Eco Church is a national scheme offered by A Rocha UK which helps churches consider our Christian commitments to the climate and nature emergencies, to our local communities and to issues of climate justice across the globe. There are currently 74 registered Eco Churches in the Diocese of Sheffield and 41 of those Churches have received a Bronze, Silver or Gold award. The Diocese of Sheffield received a Bronze Eco Diocese award last year in recognition of our work so far. The local Eco Champions Scheme aims build on this success by recruiting volunteers from Eco Churches to support and encourage others in working to care for creation.
Local Champions will work in their Deanery area to promote the A Rocha Eco Church scheme and support new and established Eco Churches. Having someone to talk things through with makes a big difference and often increases the confidence of Churches to move forward with the scheme. We are looking for volunteers who have previously been involved in gaining an Eco Church award for their church. Eco Church Champions and the support and advice they give will be a key part of the work to make the Diocese of Sheffield more sustainable and of answering our calling to protect God’s world. Offering locally based support is also a vital requirement for Silver Eco Diocese, which the Diocese is currently working to achieve.
This work will be led by Margaret Ainger, Diocesan Eco Church Champion. Margaret has extensive experience as the Eco Lead at St Mark’s Broomhill and Broomhall, the Diocese’s first Gold Eco Church. She has spent the first year in her Eco Champion role meeting and supporting Eco Churches across the Diocese, supporting many to achieve awards. As the scheme grows in the Diocese she is ideally placed to support Local Champions to do the same.
Margaret Ainger, Diocesan Eco Church Champion:
“I have very much enjoyed visited churches near and far during the past year. I have been inspired by the work congregations are doing for their communities to support them in facing up to the climate and nature emergencies from the perspective of God’s love for the world. It will be even better when we have local champions in place who can connect and support churches, and encourage them to help each other.”
Cathy Rhodes, Diocesan Environment Officer:
“It is wonderful that so many churches in our Diocese have committed to be Eco Churches and that the number of awards is growing. The local Eco Champions will make a real difference as they work to encourage and support even more churches to join in. Every small step taken by these churches towards an Eco Church award counts and is a sign of hope. Thank you to everyone in the Diocese of Sheffield who gives their time, talents and energies to answering the call to care for God’s Creation as part of our mission.”
If you would like to find out more about the Local Eco Champions Scheme, more information can be found here: https://www.sheffield.anglican.org/support/for-churches/social-transformation/our-work/. You can also contact the Diocese Environment Team on environment.admin@sheffield.anglican.org.