Eco Church

In our churches we are working to improve our impact on the world around us and be good stewards of God’s creation.  Part of this includes using the Eco church framework to organise and plan our work in this area.  A number of our churches are working on Eco Church badges.

Currently St Mary's Smeeth and St John the Baptist, Mersham have achieved their silver award and St Mary the Blessed Virgin and St Peter's Monks Horton have achieved their bronze awards.

The aim of the Eco Church awards is to support churches in taking practical action to care for God’s earth in our part of the world.  To achieve an award, it requires you to meet standards in five areas.  Worship and Teaching, Building Management, Land Management, Community and Global Engagement, and Lifestyle.

What does this involve?

Worship and Teaching - embedding creation care in worship, prayer and learning within the church.  In our churches we regularly include this in our intercessions and preaching and we mark particular sundays such as Rogation, 

Building Management - involves finding energy efficient and innovative ways to manage our places of worship which is not easy with medieval buildings.  Things like LED lighting and having composting toilets in Brabourne church.  We also twin our toilets which means funding a project in a community that helps families to build their own basic toilet, access clean water and learn about hygiene.  In Smeeth, the Wall Gang meet on a Tuesday and manage the churchyard making it accessible for all to enjoy while ensuring it is a haven for wildlife and supporting wildlife through the use of things like swift boxes and doing nature counts.

Land Management - is about nurturing spaces for people and nature and we work hard to look after our churchyards to make them pleasant places to take a break and have a bit of peace and quiet with benches to sit on, but also ensuring we make space for wildlife and wild flowers.  You can find out more about Smeeth through the monthly blog 'a view from a bench' which identifies things which can be seen in the churchyard that month.  We have a land management plan for Smeeth church.  In Sellindge churchyard and in Stowting there are bug hotels which were created during family service.

Community and Global Engagement - means that we try to help people engage with environmental issues and at a basic level wherever possible, Fairtrade and/or ethically sourced goods are used at church services and events.

We all know that we need to look after the planet, and we are responsible for ensuring it is in a good state for the generations to come.  It is part of our Christian faith and so it means thinking about the way we live and trying to be as sustainable as possible both as a church and as individuals. 

The whole point of the Eco Church awards is that it gives us a framework for action to ensure we continue working to improve in this area.  Could you help with this?  Look out for activities to come and do, such as insect and butterfly counts in our churchyards.

Rev Susan

What is your carbon footprint?

You can use this link to work out your carbon footprint climate stewards

You can also use it to offset your carbon footprint.  Why not have a go?

Smeeth Church going for Eco Gold

A brief summary of what we do already:

Celebrate God’s creation and raise awareness of environmental and climate issues in services through prayer, hymns, readings and sermons/talks. 

Measure our carbon footprint and set targets to reduce it.

Changed all bulbs to LED

Use recycled toilet paper and environmentally friendly cleaning products - Have recycling boxes, caddies and bins – have notices reminding people to use them and to switch of lights etc

Have a land management plan including floodlight use – manage the churchyard to encourage wildlife through careful planting of flowers and trees – carry out an annual nature survey – have a compost bin – are installing swift nesting boxes

Encourage use of the churchyard for recreation and reflection through a Prayer Walk, monthly blog – invite local environmentalists to speak to us.

Contribute to and pray for charities associated with environmental issues: Toilet Twinning and Garden Twinning.

Are registered as a Fairtrade church and use Fairtrade products wherever possible.

PCC and some congregation members car share to meetings and services – communal Christmas and Easter card scheme has been offered to congregation

Stour Downs Parish has an ECO page on its website

Have featured recycling in previous Lent Challenges and will do so again this year.


What more we could all be doing:

Car share more

Arrange litter-picks or similar community events

Write or talk to local leaders / MPs about environmental issues

Support Earth Hour on Saturday March 22nd by switching of your lights from 8.30-9.30pm.  See www.earthhour.org

Walk or cycle to church if you are able

Use any opportunities to feature caring for God’s earth in youth / children’s activities

Share/swap unwanted books, goods and clothes

Don’t be shy – tell others and share any suggestions you have on how to care for God’s earth with each other, your church, your parish and your community.