The Eco Group of All Saints, Howick, has been working hard to encourage more sustainable living in the community. Beginning in August of 2023, we’ve had conversations around the parish to get a sense of what was needed. Read on to find out what initiatives they’re starting with at All Saints!

In true Waikato fashion, Saturday morning 23 March was wet. Proper heavens-open sort of rain. Yet that didn’t stop 35 people gathering at Anglican Action Mahi Mihinare to hear from several speakers about conservation and sustainability. Read what attendees have to say about the event...

Nothing beats the joy of when a plan becomes reality. Especially when those plans have been a long time in the making! On August 24th and 25th the team from Lightforce came to Chartwell Cooperating Church to install 20 solar panels. This project started a long time ago and has been passionately supported by Warwick Silvester, Jack Brinkman, Erica Harris and the late Jock Crawford.

Tied into Sunday’s Service of Creation service, was the introduction of Eco Awards presented by Tim and Anna Cox. The Eco Church awards are an acknowledgement of the actions by members of our parish towards environmental change and improvement.

Youth Groups from across Christchurch (including from many eco churches) came together as part of The Good News Project to spread joy, hope and mulch, and we couldn't be prouder! Over 100 young people joined the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust and Christchurch City Council to help to regenerate native bush at Te Ihutai. Check out this highlights video of the project!

St Peter’s Anglican Church in Gonville Whanganui are creating space in their front garden for a whole lot of connecting and growing. St Peter’s Garden is more than just a garden – it’s a space where the community can connect, make friends, grow veges… and play chess!

Read about the Cityside Travelling Nativity Set - a Cityside Baptist tradition that began in 2013. The Nativity set starts its journey by being handed over to the initial hosts during the service on the first Sunday of Advent. There is a liturgy for the giver and the receiver to say during the process of handing over. The nativity set will stay with the hosts for one or two nights before they pass it on to the next recipients, continuing until it arrives back at Cityside on Christmas Eve.

St John’s Anglican Church Timaru represented in our own Eco Church stall at the South Canterbury Sustainability Festival. We gave out chocolates and succulent plants with a message of hope and shared what Eco Church was about to anyone who was interested. We even made the paper.

All Saints Burwood shared with us their journey so far as an Eco Church… and the little and big steps that have been made.

Captain Simon Montgomery, a member of Salves and corps officer at Whanganui Salvation Army, leads a group of people who are passionate about caring for God’s creation and helping to sustain the environment around them. As a corps (church) they’ve decided to join the A Rocha Eco Church NZ project.

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.

The annual Blessing of the Animals service at St. Peter's Anglican Church was delightfully chaotic. Human voices rose up in song alongside dog voices and cat voices.