We believe that God has blessed us with a beautiful world and charged us to look after it. We seek to care for God’s world in our worship and teaching; in how we look after our buildings and land; in how we engage with our local community, and in our personal lifestyles. We believe that what we do and the way we live effects not only us and our children, but every other person sharing the planet.
Our big accomplishment of the year was finally achieving the Silver Eco Church award in January 2025 from A Rocha, the Christian environmental charity. We are one of 104 churches in the diocese who have received an award from A Rocha. (Our success is even mentioned on the Diocese of Guildford website! https://www.cofeguildford.org.uk/about-us/news/100-eco-churches-in-the-diocese.php).
What we are doing:
- Raising the profile of ecological issues
- Inviting speakers to talk to us on this subject.
- Holding themed shared meals with an emphasis on locally sourced responsibly produced and packaged food.
- We have created a Green team to consider our churches environmental footprint and to promote a balanced approach to our stewardship of the planet.
- Replacing standard bulbs with LEDs
- Using less harmful cleaning products and consumables that can be recycled.
- Recycling ink cartridges and raising money for the church at the same time (drop your cartridges in the box at the back of church)
- Recycling household batteries (also a box at the back of church)
- Use of Eco friendly cleaning products and bought in large containers to reduce plastic waste
- Recycling and Food Waste bins in the church and Cross building
- Use of Fairtrade tea and coffee
- The church uses green gas and electricity
Other notable events and activities that have happened in 2024/25 include:
- Our first nature survey of the St Stephen’s churchyard and wildflower meadows as part of the Churches Count on Nature campaign in June
- An All Age Eco Service in July, including making a weaving of our prayers for Creation (now on display in the Cross)
- Our first ever Family Eco Activities afternoon, held in August, with nature crafts, nature hunts, and storytelling, which was greatly enjoyed by kids and their parents
- The creation of a St Stephen’s veg patch, including two new veg beds, for growing food for use in our church lunches and freezer meals
- Planting new fruit trees which will produce fruit for various church and community uses
- Rewilding sections of our church grounds as part of Surrey County Council’s ‘blue heart’ scheme to improve biodiversity and encourage wildflowers.
Please take a minute to scan through the material on the Eco church website, whether you are sceptical of the these issues or consider yourself an Eco-warrior, this will tell you something of our values and perhaps convince you why we need to act.
Some simple steps we can all take to reduce our footprint and improve our environment.
More Useful links: