Introducing the Eco-Tip - A regular feature at Cityside

By Nicky Gumbrell

Imagine you’ve arrived late for church and as you gaze through the glass doors on your way in, you see a line of people, some wearing black beanies and balaclavas.  Do you continue to enter? Yes, at Cityside you do.  The congregation were not being held at gun point, they were just learning about load shifting electricity use. The person on Eco-Tip that day, was educating everyone about the most sustainable time to use their appliances and charge their cars. He lined people up representing hours of the day using height to represent usage in that hour.  The tallest who represented the highest use times wore the black beanies! 

Eco-tip slot by Matt

On the third Sunday of every month, the service curator knows there will be an ‘Eco-Tip slot’.  The variety of people that contribute mean that we have been educated, encouraged and challenged to care for the world that our God created in ways we may not have considered.  We’ve learned how to knit cotton dishcloths, had the circular economy explained, been shown dog poo compost systems, and been talked through how to make submissions to government on environmental issues.  These talks have not only educated but also entertained and encouraged us in unexpected ways - like in our confidence to provide hospitality to others.  One Cityside member challenged us to use our freezers not just to avoid food waste but to keep meals for those unexpected guests or times when you’d like to invite someone over. 

Eco-Tip slot by Claude

Our Eco-Tip slots often make us smile. They change our habits. They give us ideas to make our lives more in keeping with our values.  They are our worship.