Creation Challenge newsletter

Welcome to the May edition of Creation Challenge!

Hopefully all your plans to mark Environment Sunday on the 8^th June are all in hand, but failing that A Rocha have material to help.

The environment is a major area of work within the URC at the moment with a special edition of Reform about to be published, a regular section to be included in the revamped version, and Mark Dowd coming to speak to the General Assembly in Edinburgh in July.

The Methodist Church through JMA and World Action Methodist Children and MAYC is launching "Stem the Tide" a new free resource to encourage churches to take the issue of Climate Change seriously. The resource is web based and provides enough material for All ages to engage in the issues of Climate Change in particular to kick start a change in lifestyles by taking a month of action at Church and at home.  Methodist young people through the Youth Executive challenged the Methodist Church to take the issue of Climate Change seriously and “Stem the Tide” has been produced to encourage churches and individuals to get involved by taking a month of action. The resource will be available on line by the end of May 2008. Promotional material will be sent to Ministers and Deacons during May.  www.stemthetide.org.uk

As always the network exists to support the work of individuals and churches throughout our denominations so please share any news, tips, experiences or questions that you have where churches' and your own engagement with the environment are concerned.

Best wishes,

Dave Coaker

Creation Challenge, Coordinator

Actions

Every Actions Counts is a government scheme which provides advice and support to voluntary and community organisations which are looking to reduce their impact on the environment, tackle climate change and improve their local area.

Climate Change Bill will shortly come to the House of Commons.  The government has not yet accepted proposed amendments to include aviation and shipping emissions.  They have also not yet agreed to place a limit on the use of overseas credits that allow the financing of carbon reduction in other countries instead of taking action in the UK. For writing to your MP, see www.jointpublicissues.org.uk and www.christianaid.org.uk.

(If you have any other suggestions for actions individuals or groups could take please let us know!)

Church Action

Reigate Park URC has gained an Eco-Congregation Award; as have:

St Andrew's URC, Roundhay, Leeds

Wesley Place Methodist, Alsager

Belle Vue Methodist, Shrewsbury

Westborough Methodist Church has also gained an Eco-congregation award. Scroll down to ‘Eco’ News to see what they are doing.

Seascale Methodist Church On May 18th 2008 Lord Judd will speak at the presentation of Seascale Methodist Church’s Eco-Congregation Award. Click here to see the actions taken by Seascale Methodist Church.

Tips/Resources

Eco-Spirituality power point show "See, Grieve, Hope, Act" by Ruth Jarman

Articles for Parish / Church Magazines from Christian Ecology Link.

Reviews

‘Six Degrees: Our future on a hotter planet.’; by Mark Lynas, Fourth Estate 2007.

'The Global Warming  Survival Kit'; by Brian Clegg, Doubleday 2007.

‘When Enough is Enough: A Christian Framework for Environmental Sustainability’; edited by R.J. Berry, IVP 2007.

‘The Last Generation’; by Fred Pearce, Eden Project Books 2006.

‘The Long Emergency’; by James Kunstler, Atlantic Books 2005.

Have you read something you’d like to review for us?

News

Hilfield Project is based at Hilfield Friary in Dorset, where the brothers of the Society of St Francis have established a project which brings together both a commitment to peace and justice between people and also a care for our natural environment.

Events

Operation Noah AGM will begin at 12.30 p.m. on 10th May at Saints Mary and John Church, Cowley Road, Oxford and will be addressed by Mark Lynas; author of Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet, a freelance journalist and columnist for the New Statesman.

Window on the World: Caring for Creation. Council for World Mission Europe conference: August 4-10 2008, Urdd Centre, Llangrannog, Wales.

Scargill House runs courses and retreats and is an inclusive, multi-cultural Christian Community. They pursue a global vision of people living together: in equality, in peace, in mutual acceptance, and in harmony with the environment. It is a residential centre catering for up to 80 residential guests, near Kettlewell in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.

World Debt Day – 18^th May - 10th Anniversary of Birmingham G8 Human Chain at Birmingham

National Ethical Investment Week, Organised by the UK Social Investment Forum (UKSIF – www.uksif.org), the first ever National Ethical Investment Week (NEIW) aims to highlight the benefits of green and ethical investment. It will be held throughout the UK, running 18-24 May 2008.

Saints & Sustainability - Thurs 5 June  Clifton, Bristol - United Nations World Environment Day. A lively evening at Clifton Cathedral exploring tales of Catholic saints who protected the environment. Radio and TV presenter Martin Palmer guides us through 2000 fascinating years of Christian engagement with our natural world, bringing to life amazing stories, legends and myths.

Open Farm Sunday 2008 which will take place on 1st June. 

Environment Sunday 2008 is June 8th as the nearest Sunday to June 5^th (World Environment Day). The A Rocha pack to go with it is called 'Planetwise' to accompany the book of the same name by Dave Bookless (published 15th Feb by IVP).  

Faiths in Creation an inter-faith conference on religions and climate change Thursday 12 June, Heythrop College, University of London.

Please get in touch if you have material you would like to submit for the next e-newsletter which will be distributed around the end of July 2008.

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