St Mark’s Harrogate recently put into action their commitment to caring for God’s creation, with nearly all 24 members of the Parochial Church Council completing the Diocese of Leeds’ Saving Creation Bronze Course.
Creation care is considered a vital part of the gospel message at St Mark’s, and the course has helped PCC members deepen their understanding of both the challenges and the Christian response.
The Bronze course helped participants to explore the effects of the climate crisis on people in UK and around the world, why the Church is seeking to respond, and how individual Christians can act as part of their discipleship.
Alongside the bigger picture, participants discovered practical ways forward.
The course introduced Eco Church, one of the Church of England’s key environmental strategies, and pointed towards a wide range of resources to help churches and individuals take meaningful steps in caring for creation.
Run by A Rocha UK, a Christian charity that looks to equip Christians and churches in the UK to care for the environment, Eco Church provides a framework to support churches take practical action on caring for God’s earth, and includes a toolkit of resources, an online award survey and more.
Engaging discussions and practical ideas were highlights for many.
“I really enjoyed the course and found it very interesting,” said one PCC member.
Another added, “It was good to be able to take part in the online discussions, for example about the fashion industry.”
A third commented, “I particularly liked the 10 pledges and the number of websites that were linked to that.”
St Mark’s hopes that the learning from the Saving Creation course will continue to shape its worship, decision making and everyday life, helping the church to live out its faith with hope, responsibility and care for the world God loves.
To find out more about our Saving Creation courses, please click here.
To find out more about Eco Church, please click here.