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Some tips and tools to help your church community get started on the Eco Church journey.
If your church hasn’t signed up as an Eco Church… visit this page to do that first:
So you’ve signed up to be an Eco Church!
How do you get started on the Eco Church journey?
Set goals - Take action - Review and share your story
It’s time to get practical! Follow these steps to make a practical action plan for your church. Once you’ve completed your goals, return to step 1 to set new goals and the cycle continues. If you find yourself in a lull and needing new ideas, return to the goal-setting phase.
Step 1: Set Goals Using the Action Planner
Once you’ve joined, use the Eco Church Action Planner to set clear and achievable goals for your church. The Action Planner helps you identify areas to focus on as you start your Eco Journey.
Keep in mind that goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. Start with small, achievable goals because some progress is motivating.
Step 2: Take Action
This step is all about turning your plans into tangible actions that make a real difference.
You may need to research different strategies to decide what actions will help you reach your goal.
Use our Resources by Topic page for ideas.
Check out the international A Rocha Resource Hub.
Talk to other churches who have embarked on similar projects. Read stories from other Eco Churches. Your regional coordinator can suggest and put you in contact with relevant churches.
Assign tasks to members of your eco team and set clear timelines.
Step 3: Review and Share Your Journey
Now that you’ve put in the work, it’s time to take a step back, and review the learnings. Share the story of the successes, challenges, and what you've learned along the way to encourage and inspire other churches in the wider Eco Church network. One of the biggest advantages of the Eco Church whānau is our collective knowledge. Check out stories from church communities here.
Once you’ve completed your goals, it’s time to go back to Step 1 and set new goals.
Resources to help you on your journey
Eco Church Action Planner
Work through some questions in our action planner and use this to set goals for the next phase of your Eco Church journey. The questions takes you through five key areas of church life:
Leadership, worship and teaching
Church buildings and facilities
Church land and grounds
Community and global engagement
Sustainable living
Eco Church Stories
Check out stories from church communities on the Eco Church journey and be inspired!
Eco Church Resources by Topic
Resources collated to support the five areas of action in the Eco Church NZ self-assessment worksheet.
A Rocha Resource Hub
The A Rocha Resource Hub gathers curated materials from the A Rocha global family about the interplay between creation care and the Christian faith. All the resources on the Hub have been carefully evaluated by our committee and come with A Rocha’s wholehearted endorsement.
Rich Living Booklets
A Rocha created the Rich Living series – to assist faith communities to reflect on how they live and offers practical steps to make sustainability integral to lives of faith. Small group resources that incorporates information, Scripture readings, discussion questions and practical activities.
Eco Church Regional Coordinators
Our Eco Church Regional Coordinators are based in various locations across Aotearoa. We are here to support you on your Eco Church journey. We’d love to hear from you and what your church community is doing. Get in touch with one of our team members to begin the conversation!