Welcome to the new Eco-Congregation Scotland Enews featuring the ten things you need to know about Eco-Congregation Scotland this month.
1. Take Action on the new Scottish Climate Change Act
The Scottish Government wants to know your views on a new Climate Change Act. We are working with Christian Aid and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland to help make the Act as strong as it can be.
There is an opportunity to feed back to the Scottish Government using postcards or an online response system.
2. Creation Time Worship Material now Available
Creation Time is a period, each September, when churches around the world dedicate to prayer for the protection of Creation and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles that reverse our contribution to climate change.
Our worship material for Creation Time 2017 comes from an ecumenical writing group, with contributors from the Church of Scotland, the Roman Catholic Church, The Salvation Army and Scottish Episcopal Church. It follows the theme “Journeying with God”.
3. Duddingston Kirk Bioblitz
Duddingston Kirk recently worked with other environmental groups to run an interactive event for all ages.
4. Eco-Congregation Scotland is now a partner with Season of Creation
Having produced worship material for Creation Time for the past six years, Eco-Congregation Scotland has now become an official partner of Season of Creation. This is the programme that promotes Creation Time and other initiatives. It is facilitated by the Global Catholic Climate Movement, Act Alliance, Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, World Council of Churches and Anglican Communion Environmental Network.
This year Christians are being encouraged to organize prayer services that incorporate a symbolic action that highlight the “cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”
5. Continuing award presented to the East Church in Kirkwall
One of our Trustees, Mark Kirkbride, presented our Continuing award to the East Church in Kirkwall during morning worship on Sunday 9 July.
6. Register your congregation to take part in Climate Week 2017
Climate Week is a Scottish Government campaign to raise awareness of, and inspire action on, climate change. This year it will be taking place 18-22 September.
We would like as many congregations as possible to sign up and take part this year.
7. The World May Have Less Time to Address Climate Change Than Scientists Thought
According to Scientific American and Nature Climate Change The temperature baseline used in the Paris climate agreement may have discounted an entire century’s worth of human-caused global warming
8. Would you be interested in serving on the board of Eco-Congregation Scotland?
At the moment we are especially keen to recruit trustees with skills in financial accounting, communication or fundraising. Anyone interested will be invited to attend one or two meetings as an observer before agreeing to take on the role of trustee.
9. Christian Rural and Environmental Studies, distance learning course
This two year certificate course from the John Ray Initiative will be of interest to many people involved in Eco-Congregation work in Scotland. Especially those living in more remote areas as it is mainly taught by distance learning.
10. Could your congregation host the Wild about Scotland Bus?
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland has teamed up with Clydesdale Bank to offer completely FREE wildlife sessions to children all over Scotland, but they need organisations to host the bus. The video above explains more.
This is great opportunity for congregations to learn more about Scottish species and inspire the next generation who will look after them! You can register your interest to receive a visit from the bus here:
Further news items can be found on our web site news page. Our next newsletter will be sent on the first of next month. If any of your friends would like to receive it they can subscribe here.
