At midday on Sunday 18 June 2017, at St Martin of Tours on Dalry Road, local councillor Gavin Corbett unveiled a second Eco-Congregation Award plaque for the work of the church.
This plaque is given by Eco-Congregation Scotland in recognition of St Martin’s continuing commitment to combating climate change through a range of activities in the church and the local community. St Martin’s campaigns for the reduction of carbon emissions, recycles waste, uses Fair Trade products, encourages use of public transport for church activities, brightens the inner city area with containers of plants, and co-operates with the local eco-school, Dalry Primary.
George South, convener of the eco-congregation group at St Martin’s said:
“This award celebrates our conviction that we are all stewards of God’s creation. Climate change is one of the major issues affecting our world today, and here at St Martin’s, we are convinced that we can all do our bit to reduce emissions and to make the world a cleaner and safer place for all. This celebration and care of God’s creation is reflected not only in church activities, but also in our worship and in the daily lives of individual members of the congregation. We are delighted that Gavin Corbett, an active and effective local councillor, has agreed to help us celebrate this second award.”
Eco-Congregation Scotland resources congregations and churches to reflect the care of the environment in the running of their church buildings, in the life of the congregation and in the worship of the church.
Be The Change
The timing of the unveiling couldn’t be better, being the first day of the UN’s Be the Change week, which challenges us to “walk the talk” on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that form the core of the UN’s blueprint for achieving a happier and healthier world by 2030.
Earlier this month, at General Synod, Rachael Fraser challenged us to think about how we manifest these goals in our own lives.
“…[T]hese goals reflect deep biblical themes of mutual responsibility for living well together, seeking the equality of all people created in the image of God, the responsibility to care for God’s earth, and God’s concern for the vulnerable and marginalized. If you are not already familiar with the SDGs, I would urge you to [become] so, and think about ways in which they could be discussed and worked towards within your church context.”
Challenge Days
Every day this week has its own sustainability challenge of the day, with tips on how to achieve it. Here’s the focus of each day:
Sunday, 18 June: Consumption (Goal 12)
Monday, 19 June: Rubbish (Goal 13)
Tuesday, 20 June: Transport (Goal 11)
Wednesday, 21 June: Food (Goal 2)
Thursday, 22 June: Water and Energy (Goals 6 and 7)
Friday, 23 June: Give Back (All goals)
Saturday, 24 June: Reflection (Goal 17)
You can sign up here for the Be the Change handbook, an overview of the week and tips on living sustainably. If you’d like to learn more about how your congregation can explore becoming an eco-congregation,