Environmental

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Thornbury Parish

We are proud to be an Eco Church – we received our Bronze Award in November 2018.

Our Church - the Fifth Mark of Mission is “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth”. We have developed a Parochial Environmental Policy that guides us when planning all Church activities; from worship to purchase of food. Please see our Parochial Environment Policy here

Working for our Eco Award we gained points for items such as our LED lights, heat pump, Church Hall insulation, bee hives and conservation areas in our Church yards, Muddy Church Services, sermons and celebration of Environment Sunday, serving Fairtrade refreshments plus our congregation’s lifestyle and awareness of reasons for our Christian concern for the environment. We are now working for our Silver award. See more https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/

Our Community - We have reps on local Environmental groups such as relevant Town Council Committees and Sustainable Thornbury(ST); which is part of the national Transition initiative. ST has current groups growing food locally, managing a wildflower meadow and working on becoming Zero Carbon. New members are always welcome. Please see ST website for full details of all their projects, Give and Take website and also links to many useful environmental organisations http://www.sustainablethornbury.org

Our Diocese – The Gloucester Diocesan Website has useful Environment pages. Please view http://www.gloucester.anglican.org/church-outreach/environmental-and-rural-life/environment/ This site also includes contact details for the Diocesan Environment Officer who is currently the Revd Arthur Champion.

To contact him email achampion@glosdioc.org.uk or phone 07955 475303.

The Church of England has an Environment Programme see https://www.churchofengland.org/environment

Our World – Christian Aid and the other development agencies see first-hand how climate change and other environment issues are contributing to poverty in many countries right now. Unreliable weather patterns mean planning when to plant food crops is extremely difficult. Deforestation and floods are causing devastation. To find out more and discover what we can do please see their web site - http://www.christianaid.org.uk/ and also https://www.theclimatecoalition.org/

We urge everyone to pray for the world and pray for guidance in our own lives to discern how we may each fulfil our responsibility to love God and our neighbour.

MS JH & GR

Appointed Environment Champions