- help the whole congregation make the link between Christian faith and environmental concerns
- take practical action within the church building and/or grounds
- have a positive impact on the local or wider community
We were recognised as an Eco-Congregation in August 2011 after several years of hard work. Here are just some of the things that we have done:
- Performed an initial Environmental Check-up using material provided by Eco-Congregation
- Devoted three church services to consideration of environmental issues in the context of our stewardship of God's creation, and encouraged members of the congregation to reflect on their personal response
- Installed cycle ranks outside the front of the church
- Installed recycling bins throughout the building and increased the volume of recycled material
- Replaced the lighting in the Dovetail centre with low energy lighting
- Installed Zoned Heating throughout the church premises to avoid having to heat the whole building when only partly in use, e.g. for evening meetings
- Hosted the Christian Aid walkers during their 1000 mile 'Cut the Carbon' march, providing food and accommodation and hosting an evening event for members of the local churches and community
- Held a week-long series of events entitled 'Journeying with Creation', including an eco-labyrinth, hosting an Eastleigh Borough Council information stand to enable people to find out more about local initiatives and grants, and a locally sourced meal
Since becoming an Eco-congregation we have subsequently taken part in a Methodist Church initiative to benchmark our church's carbon footprint, and are looking at how we can reduce this in the coming months and years.