Eco-congregation
Eco-Congregation
Selkirk Parish Church is registered as an Eco-Congregation.
This commits the congregation to take action to promote our caring for God’s creation and to do all that we can to be good stewards of the world entrusted to us.
For detialed information about waste recycling, see:Zero Waste leaflet 2019
- Denim Upcycle Challenge Show
- A prayer for COP26 and beyond …
- Prayers as we approach COP26
Prayers as we approach COP26: 11 prayers that we are encouraged to pray by His Holiness, pope Francis:We must adapt our socio-economic models so they have a human face, because many models have lost it. Thinking about these situations, in God’s name I ask:
- That governments and all politicians work for the common good. Let them beware of listening only to the economic elite; may they be servants of those people who ask for land, shelter and work and a good life in harmony with all humanity and creation.
- Powerful countries to stop aggression, blockades and unilateral sanctions against any country anywhere on earth and that conflicts be resolved in multilateral fora such as the United Nations.
- That the media put an end to the logic of post-truth, disinformation, defamation, slander and that sick attraction for scandal and that they seek to contribute to human fraternity.
- The telecommunications giants to liberalise access to educational material and exchange with teachers via the internet so that poor children can be educated even under quarantine.
- Technology giants to stop preying on human weakness, people’s vulnerability, in order to make a profit.
- Arms manufacturers and dealers to totally cease their activity, that foments violence and war, often in the context of geopolitical games that costs millions of lives and displaces many people.
- The big food corporations to stop imposing monopolistic production and distribution structures that inflate prices and end up withholding bread from the hungry.
- The large mining, oil, forestry, real estate, agribusiness companies to stop destroying nature, to stop polluting, to stop intoxicating people and food.
- Financial groups and international credit institutions to guarantee poor countries the basic needs of their people and to waive those debts so often contracted against the interests of those same peoples.
- The big laboratories to liberalise patents and to carry out a gesture of humanity and allow every human being access to the vaccine.
- All of us religious leaders, that we never use God’s name to foment wars. Let us stand by our people, the workers, the humble, and fight together with them so that integral human development may become a reality. Let us build bridges of love.
- Prayer in the Park
Prayer in the Park, 1st Aug 2021
In the most recent in the series of monthly events Towards COP26, 16 people met on Selkirk Hill on Sunday afternoon, 1st August, to think and pray about climate issues. Being outside in a beautiful green space, rich in flowers, grasses, trees, and running water on a lovely afternoon helped focus our minds some of the issues affecting the planet.
We prayed for countries most impacted by climate change and for leaders and politicians who will be attending COP26 in Glasgow to be ambitious in their commitments and actions.The Wave of Hope photo will join Tearfund’s visual petition.
Continue reading → - Eco-chaplain visit
Eco-chaplain visit – 11th July 2021
David Coleman at SPC This Sunday, Rev. David Coleman, environmental chaplain to Eco-congregation Scotland, led our service. Our Gold Award was acknowledged, and we were inspired and challenged to see our environmental concern as integral to our faith and action. David also conducted the service in Ashkirk, where he was fed and watered afterwards at The Smiddy and at Martin and Barbara’s house.
Continue reading → - Christian Aid “kiltcycle”
Christian Aid “kiltcycle” (Saturday 24th April 2021)
Congratulations to (and thanks from) Jane and Jack Peers, who cycled 50 miles around all 5 church buildings in the parishes of Ashkirk, Ettrick & Yarrow, and Selkirk, to raise money for Christians Aid. Watch the short video here.
If you want to sponsor them, you can do so here.
- April event “Towards COP26”
The April event organised by Selkirk Parish Church eco group has the title:Governments? Thinking?
On Thursday 22nd April 7 – 8pm, the speaker will be Ewan Jones, a chartered consultant engineer working in energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings. In his own time, Ewan has completed a low carbon refurbishment of a 110-year old house and is the Environment Officer for St George’s Church in Leeds.
Ewan will explain the broad strategy being developed by our Governments to decarbonise buildings, transport, industry and power generation and how these sectors are increasingly inter-linked.
As always, there will be the opportunity for questions and discussion and sharing ideas how we can engage with our politicians.
Please contact anne@dbethune.com to be kept informed and receive Zoom details for this and future events.
- SPC Eco-event March 12th
“Transport – 20% of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions”
Join us on Friday 12th March, 7-8pm, for an online presentation by Jack Peers, followed by questions/discussion.
The talk will reflect on the changes in transport during the last 60 years and the increase in global emissions this has caused. It will also suggest some changes we might make to our lifestyles to significantly reverse this trend.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 922 2168 8810Passcode: 265626
Continue reading → - SPC February Eco-event
Being an environmentally-conscious Christian
Join us on Monday 8th February, 7-8pm, for an online presentation by Rev. David Coleman from Eco-congregation Scotland, followed by questions/discussion.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 970 5368 2320Passcode: 806674
- COP26 – what is it?
COP26 – what is it?
Join us on Monday 18th January, 7-8pm, for an online presentation by Fiona Buchanan from Christian Aid, followed by questions/discussion.
Meeting ID: 971 4718 3597
Passcode: 629241
