Walk the Country for Christian Aid

Last Saturday was the annual Christian Aid sponsored walk near Henley and I'm proud to say St John and St Stephen's provided the largest single church contingent. Our Pathfinders group were among them and raised £250 between them (I don't know the whole total yet).

EcoChurch - a new journey

On Sunday 1st May St John and St Stephen's started a new green journey. As usual on the first Sunday of the month we enjoyed a delicious church lunch together (raising funds for Christian Aid this month). While we were waiting we took our cups of fairtrade tea and coffee and sat round in groups to answer the EcoChurch survey. Of the adults staying for the meal (just over 40 I think) almost all those who weren't cooking were able to contribute their opinions and thoughts. I'd printed off the survey so each group only needed to fill out one section. The immediate consequence was a small working party emerged to do some tidying up in our tiny garden patch.

Back at home I entered in the answers online and found that right now we don't qualify as an EcoChurch - despite having gold standard worship our buildings and lifestyle are only just bronze and our community & global didn't even rate that (which was quite a surprise - I'd expected us to be worse on lifestyle). Consequently a group of us met up last Monday to start a new plan of action. First step is responding to the Wildlife Trusts' 30 Days Wild which I'll be advertising in church tomorrow.

Greening our Parishes

I've just finished putting together the slides for a talk this evening for the local Catholic Pastoral Area who have been organising Lent talks inspired by Laudato Si'. It's meant scouring back through the blog and finding a lot of happy memories.

As usual I've been somewhat behind with this blog - earlier in the year I was at St Paul's Cathedral (with Liz, the curate from Christ Church) for the launch of EcoChurch. At our last PCC I got agreement for the green group to fill out the EcoChurch questionnaire and find out if we make it to bronze these days. We'll probably do this after a church service so this needs to be planned out now.

In other news we at last have fabulous new bike racks of the type the cyclists asked for.

Reading Climate Day

St Mary's Butts was buzzing this afternoon when I turned up to help prepare for tomorrow's Climate Day: 

- 'Green Christmas’ ethical gift and food fair: 10am - 2pm

- ‘Cafe Theologique’ talk and discussion by Professor John Mitchell, Principal Research Fellow at the Met Office, about his work on climate change: 4pm

- Climate Mass with the Bishop presiding and Dr Ruth Valerio, Churches and Theology Director of A Rocha UK preaching - 7pm. (Reception from 5.30pm)

- Exhibition of photographs and information, and interactive prayer stations throughout the day.