Eco Church

St Stephen’s Eco Church

Our Eco vision

St Stephens acknowledges that as we believe in a creator God, so we have a responsibility to look after the world God created and this is reflected in St Stephen’s four vision statements:

  • Love God
  • Love one another
  • Love our neighbours
  • Love our world

Building on earlier ‘green’ initiatives, a church Eco Group was formed in the summer of 2021 to explore how St Stephen’s can improve its impact on the environment and its stewardship of global resources.

In 2021, an autumn sermon series on Creation Care culminated in the registration of St Stephen’s as an Eco Church with the international organisation A Rocha. The Eco Group have undertaken the Eco Church Survey and are planning improvements as they work towards achieving a Bronze Award in 2022 .

As part of its commitment to its Eco vision, St Stephen’s has made a Creation Care Declaration .

A Rocha UK (ARUK) is a Christian charity working for the protection and restoration of the natural world; it is committed to equipping Christians and churches in the UK to care for the environment.

Here are just a few highlights of our recent Eco journey:

  • In January 2022, a RSPB Garden Birdwatch survey took place in the churchyard. Ten different bird species were spotted within one hour. We are now excitedly waiting to see if any Swifts nest in the nesting boxes situated in the church tower.
  • From February 2022 a Tablet Blister Pack Recycling Initiative is being trialled. Tablet blister packs are being collected at the 10am service on the last Sunday of each month to take to the nearest recycling centre.
  • To engage and inform the congregation in making environmentally-friendly choices, an #Eco Win was suggested each week for 6 months from August 2021 until March 2022. Ideas ranged from creating an insect water station or swapping plastic pens for pencils to joining a local litter pick. Eco Wins will continue to be suggested periodically throughout the year.

Useful links:

Here are just a few links that you may find helpful:

Get involved:

The St Stephen’s Eco Group welcomes new members, either on a regular or occasional basis, as St Stephens continues on its Eco Church journey. You can get in touch with the Eco team by contacting the church office.