A message from Bishop Jonathan about Eco Church and the Energy Footprint Tool
It is encouraging to see so many of our churches have completed the Energy Footprint Tool this year.
I want to extend my thanks to those of you who have taken the time to gather the necessary data and complete the online form. The information you’ve provided will be of great significance to our net zero carbon and diocesan advisory committee teams, not least in helping our churches push on towards the Church of England’s goal of achieving net zero carbon by 2030, but also in providing sustainably warm, functional and life-giving spaces for our ministry and mission.
I am also encouraged by how so many of you have registered your communities for the A Rocha Eco Church scheme. I am aware that many have already achieved bronze, silver, and gold awards. Changing how we think about and care for our environment, and learning to recognise the impact we are having individually and as parishes, is essential if we are to stem and even turn back the dramatic and life-endangering effects of the climate crisis. I believe A Rocha UK, already a key partner in our drive to net zero, can be a crucial, critical friend in the journey we are learning to make. We are in the midst of a climate crisis, or to put it differently, an emergency unequally befalling the poorest and most vulnerable communities on earth. Never doubt, small changes are not insignificant and should never be thought of as such.
Each day we pray the Lord’s prayer. In it we long to see the coming kingdom lived now “on earth as in heaven”. Thank you, my dear brothers and sisters, for seeking to live God’s kingdom now, where you are!
With love and my prayers,
+Jonathan
Our thanks go to Sara Pask for completing the Carbon Footprint calculation for St George's.
As evidence of how St George's are embracing the need for change, we have the first apple on our cooking apple tree which was planted in 2022 with help from the Toddler group.
