T Congregations - The next step.

What action is your Church or Circuit going to take?

Katherine Shepherd has written the following to the Chair of District

Thank you for the opportunity to attend Synod on Saturday, and to meet with Bill. I enjoyed the afternoon session very much and wish I could have been there for the morning! I am grateful to you for squeezing me onto the agenda and for making available flyers on the project.           

I am now contacting to raise how we might follow this up. I am keen to have a special Sunday - such as a 'Cllimate Care Sunday' - on which every church publicly pledges to take some kind of action to help tackle climate change. This would be a District day, although I am hoping to get the Shrewsbury & Wolverhampton District and Dioceses at least to adopt the same approach at some point. It would be a great way to make a statement about what action the Church is taking, and the priority awarded to climate change. I am in no doubt that there would be national interest - but that is obviously not the main reason why I am interested in doing such work, at least not for MEA's benefit. I have been in close contact with Methodist Church House, and specifically Steve Hucklesby Director of International Affairs, and know that Church House would willingly give their backing to such an event and help in promotion.

It would not be obligatory for every church to take part. I envisage sending out pledge forms before hand with a list of possible pledges and space for an 'own idea' so that churches have something to guide their thoughts. Churches can then sign-up and the pledge will become 'live' from this day.

Possible ideas for pledges might include:

Lighting - pledge to replace all inefficient lighting with low energy equivalents 

Fair Trade - pledge to start using fairly traded tea, coffee, biscuits etc.

Electricity - pledge to switch to a green electricity tariff

Go Carbon - on this Day, all those who can get to church without a car do so or car share. Record miles and cars to see total carbon emissions and then offset by spending equivalent financial sum on an environmental project. Might be local or purchasing renewable energy technologies for a developing country, or donating low energy light bulbs to a local night shelter or charity etc etc or even for the church

Climate Friendly Holidays - parishioners pledge to offset travel emissions associated with their holidays, and use the money for purposes such as above.

Putting into Practice - all parishioners pledge to do something at home e.g. install a low energy lightbulb or radiator panels, or make another personal pledge

LOAF lunch - based on the Locally Produced, Organic, Animal Friendly and Fair Trade concept developed by Christian Ecology Link, have a fundraising lunch or tea on this theme and donate the money to a climate or enviornmental project within the church or community

Presentation - pledge to organise a climate change / environment event for the church, open to the community even better!

Display - dedicate a noticeboard to climate change and/or other enviornmental issues

These are just some initial thoughts. I would of course support all churches wanting to make a pledge in every way that I can, and organise all the promotion and distribution of pledge cards etc. I would however need the backing of District to do such a project - and I feel that it would be considerably more effective if this exists.

On a seperate issue, I am waiting to hear from the Council whether there is funding available for insulating vicarages and upgrading heating systems among other things. I would very much like for some of this funding to be used within the Herefordshire Circuits of the District, if you are willing. I will be back in touch on this matter once the figure available has been confirmed.

Thank you again for all your time and support, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes

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Katherine Shepherd BSc (Hons) MSc DIC GradEI

Project Manager