Eco Group
Our Mission
Serving our church and community by caring for God’s creation, living sustainably, and advocating for climate justice.
John 1:3
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
As Christians, we are made in God’s image to care for this world which He has created and pronounced “very good” (Genesis 1). “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth” is one of the Five Marks of Mission of the Church of England.
The Eco Group has been set up to give practical effect to this at Holy Trinity. Our aim is to foster understanding amongst the congregation of the challenges of climate change and need to adapt the lifestyle both of the Church as a whole and of individual members to meet those challenges.
We believe we are all called to be faithful stewards of God’s magnificent creation. We hope that we can respond to the climate crisis with faith, hope and action. By acting with compassion, integrity and urgency, we aim to encourage the reduction of the environmental impact of society, promote sustainability within the church, congregation and wider parish, and advocate for climate justice.
In all we do, we seek to honour God, love our neighbours, and safeguard the integrity of creation for future generations.
Our work
In September 2024, we were thrilled to receive the Eco Church Bronze Award
This award recognises the work of the eco group and wider church family in moving towards greater sustainability and caring for the environment.
Since being formed in early 2023, we have been engaged in trying to encourage environmentally friendly and conscious approaches within the life of the church and its congregation. Our group focuses on a number of areas of our stewardship of creation and environmental responsibility, within the life of our church, parish, community and wider world.
Areas of Focus
Daily Church Life
This has included responsibility for including eco tips in the weekly church newsletter, consideration of how church services and events can be undertaken in a way which maximises sustainability, as well as ensuring resources for recycling or environmentally friendly disposal of a wide range of household goods are available in the church. .
Congregational Lifestyle
We aim through our activities and profile within Holy Trinity to raise our congregation and community’s awareness of environmental issues, encouraging and equipping our congregation and wider community to live in harmony with creation.
Prayer & Worship
We are ensuring that our church prayer life includes regular prayers focusing on the environment, sustainability and empowering us through the Holy Spirit to be better stewards of God’s creation. We are also working towards having
dedicated talks in Sunday services at opportune points in the year, delivered on an
environmental theme. We aim to celebrate creation in our worship and bear witness to
God’s love for all life.
Church Building & Grounds
We have twinned the church toilets through the Tearfund Toilet Twinning charity, encouraged biodiversity within the church grounds through wildflower seeding and bug hotels and sought to make the Church as sustainable as possible regarding energy use and other resources. We have also installed combined planters and bike racks at the rear of the church to encourage the congregation to cycle to church while also adding to the biodiversity of the church surroundings.
Parish Events
We organise and promote events, such as clothes swaps and environmental walking trails, alongside other churches in the East of York and as part of wider events such as York Environment Weeks.
Networking & Partnerships
We’re always looking to build networks and join with Eco Church Groups from other churches across the Diocese, to share ideas and further our work as responsible stewards of God’s creation. We’re also trying to build a network of contacts within the City of York Council, with local MPs, interest groups and further afield.
The Eco Group
At present the Group consists of Matthew Jenkins (Chairman), Ian Anderson, Mary Marchant, David Rudrum and Eric and Katherine Utley, with Mike Perkins (ex officio), but we would very much welcome others to join us in this important role. If you would be interested in joining the group, or would like to find out more about us and our work in the church, then please get in touch.
If you are a representative of an Eco Church group at another church, then we’d be really keen to connect with you, so do also get in touch!
