Ten green actions for outward facing church
Your church can be a green beacon for your community. Here are our 10 actions that will help you do this:
- Create a natural welcome with pots of wildflowers, scented plants or herbs at the church door. You could even encourage folk to take and use the herbs as a reminder of generosity that the earth can provide if we care for it.
- Make your churchyard a safe space for wildlife and pollinating insects. There are some tips on doing this here. Leave your grass to grow and mow a labyrinth in it. Long grass has huge benefits for mini-beasts and other wildlife and labyrinths are a great place for people to pray for the world around us.
- Use your outside space to make a statement about your commitment to caring for creation. Hang a banner on the church railings where you can. It could say something as simple as OUR CHURCH IS CARING FOR CREATION or IT’S GOD’S WORLD, LET’S LOOK AFTER IT. Try to use sustainable materials if you can – for example Hello Print do recycled rPET fabric and PVC-Free polyester. Or support an existing campaign such as the CAN Bill – you can order their banners here. Put posters up on your notice boards – we have a great collection you can order here.
- Be a recycling collection point for the things that are not recycled kerbside in your community, but that you can keep out of landfill with a little bit of effort. Check your local council website and take a look at these newspaper articles here and here for what and where you can recycle.
- Find out what green initiatives your local council has or is planning and help them to explain what they are doing and why it is important. Many local green initiatives are opposed by people because they are misrepresented or people don’t know about the benefits, making it more difficult for councils to deliver policies that safeguard creation.
- Join or become a supporter of local initiatives such as habitat protection campaigns and local groups of national climate and nature campaigns like Zero Hour. Find a representative to attend meetings to support them, sign up to their newsletter, and advertise and facilitate engagement with their campaigns and events.
- Ring your church bells to mark events like Earth Overshoot Day. We have been hearing about a church that tolled their bell 100 times to signify how many ppm we are above a safe sustainable CO2 level for planetary heating. Don’t forget to plan how to let everyone know what your bell ringing means.
- Host a film showing and hold a discussion afterwards. Here are some suggestions:
- Thank You For The Rain https://thankyoufortherain.com/host-a-screening
- The Letter https://theletterfilm.org/screenings/
- Finite https://www.finite-film.com/screenings
- The Story of Plastic https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/the-story-of-plastic-documentary-film/how-to-watch/host-a-screening/
- Wilding https://www.wildingmovie.com/screenings
- Be brave, host (and advertise) a conversation with a local speaker from a climate or environmental activist group like Extinction Rebellion or Just Stop Oil. Invite them to tell their story and how they got involved and why. There are many ordinary, good, inspiring people in these movements. Ask people to listen with open hearts and minds.
- Approach a local radio station and ask for a slot to tell people what you are doing and why, or write a piece and send it to your local newspaper. Local media are often looking for content and people are likely to be interested in the story behind what local churches are doing.
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