Eco Church

Part of our vision is to grow in love for God and for His creation which should impact everything in our church lives. That is why we, at St John’s have recently committed to becoming an Eco Church. This is an award scheme for churches in England and Wales who wish to demonstrate that the gospel is good news for God’s earth.

By participating in the Eco Church scheme, our church must indicate how we are caring for God’s earth in our worship and teaching, around our buildings and grounds (if applicable), in our community engagement at local and global level plus in our personal lifestyles as church members. By initiating projects, recording evidence and demonstrating our commitment to the Eco Church project, our church collects points towards an Silver Eco Church Award. We have have already been awared a Bronse Eco Church and in the coming years hope to have amassed sufficient points to qualify for an Silver and subsequently a Gold awardbefore 2030.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of its new community orchard. Featuring apple trees, a clover lawn, wildflowers and a mix of habitats for insects, this forms part of Eco Church commitment.The community orchard will not only add beauty to the church grounds, important habitat for wildlife and nectar for pollinators, it will also serve as an educational resource. Visitors of all ages will be able to enjoy the growing fruit trees and native flowers whilst learning about the benefits of local biodiversity and sustainable gardening practices.

Parishioners and local residents are invited to celebrate the new orchard during at this year's Harvest Fair on Saturday 28th September. Throughout the afternoon everyone is welcome to help sow the wildflower seeds and there will be opportunities to learn about the fruit trees. The Harvest Festival promises a delightful array of activities starting on Saturday at 2.30pm with the annual Flower & Produce show and the Harvest Fair with plenty of stalls games fun activities, and live music from the Copthorne Silver Band. It's a wonderful opportunity for families and friends to come together, enjoy the season's produce, and celebrate the launch of this sustainable project.

For more info on Eco Church click here.