Diocesan Environmental Group

  1. Season of Creation 2024 Downloads
  2. Consider Creation: Eco-Lent 2024 Resources and Downloads
  3. Eco-Advent 2023 Resources and Downloads
  4. Season of Creation 2023 Downloads
  5. Members of the Diocesan Environmental Group
  6. Useful Links
  7. Contact form
  8. Newsletter Signup form

From Genesis to Revelation, we hear how God calls us to protect creation and love one another. To aid our efforts towards enacting the Net Zero Action Plan (NZAP) of the Scottish Episcopal Church, each Diocese is charged with creating a group to support church communities in implementing it.

You can also read the Introduction to the Diocesan Environmental Group by our Convener, the Rev Canon Stuart Bain.

The next meetings of the Diocesan Environmental Group will take place on 15 July 2024.

If you have any questions that you would like the Group to discuss in an upcoming meeting, please send them to us using the Contact form below (if they are sent a week ahead of a meeting they will be included in the agenda for that meeting). We would also want to hear about your challenges, ideas, and stories!

Season of Creation 2024 Downloads

Inspired by the international Season of Creation theme “to hope and act with Creation”, the DEG prepared the following materials based on five Gospel parables of seeds and growing. It is our hope that these resources will support you and your communities as you look, with hope, towards caring for the Creation with which God has entrusted us. Further resources and downloadable options will be available on this page as we near the Season.
Read the covering letter for these materials by the Rev Canon Audrey O’Brien Stewart here. Find the Ecumenical Celebration Guide for the Season of Creation 2024 here.

Download the ZIP archive with individual JPG files: Colour|B&W
Download the entire set in a PDF file: Colour|B&W

Consider Creation: Eco-Lent 2024 Resources and Downloads
Consider Creation takes the first Creation story from the book of Genesis and breaks it down, day by day, to engage more deeply with our call to be stewards of the environment. The program can be engaged with in small groups, as a congregation, or individually. It has been designed to be scalable and to work with what you might already have planned for Lent.

Consider Creation supplemental resources:

Information about exploring the night sky in Southern Scotland/Dumfries & Galloway: https://scotlandstartshere.com/darksky/

Learn more about your water usage and how to save water: https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/your-home/save-water

Why do we need to be concerned about water conservation in a place like Scotland? – https://www.waterwise.org.uk/2020/05/13/why-water-efficiency-is-so-important-in-scotland/

Learn more about Wind Power:
https://www.irena.org/Energy-Transition/Technology/Wind-energy
https://www.gov.scot/policies/renewable-and-low-carbon-energy/onshore-wind/
https://www.gov.scot/policies/renewable-and-low-carbon-energy/offshore-wind/
https://www.communitywindpower.co.uk/news/wind-energy-generated-in-scotland-is-enough-to-power-two-scotlands/1405.htm

Visit a windfarm in our Diocese: https://www.whiteleewindfarm.co.uk/

Advice for finding locally sourced foods: https://www.cpre.org.uk/discover/how-to-find-the-best-local-food-near-you/
Information and advice for sourcing and growing your own produce in Scotland: https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/social-and-economic-benefits-nature/food-and-drink/local-produce
Information about local produce shops in the South of Scotland: https://scotlandstartshere.com/food-and-drink/local-produce-specialty-food-and-drink-shops/

Information about exploring the night sky in Southern Scotland/Dumfries & Galloway: https://scotlandstartshere.com/darksky/

I AM: https://www.iamlife.earth/

Earth Hour: https://www.earthhour.org/

As we take time away from the hustle and bustle of our world to grow closer with God and examine our lives in this season of Lent, we hope the Consider Creation resources will provide structure to ground you on this vital journey with Christ through Creation.

Download as individual Colour PNG files: Ash Wednesday, Lent 1, Lent 2, Lent 3, Lent 4, Lent 5, Palm Sunday
Download as individual B&W PNG files: Ash Wednesday, Lent 1, Lent 2, Lent 3, Lent 4, Lent 5, Palm Sunday
Download the entire set in a PDF file: Colour|B&W

         

Click for resources.
Eco-Advent 2023 Resources and Downloads
Eco-Advent Trifolds
Eco-Advent 2023 Trifold Full Colour: PNG Front|Back, PDF, and ZIP.
Eco-Advent 2023 Trifold Print Version: PNG Front|Back, PDF, and ZIP.

It’s Our Planet Too is a website devoted to “eco fun for little people.” In addition to their award-winning kids eco subscription boxes, the enclosed link will take you to a wonderful eco advent calendar that will help you think more sustainably about celebrating the holidays.

Moral Fibres has a wonderful blog post with instructions on making ten plastic-free/zero-waste Christmas decorations with things you already have at home. Give it a try!

The Diocese of Bath and Wells has an engaging Eco Advent calendar with daily videos and instructions for how to follow along at home. They also have a daily advent activity you can download to do with your family.

A Rocha UK is a Christian charity working to equip Christians and churches to protect and restore the environment – for God, nature and all people. They aim to inspire individuals and families, equip churches and church leaders, build partnerships and manage land for nature and people. Their blog posts give facts about the environmental impact of Western holiday celebrations and ways we can make changes at home to decrease our footprint. Check out their Twelve Tips for a Greener Christmas and Ideas for a Greener Christmas!

If you are looking for a faith-based climate study to walk with you this Advent, look at Sleepers Wake by the Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam, the Archbishop of York’s Advent Book 2022, explores the reality of climate change and how Advent is an opportunity for us to wake up, sense the urgency and begin to make radical change.

Further Advent and Christmas links
Green Christian: Reclaim Christmas Blog Post and Advent Saturday Sessions: Climate and Colour
Eco-Congregation Scotland: Advent Calendar 2022 and Advent Calendar 2023
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland: Advent and Christmas 2023
Laudato Si Movement: Pray and Act – An Advent in Action for Our Common Home
Laudato Si Centre: Advent Nature Trail: Uncovering Christian Symbolism in Festive Plants

Click for resources.
Season of Creation 2023 Downloads
For each week in the Season of Creation, we have highlighted two of the 10 Points of Guidance from the NZAP. We have pointed out a few “quick wins” that everyone can try to have a positive impact on their environmental footprint and included prayers and scripture references to deepen our engagement.

These files were designed to be printed as A5 bulletin inserts. You could also use them as shareable images for online channels or print them for your notice boards! A selection of colour and black&white options are listed below. If you need a different or larger format, contact the Digital Engagement Officer.

Download as individual Colour PNG files: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Download as individual B&W PNG files: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Download the entire set in a PDF file: Colour|B&W
Download as Colour Weekly A5 Bulletin Insert PDF files: Week 1|Week 2|Week 3|Week 4|Week 5
Download as B&W Weekly A5 Bulletin Insert PDF files: Week 1|Week 2|Week 3|Week 4|Week 5
Download all of the above in a ZIP file.

Click for resources.
Members of the Diocesan Environmental Group

•The Rev Canon Stuart Bain, Convener (All Saints, Challoch)
•Prof Ian Arbon, (Holy Trinity, Kilmarnock)
•Ms Rebecca Cadie, (St Oswald’s, Maybole)
•Mr Danny Craig, (Christ Church, Lanark)
•Ms Fiona Crawford, (St Margaret’s, Newlands)
•Mr Petko Marinov, Digital Engagement Officer
•The Rev Alison Mathew, (St Oswald’s, King’s Park)
•The Rev Canon Audrey O’Brien Stewart, Canon Missioner

L-R: Stuart, Audrey, [on screen: Ian, Alison, Danny], Rebecca, Fiona, and Petko.

Provincial Resources, Information and Environment News
The Provincial Environment Group (PEG)
What Does “Net Zero 2030” Mean? Video
Net Zero Consultation and Results
General Synod Gives Its Backing to Net Zero Action Plan
Updated Net Zero Action Plan
New Toolkit, Checklist, and Cards (Toolkit and Checklist ver.1.0 for reference)
PEG Stained Glass Design: Dr Lana Woolford’s brilliant redesign of the PEG logo, as used at the top of this page.
The SEC Vestry Resources page has useful information on buildings, processes and potential funding streams.

Click for further resources.

 

Contact Form

Your messages will be forwarded automatically to the Rev Canon Stuart Bain (Convener), the Rev Canon Audrey O’Brien Stewart (Canon Missioner) and Petko Marinov (Digital Engagement Officer).

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