Reduce your household’s and church’s carbon footprint by 40% during Lent this year. The result?
Better stewardship, enhanced worship and witness, and new disciplines for the future.
In response to globally recognised ecological concerns, dioceses across the South West are challenging a destructive culture of ease and wastefulness.
The national output of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere is fully recognised as causing ecological imbalances.
In September 2013, the Diocese carried a motion at Synod to shrink our carbon footprint by 40% during Lent. The resources overleaf show how this is achievable both for churches and individuals.
As energy prices increase in the future because of diminishing resources, many of the recommendations will become more and more necessary.
The inspiration for you to commit to the Carbon Fast is four-fold:
/ Financial
Energy costs money. Individuals might think of donating what they’ve saved in Lent toward the costs of improving their church. PCCs have the opportunity to reduce expenditure by improving the efficiency of heating and lighting as well as by adopting energy-aware behaviours.
/ Environmental
CO2 is a greenhouse gas which traps heat in the atmosphere, causing a variety of environmental problems. As Christians, we believe we have a God-given responsibility to care for creation as part of our everyday discipleship. We can examine and reshape daily patterns of life, spending habits and travel choices in a way that helps protect the world for future generations.
/ Devotional
Consciously adopting carbon-saving behaviours is sacrificial and provides a wonderful way to engage with the Lenten concerns of temptation, denial and salvation. We are called to change the world, but cannot do so without the Spirit. Sign up for the email series of daily reflections in Lent to encourage and inspire commitment.
/ Missional
Our actions can provide the opportunity to say why we do what we do and give us opportunities to witness to our faith in God. Christians can take opportunities to talk to others about The Carbon Fast:
- we believe God is the creator of the world and that we are entrusted with its care;
- Lent is a time for sacrifice as we prepare to celebrate life in Christ at Easter;
- Christians love the world and want to influence it for the good.
People across the South West and beyond could see an amazing movement of Christians across the whole region, united by faith in God and love for this world.
If all those in the South West who regularly worship in Church of England churches reduce their carbon footprint by 40% it would be as though a forest twice the size of the Isle of Wight had popped up for Lent to absorb carbon emissions.
The Carbon Fast is a real challenge. The season serves to give the matter serious longer-term consideration and, of course, some projects may require longer to get off the ground. The sustainable aim is to succeed in reducing our carbon footprint by 40% by 2020.
Better stewardship, more talk about our faith, deeper spiritual discovery. Will you and your church family play your part in what dioceses across the South West are seeking to achieve?
There are A3 posters to help you and you church commit to the Challenge. Download the Poster →
You can request further posters from sam.cavender a_t bristoldiocese d_o_t org
Reduce your church building’s carbon use →
Go to www.thecarbonfast.org for further info →
Source: http://www.bristol.anglican.org/2014/carbon-fast-challenge/