Oddingley Church is committed to caring for God's creation. We believe that God has set human beings as stewards on Earth and that we have a responsibility to live in harmony with the natural world wherever possible. As part of this, we are undertaking the process of becoming an 'Eco Church'. For example, already at Oddingley:

• We avoid the use of disposable cups and crockery where possible
• We encourage worshippers and visitors to walk or cycle to church if feasible
• Our beautiful churchyard is open for all to enjoy
• We advocate a nature-friendly way of managing the churchyard
• We try to avoid the use of harmful chemicals
• We compost garden waste and encourage recycling
• We encourage the consumption of food from Fairtrade or sustainable sources
• We organise jumble sales to encourage reuse of items

How Can I Live More Sustainably?

Living sustainably is about living life prayerfully and humbly, in harmony with creation. It means thinking about the consequences of our actions on others and respecting the needs of other people and animals. Rather than taking a 'right and wrong' approach, we would encourage everyone to consider where each of us could reduce our negative impacts on the planet, whether that's through climate change or air or plastic pollution.

Jesus taught us not to worry about things like food and drink and clothing; to set our hearts on treasure in heaven and not on treasure of Earth. Christians believe that a better, fuller life is to be found in prioritising our relationships with God, nature and one another, than in accumulating excess material wealth. We would encourage everyone to listen prayerfully to what God is calling us all to do, to delight in doing those good things that he asks of us, and to avoid where possible making decisions that cause harm to the planet.

Some ideas for what living more sustainably might include:

• Mend things, rather than replacing them
• Buy only things that will genuinely be of use or that you will genuinely enjoy
• Spend more time amidst nature
• Eat less meat, or switch to more ethically-sourced meat in low quantities
• Use public transport
• Recycle more
• Don't fly often

Remember: this isn't a list of commandments; it's a list of ideas. Life's not about feeling guilty for doing things we can't avoid; rather, it's about enjoying the gift of existence and enabling others to do the same.