The story of Te Ringatini began in 2018 during one of my runs along the river. As I was going through the Donkey Track reserve, I was struck by the stark contrast between the established riparian planting and the invasive tradescantia weeds that were choking the understory. At that moment, amidst the beauty and the brokenness, I felt a divine nudge - a sense that God was calling me to help restore this piece of creation. I felt myself saying “Someone should do something about this” and I felt God respond “You should do something about this”. Yet I felt totally unprepared for the task that I sensed God was calling me into. 

On June 22, 2024, The 40 Hour Challenge Good News Project, brought together A Rocha, Eco Church and World Vision in a collaborative effort to regenerate native bush at Spencer Park in partnership with Christchurch City Council. This event aimed to engage local youth groups and inspire young Christians to take part in practical environmental action, creating a space where participants could hear the Good News and actively be the Good News through environmental restoration.

Christchurch's Urban Forest Plan is a Council-led and community-driven effort to create a greener, more equitable city. By planting, nurturing, protecting, and involving the community, Christchurch is well on its way to becoming a greener city - ensuring all of the benefits of trees are available for us and for generations to come. Churches are encouraged to contribute to a thriving urban forest by planting trees on their properties and engaging their congregations in environmental initiatives.

Ponsonby Baptist Church shares their eco-church journey and in particular how they used the 360°Carbon Calculator tool to understand their emissions and communicate them to their congregation. They also discuss how they are strategising ways to reduce and offset their emissions.

Having joined in the Eco Church movement in 2023, St Mike’s are continuing to look for ways to support local whenua. As the recent Season of Creation kicked off, each member of the church whānau were invited to consider making a fresh pledge for creation: one act which they would personally commit to in response to the call to be kaitiaki of God’s world.

Since mid-2017, Flagstaff Community Church in Dunedin has been working to restore School Creek (that runs alongside the church). This includes a creating a public track alongside the creek, so that the local community can explore and enjoy the beauty of creek and bush environments in the heart of the city, and extensive clearing and planting efforts with natives.

Look at that bunch of children and parents with spades and buckets. They’re above Te Auaunga (Oakley Creek), on the Auckland isthmus and it’s a Saturday afternoon, children from Cityside Baptist Church. They’re celebrating Matariki, the Māori New Year, with this midwinter tree-planting.