St John Southworth RC/Christ Church Methodist LEP, Nelson

'Spiritual' activities:

  • Many services with and environmental component, including:
    • Creation & Advent Festivals - carbon footprint/environmental awareness exhibitions
    • Mothering Sunday
    • Fairtrade Fortnight: visit to Fair Trade warehouse
    • Methodist Relief & Development Fund theme 'Living water of life'
    • Palm sunday - theme King of Creation
    • Good Friday - bulbs planted after joint service
    • Easter Day - sunflower seeds planted in pots and grow to maturity in sanctuary
    • Pentecost - red/orange flowers used to symbolise the Holy Spirit
    • Planting of summer flowers in outdoor Christian grotto to encourage meditation on creation
    • eco-creed and prayers written by small groups to use in services
    • summer - members encouraged to bring reminders of holidays or photographs/drawings
    • holiday Bible club - theme God's creation
    • Harvest weekend and Creation Festival for members and visitors - theme explored by phots, textiles, craft items, paintings and drawings, produced by all
  • Remembrance Day - Eco-group potted up 120 welsh poppies and with a variety of Biblical texts about peace and love gave them to worshipping groups.
  • Horse Divine blessing service

Practical activities:

  • Fair trade - used in cafe and for all church activities, and campaigns in the local community
  • gardens at Christ Church managed by a group of volunteers
  • Christian Grotto at Vaughan Street refurbished with plants
  • compost bins
  • recycling activities - extensive range, open to all who use church premises
  • swap table for toys and children's clothes
  • waste reduction - no items on stand by, less paper used
  • Vaughan Street building refurbished including double glazing and low energy lights
  • Christchurch: new building opened in 2007 with energy saving devices throughout

Reaching out:

  • distribution of low energy light bubls to local community sponsored by local Council
  • good contact with local schools and joint work on recycling and exhibitions
  • guided nature trails and walks between March and September
  • Many in congregation volunteer at HAPPA (horse rescue charity) which has had an impact on their environmental policy and use of fairtrade in their cafe, and tree planting.
  • holiday club raises money for overseas projects
  • Pendle Credit Union has offices at both sites
  • many special Sundays supporting overseas work, and significant support of a number of development agencies, including visiting to provide hands on volunteering in Sierra Leone
  • Creation Festival
  • Carbon Footprint Exhibitions held on both sites with lots of visitors from the community including May, Counciil leader and Policy manager, and for local primary school
  • Church buildings themselves provide positive message in the town
  • lots of use of local media (newspaper and web)