Outline for the Environment Focus Group – Moving forward!

Welcome to the Cairns Road Environment Focus Blog...

The following outline explains the thoughts we have had about thinking more about environmental issues and the church. Here we have pulled these into a framework by which we can think through issues further, share ideas with the church and be active!

1) Understand a Christian response to the environment and Creation care –
By knowing what our central motivation should be – i.e. What the Bible says to us.
What does it teach about stewardship?
What are the Old Testament and New Testament perspectives?
How does it fit with / into the Gospel?
ACTION: Series of Bible studies looking at the above.

2) The Issues –
Knowing what they are, looking at different scales (i.e. local issues in Bristol) up to global issues.
ACTION: Show An Inconvenient Truth film with little bit of explanation/discussion on Christian response. What about a youth event too?
NB. Need to be careful not to scaremonger. Shouldn’t just debate without anchorage of what the Bible says. We shouldn’t lead ourselves to difficulties – remember the Christian hope perspective.

3) The Difficulties –
Difficulties such as: What is the truth behind the climate change debate? Aren’t the issues just too big for us to tackle? Is it all media/political hype?
ACTION: Taking the time to learn ourselves, we need to research this.
Helping people in the church/ourselves to know what reliable resources of information are.

4) Christian hope in this messy situation –
How do we bring hope – this should build on the initial Bible Studies and should point towards practical actions.
ACTION: Could include some testimony – Helen’s experience with A Rocha? Also refer people onto the response section below – knowing what our motivation is for Creation Care should link to our worship of God.

5) Response -
Linked to Church aims?

i) Worship & Teaching - Bible studies, bringing in the worship team, walks – getting outside in groups, Environment themed Sundays in May – teaching on the theology.

ii) Reaching out – Including local people – links to café? Wider Bristol initiative?
Look at ‘secular’ motivations for caring for the environment – their ethics; we need to learn how to engage.

iii) Practical Action -
· Prayer
· Resource people to help us live more lightly: ‘Cairns light living handbook’ – using useful resources (Tearfund, Christian Aid, A Rocha, iCount), linking people in, making it accessible and including encouragement! (Funding available for this sort of thing?)
· Cairns – going Carbon Neutral? Use Eco-congregation guidelines. What is our ecological footprint, what can we do to reduce it? Encouragement from Ashton Hayes example.
· Look outwards – open doors events – Fashion show in November – recycling?
· Solar panels for the church – feasible? Needs investigating but could really speak to the community too.
· Joining national initiatives/lobbies etc. Telling people about these.