SEASCALE METHODIST CHURCH WINS ECO-CONGREGATION AWARD
(13-Jan-2008)

Three years after registering as an Eco-Congregation, Seascale Methodist Church has gained the Eco-Congregation Award. Eco-Congregation developed from a partnership between the government funded environmental charity ENCAMS, which runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaign and the Going for Green brand, and the environmental issues network of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. It aims to encourage churches to consider environmental issues within a Christian context and enable local churches to make positive contributions in their life and mission.

Churches are assessed on the basis of prominence being given to the environment, in the following aspects of their life, and relating them to the Christian faith: finance; buildings; gardens; youth and children’s Work; worship and preaching; fellowship/study groups.

Not all churches are expected to cover every aspect. Location, resources and size of church and congregation are all taken into account when the assessment is carried out.

The Seascale work was assessed by Dr John Biggs (a past president of The Baptist Union) of Grasmere and Mrs Pam Martin of Kendal. Their visit was arranged to coincide with an eco-coffee morning held at the church on December 7. There was an exhibition of the work done by the church, stalls manned by Copeland Borough Council recycling department, The Cumbria Energy Efficiency Advice Centre and The Cumbria Wildlife Trust (west coast support group). The event was very well attended and many people took the opportunity to find out information from the stall holders on energy saving in the home and recycling policy, and to learn about the work of The Wildlife Trust.