I was recently alerted to this item on the URC Website:

“A United Reformed Church has been recognised for its commitment towards caring for the environment by becoming the first URC to win an A Rocha Gold Eco Church award. St John’s, Marsh Green, Edenbridge (in Kent) impressed judges on a site visit in October because they were inspired by the congregation’s teamwork. The church generates its own electricity, uses rainwater for toilet flushing, has its own nature reserve and wildflower meadow to improve habitats for wildlife, runs eco-events and encourages children and adults to be as ‘green’ as possible.
The Revd Rob Weston, URC Environmental Task Group Convenor, said: “’I’m delighted to see the first Gold Eco Church award within the URC. It is clear that across the UK the whole Church is waking up to the need for urgent action.”

Here at Glenorchy we are still some way from getting the points needed for our Gold Award but could we perhaps be the second URC to get one? (Having your own nature reserve is not a necessity!) Geoff Smith

NEWS: Glenorchy hosted an ‘eco’ meeting of Exmouth church folk on 24 th November to consider ways in which we as Christians together might make a difference. Revd Martin Nicholls gave a passionate talk on the reasons needed to take urgent action and the hope is that those present will galvanise their own churches into taking action, bringing God’s love to the urgent tasks ahead. While the overall number of 15 attending was disappointing, 9 different churches were represented. It is hoped that these people will form the nucleus of an Exmouth inter-church group acting together to express our Christian concern about these urgent issues.