Green Communion service led by Rev. Gareth Hill. Photos taken by John Evans and Meghan Elkin – when she was not leading the singing!

Everyone was asked to wear something green for our Green Communion service on 5th February. Our preacher was Bishop David Atkinson who spoke about God’s care for the planet. The Green Team at church prepared a display board with information about how we can improve our care for the planet.

EcoChurch first anniversary on 5th February 2017 at 11.00am in Elkstone Parish Church (Gloucester Diocese) with 16 people in the congregation (picture was taken by Mrs Chloe Darling). We used the A Rocha liturgy for Morning Prayer. During the Q&A session, someone commented: “We can’t fight natural cycles like ice ages which destroy civilisations” and the Revd Champion responded: “we still have a duty to be good stewards of creation”

Last Sunday, 5th February, St John’s, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, launched its participation in Eco Church. Both services that day celebrated the beauty of the world and committed the church to care for the earth using the Eco Church scheme. The 5th February was also the date the environmental charity, A Rocha UK’s hugely popular Eco Church award scheme celebrated its first birthday. St John’s was one of many churches across England and Wales holding a ‘Green Communion’ as part of their worship services on that day, using a green cloth over the altar, and a specially commissioned order of service, written by the Precentor of Canterbury Cathedral. Janette Smith, a curate at St John’s, said, ‘It’s great to be part of a church that tries to integrate what we believe into everything we do. We believe God created the earth and it still belongs to him. Our response must be to care for it, not to mess with it!’ St John’s is not new to environmental awareness. It already has the Silver Winchester Diocese Environmental Award in recognition for the ways it has included caring for the world in its worship, teaching and the way it runs its buildings. It …