Five congregations in North Wiltshire have taken on a challenge to go green this Lent.
The Draycot Group of Churches are spending the six weeks leading up to Easter exploring different environmental themes.
Members of the benefice – made up of the parishes of Christian Malford, Kington Langley, Seagry, Sutton Benger and Tytherton Kellaways – are being asked to think about how they can show love and care for God’s Creation.
Alongside a daily fact and challenge, those taking part are also being given practical pointers and a resource list to help inspire and get them started. Local environment groups have also been giving their support to the churches.
Katherine Bloomer, a Licensed Lay Minister in the benefice, has been spearheading the challenge.
She said: “This Lent we want to make a difference in our own lives, in our churches and across our villages.
“We all know that we could do more. But we all also know that the life we live and the world we live in make it very difficult to avoid creating more rubbish and pollution. It’s impossible to be perfect – but that doesn’t mean we can’t do our little bit. Small steps lead to giant strides.
“The aim of the Six Week Challenge is not to make us feel uncomfortable or guilty, but to encourage and inspire change in our lives, in our church and in our communities. Our motivation comes not from duty, anger or despair but out of love for God’s Creation and a belief that healing and transformation is part of God’s design.”
All five churches in the benefice have been working towards becoming Eco Churches, with St Marys Seagry already achieving Bronze status.
The benefice has produced a free booklet which is available in any of the five churches; or can be downloaded from the website.
The Church of England is currently running its first ever official green Lent campaign, #LiveLent.
The Diocese of Bristol declared a climate emergency at its Synod meeting in November 2019. It has pledged to achieve a net zero target by 2030 and is encouraging all its churches to become Eco Churches.
Find out more about the Diocese's commitment to the environment.