Eco-Congregation
Scotland

Welcome to Cadder Parish Church, East Dumbartonshire, 135th Eco-Congregation.

Welcome to Hamilton South Church, South Lanarkshire, 134th Eco-Congregation.

Welcome to Broughty Ferry New Kirk, Dundee, 133rd Eco-Congregation.

Welcome to King's Park Church, Glasgow, 132nd Eco-Congregation.

Welcome to Oversteps Crossreach Residential Home, Dornoch, the first church organisation to join the programme, and 131st Eco-Congregation

Welcome to Menstrie Parish Church, Clackmannanshire, 130th Eco-Congregation.

Welcome to Penicuik North Kirk, Midlothian, 129th Eco-Congregation.

Welcome to Arbroath Old and Abbey, Angus, 128th Eco-Congregation.

Congratulations to Westray and Papa Westray, who have gained their second Eco-Congregation Awards

Newsletter

The latest Newsletter (pdf, 578kb) is now available to download.

Welcome to Douglas Valley Church, South Lanarkshire, 127th Eco-Congregation.

European Christian Environmental Network

Since it began, Eco-Congregation has been involved in the European Christian Environmental Network, which - like our Eco-Congregation regional networks - provides information, co-ordination and support for anyone involved in Christian Environmental issues throughout Europe. Its website is edited by Eco-Conregation Co-ordinator Eleanor Todd, and it has just be redesigned to make it much more accessible as a resource to inform and connect people all over Europe. Have a look at www.ecen.org and check back regularly for news of church action, theological papers, local projects, and publications.

Welcome to Daviot and Dunlichty, linked with Moy, Dalarossie and Tomatin, 125th and 126th Eco-Congregations.

Eco-Congregation Scotland, 2003-2006 - 6 July 2006

From national project to grassroots movement... Our report of the past three years of Eco-Congregation Scotland looks at how the programme has caught on in churches from Shetland to Dumfries. It's full of pictures, ideas and inspiration to encourage your church to get involved. You can download it from our new page of publicity materials, or all registered churches will receive a full-colour printed copy.

Congratulations to recent award-winners!

Craigsbank and East Craigs in Edinburgh celebrate Environment Sunday in June each year. Craigsbank has greatly increased energy efficiency by ongoing careful management of the zoning and timing facilities in the heating system. Good environmental practice in catering includes the use of china cups, Fair Trade and home baking, and green cleaning products. The churches support local and global charities such as the Garvald Centre.

The two linked churches of Burnside Blairbeth have a comprehensive church environmental policy. This allows them to make the link between their Christian faith and environmental issues in worship, house groups, and with young people in church and in local schools. They support a range of recycling activities and have put up bird boxes and carried out a biodiversity survey in church grounds.

Dyce Parish Church formed “Earth Keepers” to promote and support creation care. They used Module 4 for Bible study. To enable Earth Keepers to carry out environmental projects and invite speakers, they held a sale to raise funds. more...

The young people of Stirling Methodist Church compiled an environmental audit of the church and presented it to the Church Council with recommendations, which have since been acted upon. The church has shown a huge commitment to fair trade, initiating the Stirling Propeller Group, which ran a high profile and effective campaign leading to Stirling’s achievement of Fair Trade City status.

Iona Abbey with the Macleod Centre and Camus bring creation themes into worship, but also bring worship into the appreciation of nature through grace at each meal and the weekly pilgrimage around Iona. Staff are very environmentally aware and this “rubs off” on the huge number of volunteers and guests, for example by providing hot water bottles in rooms as an alternative to radiators and encouraging use of public transport to the island. The Abbey has made a huge contribution to creation spirituality across Scotland and beyond. www.iona.org.uk

Abbotsford Church, Clydebank make imaginative and creative use of natural objects and symbols in worship and have new, innovative and inspirational liturgical material written by the minister (see www.abbotsford.org.uk). They have introduced a wide range of recycling and energy saving initiatives available to both members of the congregation and hall users and produce their own Eco News newsletter to encourage action.

Welcome to Cadzow Parish Church and Stonehaven Parish Church, 123rd and 124th Eco-Congregations - 26 June 2006

Welcome to the programme - 7 June 2006

Jamestown Parish Church, Buccleuch and Blackfiars Free Church of Scotland, St John's Alloa, Busby Parish Church, Skene Parish Church, Iona Abbey, and Strathbrock Parish Church have all joined the Eco-Congregation programme, bringing the number of Scottish Eco-Congregations to 122.

Welcome to Queensferry Parish Church, 115th Eco-Congregation - 11 April 2006

Congratulations to Stirling Methodist Church - 31 March

Well done to Stirling Methodist Church, the 36th church to win an Eco-Congregation award and the first Methodist Church in Scotland.

A Second Award for St John's Hamilton - 31 March

Congratulations to St John’s Church, Hamilton, the first church in Scotland to receive a second Eco-Congregation Award! The green team has sustained commitment over a broad range of interests, together with an obvious desire to do more, above and beyond getting an award. They encouraged the congregation to think about their environmental footprint. They have developed the community use of the buildings and made use of this opportunity to communicate caring for creation messages, for example by providing binoculars and a bird identification chart for users of the café. And they have wide involvement globally, continuing to support Floresta (www.floresta.org - healing the land by reversing deforestation) and other projects in the developing world.

Taking the episcopalian... - 27 March 2006

The number of Scottish Episcopal Churches registered on the Eco-Congregation programme has tripled in the past year. Thanks are due to the SEC Justice Peace and Creation Network which is promoting Eco-Congregation through the General and Diocesan synods. We look forward to many more SEC churches getting involved in the coming months, especially now that we have been featured on the unofficial website, Taking the episcopalian .co.uk

Congratulations to Dyce and Burnside Blairbeth churches, Eco-Congregation Award Winners; and welcome to St Mary's Episcopal Church, Dunblane, and Inchinnan Parish Church, Renfrewshire - 20 March 2006

Pledge to Stop Climate Chaos

On 1 March, the Stop Climate Chaos campaign in Scotland launched pledge cards asking all of us to reduce our carbon emissions. The Scottish launch took place on the Mound in Edinburgh. One part of the card is returned to Stop Climate Chaos, and the other is retained to remind you of your pledge. Why not order cards for all your congregation? Contact Eleanor stating how many you require; and find out more from the Stop Climate Chaos Website.

Congratulations to St John's Hamilton - 8 March 2006

St John's Church in Hamilton have become the first church in Scotland to receive a second Eco-Congregation Award.

Welcome to Grange Church Kilmarnock, Auld Kirk Kilbirnie, Laigh West Kilmarnock, and Abbotsford Parish Church - 3 March 2006

Welcome to Fortrose and Rosemarkie church, 104th Eco-Congregation - 13 February 2006

European Christian Environmental Network Assembly in Sweden

Would your church be interested in sending a delegate to the sixth ECEN Assembly in Flämslatt, Sweden? The Assembly is from 27 September to 1 October, and the theme is Living in a new Energy Era. This is an opportunity to meet Christians from all over Europe involved in environmental work to share ideas and experiences, and to discuss European environmental issues and policy and consider how the church can contribute. Information and a registration form can be downloaded from www.ecen.org. Contact Eleanor Todd if you're thinking of going and we'll organise a Scottish party.

Eco-Congregation Newsletter

Download the latest Eco-Congregation newsletter here (Word, 372KB)

Congratulations to four new award winners! - 2 February 06

St John's in Edinburgh held a conference, "The Future of the Planet", with speakers on environmental issues. This launched their "Earth be Glad" initiative to inspire individuals to take action through changed lives. Following sermons, discussions, liturgy, and a specially produced leaflet during the season of Creationtide they asked memebers of the congregation to hang paper leaves with pledges for action on a 'tree' as part of their harvest offering. They are improving the environmental management of the church through better management of the heating system, recycling, and purchasing. www.stjohns-edinburgh.org.uk

Blackhall St Columba in Edinburgh produces a community newsletter which is delivered to every house in the parish. Regular environmental articles have informed residents about environmental issues, and led them to get involved in, amongst other things, the Real Nappy Network, and measuring their environmental footprint. It has also been used to involve the community in the church’s recycling initiatives, such as furniture for the homeless through Fresh Start, mobile phones, printer cartridges, and over 2000 pairs of spectacles. The Eco Team is well supported by the Kirk Session and Minister, meaning that environmental thinking is integrated into both worship and management. There are local environmental links with the Eco School, Community Association and Traffic Forum, and globally through Christian Aid.

Cupar Old developed an imaginative and comprehensive programme for their young people, who presented it to the whole congregation at harvest. They worked on recycling with their local Sustainable Communities project and held a Fair Trade party in addition to the regular stall. The church roof has been insulated to a very high standard, with the work funded and carried out by congregation. They are planning a substantial extension and refurbishment of their halls to facilitate community use, and seek to be as environmentally friendly as possible in doing this.

Cupar St John’s have worked closely with Cupar Old. Here again the young people’s programme was used very effectively to introduce Eco-Congregation to others in the congregation. As part of the children’s work they raised funds to the international conservation work of A Rocha. The church also has a regular commitment to Fair Trade.

Let the Earth be Glad!

The Environmental Issues Network (EIN) of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland is encouraging every church in the UK to "let the earth be glad" by designating an annual time to give church life an ecological focus. Our understanding of nature touches on our understanding of God, our sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ, our work for justice, our church life and daily discipleship. By giving the natural world a regular place in our calendar we have a chance to make all these links. Eco-Congregation encourages all Scottish churches involved in the programme to respond to this challenge. "Let the Earth be Glad" is a one-page document with information on how churches can get involved which you are welcome to use or reproduce in your church. Download it here both as an attractive pdf (673kb) and as a word document (30kb). Please tell us how you've used it so we can report to EIN on what Scottish churches are doing.

Welcome to Banchory Ternan West, 103rd Eco-Congregation - 26 January 2006

Welcome to Springburn church, 102nd Eco-Congregation - 19 January 2006

Eco-Congregation Ireland Website On-Line - 12 January 2006

The Church of Ireland, Methodist Church in Ireland, Presbyterian Church in Ireland and Roman Catholic Church have joined together to co-ordinate Eco-Congregation Ireland, and their website is now on-line at www.ecocongregationireland.org. Find out how churches around the emerald isle are keeping bees, collecting cans, celebrating harvest and planting wildflowers.

Keep Scotland Beautiful Chief Executive awarded OBE - 12 January 2006

Congratulations to John Summers, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, who has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's New Years Honours List. John is involved with the management of Eco-Congregation, along with Donald Bruce, Director of the Society Religion and Technology Project.

Welcome to Carmunnock church, 101st Eco-Congregation - 12 January 2006

Welcome to Dunnichen, Letham and Kirkden, 100th Eco-Congregation! - 10 January 2006

Welcome to Queen's Cross and Tayport churches, 98th and 99th Eco-Congregations - 4 January 2006