Trinity is a joint Methodist/URC church with a well-established concern for social action.  Interest in the Eco-Congregation scheme crystallised in Spring 2006.  Max Birchenough offered to act as co-ordinator, and with Phil and Suzanne Mann and Alison Lee, formed a working group to tackle the project.

 

The Environmental Check-Up showed up a number of areas where something could be done, and over the next eighteen months we beavered away on several fronts.  Raising awareness of Creation issues was an obvious target, approached through some specially-themed services, and some study groups using Lincoln Diocese’ “The Earth in our Hands” series, attended by about thirty.

 

Practical targets included using recycled paper in the church office (after careful research into the various suppliers for quality and supply service), and setting up recycling facilities for paper, ink cartridges, stamps, greetings cards, and cardboard.  Changing to greener cleaning materials was another area investigated, but not as easy to make changes in.  Changing to low-energy light bulbs, however, was an obvious and popular step.

 

Educating the church, apart from through study series and sermons, has been a major focus, using weekly suggestions in the notice-sheet (“Eco-Tips”), and discussions in Church Meetings.  We have also been busy in the public arena, hosting the showing of the film “An Inconvenient Truth” and a meeting with the Rt. Hon. Hilary Benn, M.P., as Minister for Overseas Development.  We were delighted that our efforts so far have been rewarded by our first eco-Congregation Award at the end of 2008.

 

 

Max Birchenough