An online conference for churches of all denominations to learn how Eco Church can help them cut their carbon and care for creation.
About this Event
Join us for a day of inspirational speakers and workshops exploring the topic of Net Zero. Hosted by the Diocese of St Albans, our online conference will be broadcast from the beautiful church and grounds of All Saints Church, Leighton Buzzard on Saturday 10th October, 10am -4pm.
Together we will learn how to overcome challenges faced by churches, in responding to the climate crisis, through sessions exploring in detail the problem of defining ‘net zero’ and how our buildings and lifestyles can be adapted towards developing a more sustainable future.
Practical workshops will cover various aspects of Net Zero – including how to make your building more sustainable and how to review your energy consumption using the new comprehensive 360 Carbon Calculator developed by Climate Stewards.
Award-winning Eco Churches will share their experiences of finding new ways of working together alongside their local communities to safeguard God’s creation on the way to Net Zero.
The conference is hosted by All Saints’ Church, Leighton Buzzard in the Diocese of St Albans, an ancient church with a churchyard managed for many species including badgers, bats and bees! In addition to this wildlife haven, the church has a thriving Eco church group, is an active member of the local Green Christian churches group and part of the Leighton-Linslade Low Carbon Town initiative.
The programme will include worship led by All Saints Forest Church to help us to worship God while interacting with nature.
Speakers will include:
Helen Stephens, A Rocha UK’s Church Relations Manager – Helen will explain the principles behind Eco Church; how to get started and progress on your journey and share how the Eco Church survey can help reduce your churches carbon footprint.
Catherine Ross, Open and Sustainable Buildings Officer, and Jo Chamberlain, Environment Policy Officer – Catherine and Jo work for the Church of England and will talk practically on how the Church of England’s ambitious “net zero” commitment to reduce carbon emissions can be approached.
A panel event with guests from local Eco Churches and community groups – members of the Leighton-Linslade Christian Ecology Group and the Leighton-Linslade Low Carbon Town initiative will share their experiences and ideas on how church and communities can work together and build partnerships towards net zero.
Confirmed workshop topics include:
- A practical path to net zero for your church building -covering practical changes that can be made to buildings, to reduce the carbon emissions from heating, lighting, and running the buildings. Led by Catherine Ross, Open and Sustainable Buildings Officer for the Church of England
- 360 degrees carbon footprint tool – learn about the basics of carbon footprints – what they include, why they matter and how they are calculated. Looking in detail at 360carbon, a free online carbon calculator for churches . Facilitated by Caroline Pomeroy from Climate Stewards.
- Building effective relationships with your MP. Get an overview of national climate policy as it stands, what it means for the UK to host COP26, and hear how Hope for the Future can help you engage with what is happening in Parliament. Led by Rachel Mander from Hope for the Future
- Climate Change: an issue of social justice – our global neighbours in some of the world’s poorest communities are suffering first and worst from the impacts of climate change. Having previously worked for Christian Aid, Jo will share some international stories and discuss how your church can raise its voice with the global South. With Jo Chamberlain, National Environment Officer for the Church of England Environment Programme
- Eco Church in practice -hear stories from churches at various stages of their Eco Church journey from Bronze to Gold Awarded churches including space to ask any questions.
- Churchyard trees – plant or fell? With Judith Evans, Living Churchyards Officer for the Diocese of St Albans
- Energy question time – your questions answered by an expert panel on energy saving, either at church or at home .
- Making the change: practical architectural issues – with Mark Eddison, Architect for the DAC Chaired by David Bevan, Historic Buildings Support Officer for the Diocese of St Albans.
There will also be a virtual cafe and online book shop specially created for this event. Details given upon registration.
FAQ’s:
What is Eco Church? Eco Church is A Rocha UK’s award scheme for churches in England and Wales who want to demonstrate that the Gospel is good news for God’s earth. It helps churches of all kinds evaluate how they are caring for God’s creation across all their activities and gives guidance on how to become more sustainable. You can find out more here.
How can I join in? After registering on EventBrite an email will be sent to you a few weeks before the event with details of how to join the live stream event along with instructions of how to register for a workshop, and how to participate with the virtual cafe and online book shop.
How do I submit a question for the panel? You can send your questions to ecoconf@stalbans.anglican.org and we’ll endeavour to compile a list of questions to pass on to the panel.
Who is the event aimed at? This event is open to all, whether you are involved in your church leadership team or are a follower of Christ wanting to safeguard creation in England or Wales. Perhaps this could be the start of your church becoming an Eco Church.
What can I do next? This is the first of a series of events designed to help as many churches as possible understand the impact of climate change and our role in reducing our carbon footprint to reach net zero as fast as possible. If you have felt inspired to take action check out the Climate Sunday website for more resources on how to take effective climate action ahead of the UN Climate talks in Glasgow in November 2021.
If you have any other questions about the conference do get in touch with us at uk@arocha.org
