And the winner is…

On Thursday 26^th September, Aike headed to St. John’s Waterloo London, for the Church Times Green Award ceremony. BRF ministries Messy Church were sponsoring the Education and Training category, looking for great examples of churches, schools and Christian community groups with holistic approaches to the eco-crises, educating and equipping others to care better for God’s amazing creation, as well as enabling encounter with Christ through nature.

She writes: The whole afternoon was an amazing celebration and encouragement for all the incredible work that people are doing to raise awareness of the climate crises and our Christian response. Over a buffet lunch and a glass of wine, I chatted with many of the nominees, hearing about their projects, what excites them most and where they are noticing God at work through their efforts. In my opinion, they are all winners and shining examples of what is possible, even when you only have a handful of willing volunteers and limited finance. However, as with all competitions, there is only one winner.

As a category sponsor, I had the pleasure of talking briefly about Messy Church Goes Wild, the movement within Messy Church that aims to encourage Messy Churches to meet God outdoors, love the natural world, and be more eco-friendly in all we do, ahead of hearing about the three finalists in our category. It was hugely rewarding to say those classic words…And the winner is…

Worcester Cathedral – for their Living Gently on the Earth project

Huge congratulations go to the Cathedral Eco group who have, over the past couple of years, developed a series of community events, talks and workshops to highlight environmental issues. What caught the judge’s attention was how they are using their prominent location to reach and educate their wider community, beyond the cathedral congregation. Events range from championing a more sustainable circular economy with practical ideas for lowering your environmental footprint; exploring Christian Hope in an age of crises and turmoil; engaging with local MP’s on environmental issues; outdoor worship; to checking out biodiversity with wildlife surveys and exploring the fascinating and mysterious world of Worcester cathedral’s bats. If you’re in the area, drop by on their Big Green Family Fair this Saturday 5^th October 2024 10am-4pm.

We hope that Messy Churches will be inspired by the stories of churches, church schools, and Christian organisations and communities that are making efforts, in big and small ways to care for God’s creation and encounter God in the outdoors.

You can read about all the category nominees here:
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/30-august/features/features/shortlisted-entries-to-the-2024-church-times-green-church-awards-green-shoots-to-green-plants

https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/6-september/features/features/shortlisted-entries-to-the-2024-church-times-green-church-awards-healing-touch-of-green-champions

What small thing could your Messy Church do this season to care for the environment better?

Remember to check out our Messy Church Goes Wild resources