rated energy performance certificate and solar panels. Our energy contracts are with companies that use and support renewable energy.

St John’s has been carbon neutral since 2019! We calculate and offset our net carbon emissions, e.g. 25.2 tonnes worth in 2021.

We encourage our congregation to walk, cycle or car-share whenever possible, and be aware of the damage caused by petrol and diesel engines and aviation fuel.

Where possible, we follow LOAF principles for the food we procure and supply: Local, Organic, Animal-friendly and Fairtrade.

We try to use china crockery and washable cutlery for our church functions as much as we can, including for community lunches and similar events.

We achieved our Silver Eco Church award in 2021 and are currently working towards Gold! We hold an Eco Sunday once a year, to celebrate and pray for God’s creation.

We use recycled toilet paper in our Church Centre to stop trees being cut down unnecessarily.

Our Ethical Policies

At St John's, we believe that as part of our care for God's world we should act in a way that demonstrates good Biblical stewardship in all areas of our corporate life. We are a Carbon Neutral Church and the decisions we make and the products we buy reflect this.

Below are our policies for ethical buying and building management:

What Else Can We Do?

As well as being environmentally friendly within the church building, we also need to care for creation as part of our daily lives, at home and work. Below are some suggestions on how we can do this with helpful links.

Suggestions For Greener Living

Consider Carbon
Measure and offset our personal impact on God's world.
Suggested Links: Personal Carbon Calculator, Climate Stewards.

Get Political
Contact our local MP, Alex Brewer, to demand environmental leadership and action from government.
Email: alex.brewer.mp@parliament.uk.

Travel Lightly
Walk, cycle, car-share and use public transport where possible. Limit flights and offset our carbon footprint.
Suggested links: Seat 61, Climate Stewards.

Spend Wisely
Consider ethical issues when buying things or saving our money.
Suggested Link: Responsible Investment (Church of England).

Shop Well
Consume less. Recycle, buy recycled, and support charity shops. Choose energy efficient appliances. When buying wooden articles, look for Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) approved items.
Suggested Link: Energy Saving Trust.

Eat Well
Try to avoid wasting food and water. Follow the LOAF principles (Local, Organic, Animal-Friendly, Fair-trade). Consider a more plant-based diet as vegetables are more environmentally-friendly to produce than meat.
Suggested Links: Green Christian, ASWA, Vegan Society.

Save Energy
Turn off lights and electrical appliances when not in use. Dry clothes naturally when possible. Reduce heating (where safe) and wear more layers instead. Consider installing heating insulation. Use greener energy providers.
Suggested Links: Installing Renewable, Switch to Green Energy.

Pray Humbly
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
~ 2nd Chronicles 7:14 ~

For more information, or to get involved in caring for creation with us, please email us at creationcare@stjohnshw.org.uk