10 December 2024
Christ Church, Ireton Road, Colchester has become the third church in Chelmsford Diocese to achieve Gold Eco Church status.
Worshippers at Christ Church, celebrate their Gold Eco Church award with Colchester MP Pam Cox
Christ Church join St John's Moulsham and Chelmsford Cathedral in achieving the gold standard with A Rocha UK.
To achieve the award, the team at Christ Church demonstrated high levels of sustainable practices across all areas of church life, including buildings, land management, worship and teaching, community engagement and personal lifestyles.
In a time of increasing awareness of the global climate and nature emergency, the Church of England is committed to carbon net zero by 2030 and Christ Church is committed to taking steps towards reducing the carbon footprint and environmental impact of the church and all its members and community.
Rev'd Chris Smith of Christ Church and St Botolph’s said, “I am so pleased that Christ Church’s commitment to caring for creation has been recognised. Inspired by Jesus’ instruction to love as He has loved us, Eco Church is one of the ways we are learning to express His incredible love, and I am grateful to everyone who has worked to make caring for people and nature part of our church culture.
"Christ Church began the Eco Church journey just before the covid lockdown. Once meeting outdoors was permitted, we started gardening in small groups – and the eco team was born. Increasing the nature value of our garden to welcome in more biodiversity was a wonderful start to the journey. From bird boxes and a herb garden to native trees and a flower meadow, we have continued adding to our garden ever since.
"Now every aspect of church life, from a major building project to our worship and teaching, children’s work, community outreach, fair trade, ethical finance and personal lifestyles are thought through with sustainability at the heart of decision making."
Kate Clifton, Eco Church leader and Colchester Deanery Environment Advocate said:
“Looking back to lockdown gardening groups, I could never have imagined the transformation we have experienced at Christ Church. It’s a credit to everyone, that the church has embraced sustainability in every way – and literally built it in to our church through better insulation, energy efficiency, reducing and recycling all kinds of waste, as well as living lightly and ethically in our home lives. We are not complacent however – realising there is always more we can do, including planning for a completely carbon neutral church by 2030.
"All this underpins our desire to celebrate God’s creation, and care for our neighbours, local and global. We would like to thank the wider community of Christ Church and the churches who have helped us with wisdom and encouragement along our way."
The Bishop of Colchester and Diocesan Lead for the Enviornment, the Rt Rev'd Roger Morris said:
"It is so good to see churches leading the way in the transformation of our built environment. But this is about so much more than buildings. This Gold Award reflects a commitment and a passion to address the very real and present issue of climate change, and for that commitment and passion to impact every area of our lives. We can all do something to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. Christ Church are to be commended on what they have achieved, but I am even more excited by their dedication to press on and to become a Net Zero Carbon Church.”
A Rocha UK said:
“Christ Church has involved children in planting seeds and making bird boxes which help create a welcoming green space to support wildlife and biodiversity, and their Sunday ‘Flames’ group regularly has lots of fun with Creation-based activities both inside and outside.
"They have just recently done their annual mow of one of the wild areas of their small plot of land and new species have been discovered growing there. The assessors particularly noted a lovely area left with broken logs to encourage stag beetles, demonstrating part of their commitment to care for the environment and Christian responsibility to nurture and protect God’s earth.
"We look forward to hearing more in due course about how their Gold Eco Church Award is not an end but rather a springboard to sowing seeds and mobilising as many people as possible to take positive actions in response to the climate and nature emergency.”
