Forming, Norming, Performing: Tawa Anglican's first year as an Eco Church

Story contributed by Rachel Doragh.

Rachel Doragh, Rev Annette Cater and Rev Dr. Digby Wilkinson with their Eco Church NZ sign. (Photo: Philip Fountain)

During 2021 Tawa Anglican Church became an Eco Church, making a corporate statement that we want to actively care for God’s earth as an integral part of our mission. We were pleased to join the Eco Church movement to access support and resources as well as a connection to a network of other Eco Churches throughout Aotearoa.

We recognised that individuals within the parish had been living, working, volunteering, donating, praying, protesting and creating in many ways that care for creation. Becoming an Eco Church was simply a new way to intentionally recognise that we are in this together. We are called together as a community to be part of God’s wonderful plan of redemption of all creation, even though the parts we each play will be different.

We began our Eco Church journey with a hui one evening, where we gathered ideas and feedback from those who attended – we were pleased that approximately a quarter of the total congregation chose to come and participate. The Regional Eco Church coordinator, Amy Ross, came to support us and share about the wider movement. From this hui we planned some initial action and longer-term goals.

COVID-19 restrictions have complicated or halted some of our plans, but:

• We are in the process of auditing waste produced in the church plant and, with support from Para Kore, reducing the amount sent to landfill;

• We have been involved in sending submissions to the government to respond to the work of the Climate Change Commission and again in response to the Emissions Reduction Plan;

• We have instituted ‘2nd Thought Sunday’ each second Sunday of the month, when we give a second thought to how we travel to worship together (see below for further explanation);

• The building development team are continuing to consider the environmental impact of our choices and the opportunities provided by our building project;

• We are sharing and discussing our own ideas and tips for creation care by way of our facebook group and parish newsletter;

• We are planning to put in some bike racks;

• Some of our small groups are using the Rich Living study resources produced by A Rocha.

2nd Thought Sunday is a day (the 2nd Sunday of each month) when we give a second thought to how we travel to church and consider the environmental impact of our choice. Everyone has different circumstances and will be able to respond in different ways.  This is why we have come up with something different from a ‘walk to church’ or ‘bike to church’ event but instead want everyone to consider what they can do, even if it is small. Maybe just arranging to carpool with someone who lives nearby. Even if somebody can’t change what happens on a Sunday morning, they are being invited to consider the environmental impact of travel so that it can inform other choices throughout the week or when purchasing a new vehicle. We promote it on the first Sunday of each month in order to get people thinking about it for the following week. Our long term aim is to have different people to promote it, but this idea has had a bit of a bumpy time recently due to limited services over the summer and COVID ‘red’ restrictions.

Te Kawa Robb, Para Kore kaiārahi in a consultation meeting with Tawa Anglican members. (Photo: Amy Ross)

We are grateful to the clergy team and vestry who are very supportive of this process and to a core, committed planning team who have worked with the two Eco Church representatives to make things happen. It has been wonderful to see so many others come on board and support our initiatives, share their ideas, make changes in their lifestyle in order to work towards a more sustainable future, celebrate the world we live in and the glory of God shown all around us!