Creation Care at HTR

The call to care for God's creation is one of the first commands in the Bible. In the very first book of the Bible, Genesis, God creates human beings in the midst of a good natural world, "to work it and take care of it." Humanity is also given the command to 'rule over' the earth, a rule which is to be a direct reflection of God's rule, of love, care, mercy and grace.

The call to care for creation is even more important in today's world with the reality of climate change. The effect of the world's climate presents a very real danger to our world and the people who will face that danger first, and most painfully, will be the poorest among us. As Christians we are called to care for the poor, so we also care for the natural world around us.

I am delighted by the creation care group at HTR and excited to see what they have done and what they will come up with next to fulfil our calling as followers of Jesus.

Dan Wells, Vicar
 

The Creation Care group is exploring ways to help our church be greener and more sustainable. We are pleased to have gained a bronze Eco Church award through the A Rocha Eco Church survey. This scheme provides a framework for us to consider what actions we can take in five areas:

1) worship and teaching
2) church buildings
3) church land
4) our community and global engagement and
5) lifestyle.

Our plans would not be possible without the contributions of others in our church, including the youth team. Please contact the Church Office if you have any suggestions or questions about this.  

What have we done so far?

We have tidied and transformed the outside area near the Townshend Road entrance. We have installed bird feeders and a nesting box, painted the gates, cleared space and added some new insect-friendly planting, and built a bug hotel from upcycled materials. Please see some pictures below. 

 

 

Useful links

There are nine suggestions for reducing your contribution to climate change, from Green Christian
The Diocese of Southwark has a number of resources about Eco Church, and links for promoting a greener lifestyle

Local links

Richmond Council recycling pages
Habitats and Heritage