The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it – you have founded them. Psalm 89:11

The calling of the Methodist Church is to respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission.

Caring for creation is one of the ways we as churches can share God’s love with others, challenge injustice and help people in our own communities and beyond.

Huntington Methodist Church has set up an ‘Eco Steering Group to advise, encourage, equip, inform and co-ordinate all the work that is being done in the church as we work towards Eco Church status and care of creation. This is through our worship, use of buildings and land, global engagement and lifestyles.

Our goals for the first 12 months are:

  • To achieve Bronze ECO Church status.
         Which we have now achieved.
  • To hold at least one ECO themed Sunday.
         Which we held last September
  • To invite a representative of an ECO themed charity or business to address the church.
         Which too place in May.
  • To establish the carbon footprint of the church and develop an action plan to lower it.
         now on display in the Church
  • Encourage travel for Church and Circuit events that facilitates public transport/bike/walking or car-sharing where possible and make use of video meetings where appropriate to save on environmental costs.
         We have carried out a survey of how people come to the church.
  • Continue to review reduce/reuse/recycle practice and use ethically sourced cleaning products.
         We have introduced a recycling box.
  • Encourage Church Council to include consideration of the cost to the environment and impact on our global neighbours for all decisions.
         A scarf illustrating global warming is on display.
  • To share environmental action information on our notice boards and communications
         We have been included in our church notices for the last few months.

We have also:

  • Put up a bird box and a bat box to encourage local wild life.
  • Held a Fairtrade event
  • Asked York Community Energy Trust for a report on our building

More information about Eco Church can be found on the A Rocha website: https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/