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What's So Amazing About Grace? Series
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People and Planet

May EcoChallenge: No Mow May

For our May EcoChallenge, Woodlands People & Planet are challenging you to put away your lawn mower!

At Woodlands People and Planet we love to recycle and people who have been following this series carefully might recognise this challenge from this time last year – however we think it is a good one so please read on!

Making space for nature in our cities and towns is really important – and we can all do our bit. Those of us lucky enough to have gardens can think about how we can use them as good habitats for insects, birds and other animals too which are often coming under pressure as a lot of their habitats are removed. Gardens can often be much richer in wildlife than farmland!

This month’s challenge is simple – all you have to do is leave your mower in the shed for the month. This will give the flowers naturally present in the lawn a chance to bloom, acting as a valuable source of nectar for hard-pressed bees and other pollinating insects. Did you know lawns mown just once a month can be a source of 10 times as much nectar as lawns mown weekly? At the end of the month you have a chance to do a bit of citizen science by counting the number of flowers present in a random square metre of your lawn. What could be easier?

If you want to take this further, you can always try #LetItBloomJune or #KneeHighJuly!

Plantlife, the organisation behind the NoMowMay campaign, have found that the optimum way to manage your lawn for pollinators is a ‘Mohican’ approach. Mowing about every four weeks is the best way to promote the growth flowers that like shorter lengths of grass, such as daisies and white clover. At the same time leaving some areas unmown for longer can allow a richer variety of flowers to flourish in your lawn. 

If you would like to sign up to the campaign and take part in the flower count at the end of the month visit Plantlife.

This Lifestyle article gives a great summary of the Mohican approach to cutting your lawn.

GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE + PLANET

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

April EcoChallenge: Car Fasting

For our April EcoChallenge, Woodlands People & Planet are challenging you to take a ‘car fast’

We’re not talking about fast cars…! But rather, the challenge to take a break from using your car for a period of time or a particular journey.

This can have a positive impact on our environment, health and social cohesion as well as supporting public transport systems.

We have all probably seen the negative impact of the increasing number of cars on our roads; increased fuel costs; traffic jams; and limited parking. But for lots of us, driving is a part of our way of life, giving us spontaneous travel, a sense of security, and convenience.

But did you know… if 4 out of 5 of short journeys were made on foot, by public transport or bike, we could each save up to £279 a year. Not to mention, helping benefit our environment and our health as well as our wallets. (11% of short car journeys are under one mile, 29% are from one to under two miles).

Why we could all at least try car fasting?

  • Transportation typically is the second largest contributor to each persons carbon footprint (responsible for 27% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK).

  • Moving away from cars can promote better social networks, improve mental and physical wellbeing and try out alternative modes of travel.

  • Like all fasting, car fasting allows us to try alternatives, reflect on our dependencies and feel first hand the benefits of new habits that are better for our health, our neighbourhoods and our wallet. 

Cities across the UK are experimenting with clean air zones in cities. Bristol has its own clean air zone plans, and a number of solutions to support a transition to more sustainable modes of transport as published by Bristol City Council. 

As a former Green Capital city the people of Bristol hold an opportunity to lead by example. The small steps already being taken towards sustainable transport and away from cars all add up when we come together, no matter how small or insignificant our individual actions may feel. For more ideas on how you can improve the way you travel visit and alternative options visit: https://www.bristolclimatehub.org/climate_actions/live-car-free/

GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE + PLANET

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

March EcoChallenge: Reduce Food Waste

For our March EcoChallenge, Woodlands People & Planet have come up with some helpful ways we can all reduce our food waste.

According to WRAP, about 70% of the food produced in Britain goes on to be wasted. This is a tragedy when in our city, let alone on the rest of our planet, a lot of people don’t have enough to eat. It’s also a problem as producing food often has a big environmental impact. As another incentive, WRAP also estimate that the average UK family could save up to £700 a year by reducing food waste.

So how can we reduce the amount of food we waste?

SHOP SMARTER
One way is shopping smarter. Plan meals ahead so you know what you want to cook for the week and only have to buy what you need. Be careful with special offers and buy-one-get-one free deals, they can be bargains but they can also trick you into buying things you don’t want. And keep an eye on use by dates before you buy things. Lots of vegetables don’t even make it to the shops because they are somewhat unusually shaped, a lot of greengrocers and supermarkets will now sell fruit and veg which is ‘wonky’ at a discount, these taste the same and are good value so look out for these.

STORE FOOD BETTER
Another way is to store food cleverly. Personally, I have found the most important thing to do is to try and keep some semblance of order in the fridge, rotating food so I use the oldest products first and also know if there are some things which need using soon. Often we can save most of an old vegetable by cutting the bad bit off, or celery or lettuce leaves can be reinvigorated by giving a soak in cold water. And if there is something which looks like it is going out of date before you can get to use it you can always pop it in the freezer.

GET CREATIVE
Finally, having some fruit or veg you know you need to use is a good excuse to try and get creative in the kitchen. When life gives you brown bananas make banana bread! For more tips check out this excellent BBC good food article here.

 
GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE + PLANET

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

February EcoChallenge: Support Fairtrade

For our February EcoChallenge, Woodlands People & Planet are asking us to all get involved with Fairtrade Fortnight 2022. Learn more about Fairtrade and get involved from 21 February to 6 March 2022.

It’s only fair!

Fairtrade is how we should do trade all the time, but once a year, the world shines a spotlight on the importance of paying a fair price to people and communities in the far-flung places across the world, who mine our gold, grow our food and drinks, make our clothes and a myriad of other products.

As Jesus Followers we want to be a part of a just world, where all humans are equal, have access to work, fair pay, education, food, health and other resources – these are basic human rights after all. But we know that in reality, the most vulnerable communities in developing countries are exploited everyday and do not earn enough to take care of their families, access medical care and many of the things we take for granted here. 

Fairtrade seeks to redress the trading and power imbalance that the Global North through the mechanism of multinational corporations have over the Global South by distributing profits more equitably by paying a fair price for raw materials and goods. By practicing Fairtrade, we can help to transform the lives of millions of people simply buying Fairtrade products online and instore.  

The truth is we can all make a difference, just by tweaking our buying habits, because a little bit goes a long way if we all join in. A good place to start is by celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight which takes place from 21 February to 6 March 2022. The theme this year is Choose the World you Want. 

There are other ways to celebrate Fairtrade too, why not visit the Fairtrade UK website and read about their efforts to secure a living wage for cocoa farmers, the UK chocolate industry is worth £4 billion but too little of this makes its way to the farmers.

There are lots of way you can contribute to Fairtrade’s work - here are some ideas:

Fairtrade doesn’t have to stop here, once Fairtrade Fortnight is over, why not add at least one Fairtrade product to your regular shopping list? Bananas, tea and chocolate are easy ones!

To explore how to live a more sustainable life and support equity and human rights, join People + Planet, we meet to pray, share ideas and take action. We are activists for Jesus. 

 
GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE + PLANET

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

January EcoChallenge: Be more eco friendly in 2022

For our January EcoChallenge, Woodlands People & Planet are sharing some helpful ways for us to be more eco friendly in 2022. Some of us are overcome with anxiety by our planet’s future, others are simply wondering what we could do more of to live more sustainably. 

There is a huge disparity between the impact you as an individual consumer can have vs that of large corporations and it often fills us with a sense of “why bother”. It may seem pointless to try when all you hear in the media are horror stories about rising sea levels, droughts and coral reefs dying. But it is so much more damaging to bury your head in the proverbial sand and do nothing than to change at least one thing that will lead to a more sustainable lifestyle. 

Mindy Chung argues that “being eco-friendly isn’t a competition or standard – there’s no need to approach it from a perfectionist standpoint. It’s just about doing what you can to lessen your carbon footprint – both as an individual and as a consumer.” 

So what can you do in 2022?

 

Start small
No one can change everything all at once, think/pray about one thing you would like to change and do it.

 

Avoid single-use waste when possible

Buy loose fruit and vegetables where you can – most shops offer this – and buy from places that allow you to use your own bags or jars (this may mean that you pay more for your goods, I consider this as an investment into the producers, the earth and my children’s future).

 

Buy second-hand when possible

You can buy most things second hand these days – from clothing to furniture to electrical goods – charity shops and online platforms like ebay or gumtree offer a wealth of items that are cheaper to buy than if you buy them new and mean that you are making use of an item that would otherwise be put into landfill. 

 

Become a conscientious consumer

We are all tempted by cheap offers and like to think we are virtuous because we are saving money. But the reality is that there is usually someone/something in the production chain that suffers because our need for a bargain. Educating yourself about the companies you buy from and the products that are particularly harmful to the environment is an important step to become a more conscientious consumer.  

 

Advocate for change

Never underestimate that your voice can make a difference when you demand change. Be vocal on social media, vote for environmental matters, support figures who are passionate about the environment and lobby your MP when and where you can. This takes energy to do but it is so worthwhile!

We can’t do everything all at once but one step at a time will make a big difference. Wishing you a happy start to 2022!

For more information, check out Mindy Chung’s essay that this blog was based on:


GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE + PLANET

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

November EcoChallenge: Get Involved with COP26

For our November EcoChallenge, Woodlands People & Planet are keen to see our church family take action as the COP26 conference of world leaders happens in early November in Glasgow. Here in Bristol, there is going to be an online prayer event as well as a climate justice rally that you’re invited to join! Find out more and sign up using the links below.

What is COP26?

In the first two weeks of November, delegates from almost every nation will be gathering in Glasgow, Scotland for a huge United Nations climate change negotiation. Called Conference of Parties 26 (COP26) it will be one of the largest international events ever hosted by the UK, with up to 30,000 people in attendance. Many world leaders, including the Pope and Queen Elizabeth II, will be there, along with policy experts, diplomats, and scientists. 

Bristol Rally: 6th November

Tearfund, Christian Aid and other Christian agencies are joining as part of the wider Climate Coalition to organise rallies of support around the country.  The P&P group would like to encourage all those in Woodies who are concerned about God's creation and the climate emergency to join us at the Bristol rally on Saturday 6th November at 12 noon.

COP26 Online Prayer Event: 8th November

You’re invited to join us online on the 8th November at 7.30pm for an evening of meditation, reading scripture and praying for COP26. Prayer is a crucial part of our response, and the more we pray, the more passionate we become about joining in with what God is doing and taking action ourselves. Please join with us, as we pray for God to use COP26 to bring restoration to the world. 


GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE + PLANET

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

October EcoChallenge: Go Charity Shopping

The stuff that we buy can have a big environmental impact that we are often unaware of.

Clothes account for a surprisingly big part of this. The Fashion industry is reckoned to be responsible for about 10% of carbon emissions (more than the aviation and shipping sectors combined). It is also behind serious water pollution issues in developing countries where waste water from dyeing fabric is dumped directly into rivers. Moreover there often being questions about how fairlythe people making garments are treated. According to surveys nearly half of the typical British persons wardrobe goes unworn anyway!*

There are lots of things we can do to lower our impact- here is a small selection:

• Simply buy fewer new clothes.

• Buy second hand – in charity/vintage shops or also on online sites.

• A stitch in time– I have a favourite pair of jeans about to go at the knee – I have promised myself to figure out how to patch them up before it’s too late!

• Try to buy good quality clothes that will last for longer. This should prove cost effective in the long term.

• When buying new clothes consider buying ones with higher ethical credentials. For example it is possible to buy from brands who use recycled polymer fibres for coats, or who use organic cotton which has a lower environmental impact and doesn’t expose farm workers to harmful pesticides. It is also possible to buy some items of clothing which are FairTrade.

If you want to know more please do come to our online event on Sustainable Fashion on 11th October at 7.30pm – you can register here.

Since this month’s EcoChallenge is to go Charity shopping here are a few tips on how to get the most out of it. And do remember to donate good-quality items of clothing you are no longer wearing too!

*Source: Can Fashion Ever Be Sustainable? (BBC website

P+P Sustainable Fashion Online Event

Woodlands People & Planet would like to invite you to join us online for an introduction to sustainable fashion and how our faith plays a part in our response.

We'll be in conversation with Sam Mabley from sustainable, ethical T-shirt company, Yes Friends, and Flo Neave from Treasure boutique charity shop and community hub, as we explore our motivations and methods of dressing sustainably. 

Why do we need to think about what we wear? Here are just a few reasons:

  • The fashion industry currently accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions, which is actually more than aviation and shipping industries combined. [1]

  • It's responsible for nearly 20% of the world's wastewater, and accounts for 20-35% of microplastic flowing into the ocean. [2]

  • The amount of clothes purchased has gone up, but the number of times items are worn has gone down, with three out of five fast fashion items ending up in landfill. [3, 4]

  • 1 in 6 of the world's workers are employed in the fashion industry, but very few are paid living wage, and many work in extremely dangerous and exploitative conditions [5]

Our planet, and garment industry workers, pay a high price for our clothing consumption. Come along to this event to discuss this topic further and to get curious about what we can do about it. 

Simply sign up online to attend:

We look forward to seeing you there!


GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE + PLANET

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

NOTES:

[1] https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200310-sustainable-fashion-how-to-buy-clothes-good-for-the-climate

[2] https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion

[3] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20201208STO93327/the-impact-of-textile-production-and-waste-on-the-environment-infographic 

[4] https://cleanclothes.org/fashions-problems/waste-and-pollution

[5] https://goodonyou.eco/impact-fast-fashion-garment-workers/

September EcoChallenge: Switch to Green Energy

Screenshot 2021-09-01 at 15.24.30.png

At Woodies, we are keen love God's creation and our People + Planet group is key in helping us to reduce our impact on the environment as a church. Our monthly EcoChallenges help everyone in church to take part from home. This month, David Parker shares the some helpful tips for how to get involved.

September 2021: EcoChallege - “Switch to Green Energy”

An easy but significant step you can make in the fight against climate change is to switch to a renewable electricity tariff. It means that for every kilowatt of electricity you use, your supplier will commit to buying the equivalent amount of energy from renewable sources. It’s a powerful way you can promote the development of green energy sources using the money you spend on your electricity bill.

A lot of renewable tariffs are now very competitively priced, so you might even find that switching can save you money! The electricity supply at the church buildings at the Woodlands group of churches has been on a renewable tariff for some years now.

  • If you’re interested in finding out more it’s worth reading this article from Which explaining how some renewable tariffs are greener than others.

  • You can also try using the Big Clean Switch price comparison website which vets the providers it lists for their green credentials.

 


GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE + PLANET

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

August EcoChallenge: Call for Change

EcoChallenge - August 2021.png

At Woodies, we are keen love God's creation and our People + Planet group is key in helping us to reduce our impact on the environment as a church. Our monthly EcoChallenges help everyone in church to take part from home. This month, David Parker shares the some helpful tips for how to get involved.

August 2021: EcoChallege - “Call for Change”

In November the UK is hosting the UN international climate change conference, COP 26. It is of vital importance because it is at this meeting that countries are expected to make further commitments towards keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees, as outlined in the Paris agreement of 2015.

We need to be praying that this is a success and that countries make real, significant commitments.

We can also call on our government to lead the way. The Climate Coalition, which is made up of many different organisations, including among many others Tearfund and Christian Aid, has launched a petition and campaign called The Time Is Now asking the government to commit to:

  • Invest in clean energy revolution in the UK.

  • Protect, restore and expand our green spaces.

  • Leave no one behind: increase support to the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change at home and abroad.

You can sign the Climate Coalition’s declaration ‘The Time Is Now’ and find out more using the links below:

 For a greater impact you could consider writing to your MP, the Prime Minister or the Chancellor. Watch the video below and consider sharing it with your friends and family and on social media. #TheTimeIsNow


GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE + PLANET

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

July EcoChallenge: Get a Water Butt

EcoChallenge - July 2021.png

At Woodies, we are keen love God's creation and our People + Planet group is key in helping us to reduce our impact on the environment as a church. Our monthly EcoChallenges help everyone in church to take part from home. This month, David Parker shares the some helpful tips for how to get involved.

July 2021: EcoChallege - “Get a Water Butt”

This month’s challenge has been on my to-do list for a while – get a water butt! I’m increasingly aware as we go into the summer months that we use a lot of tap water watering our garden and that seems a shame when so much rainwater flows down our gutters into the drains throughout the year.

Water butts are a great way to save water, this also can lower your carbon footprint because treating and pumping water does use a significant amount of energy. Your plants will grow better too - most plants actively prefer being watered with rainwater, which contains some of the natural minerals they need to thrive. Finally water butts can even reduce flood risk by holding water from summer storms which would otherwise go quickly into the drains and then rivers.

A few practical tips:

  • You can buy them from most DIY stores, online or even order them from Bristol Water

  • Keep the lid securely fastened to stop wildlife or debris getting in

  • Use the water on established plants, but now new seedlings (to prevent possible fungal infection)

  • One thing you need to be aware of is legionella bacteria, which can multiply if the water temperature gets above 20ᵒC. If possible, site a water butt in the shade, or you can get a reflective jacket for it to keep it cool. Do use a watering can, but don’t use water from a water butt with a spray or a hose as they make it much more likely that bacteria could be inhaled. Washing your hands after gardening is always a good idea too.

  • It’s recommended that you clean your water butt every year (once the summer is over) 

If you want to read up more here is an article from the Royal Horticultural Society:


GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE + PLANET

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

EcoChallenge for June: Pray for the Climate

EcoChallenge - June 2021.png

At Woodies, we are keen love God's creation and our People + Planet group is key in helping us to reduce our impact on the environment as a church. Our monthly EcoChallenges help everyone in church to take part from home.

June 2021: EcoChallege - “Pray for the Climate”

There are many actions we can take in the face of climate change. Some are personal, changing our own habits or what we buy. Some actions are collective- joining with others to call on those in power to act. But the most important thing we can as a church is pray! 

We would recommend using some of the Tearfund prayer resources, which will help you pray alongside other Christians about current live issues. You can find these at https://www.tearfund.org/campaigns/reboot-campaign/prayer-for-the-climate.

In particular we would suggest accessing Tearfund’s weekly prayer updates via SMS text messages which this year are focussing on the climate emergency. June will see the G7 conference hosted in Cornwall, in the lead up to the critical COP26 climate conference in Glasgow later in the year. We need to pray for wisdom and soft hearts for world leaders as they seek to craft a deal that will lead to meaningful action and change. Success will no doubt require countless miracles both small and large!

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

EcoChallenge for May: No Mow May

EcoChallenge - May 2021.png

At Woodies, we are keen love God's creation and our People + Planet group is key in helping us to reduce our impact on the environment as a church. Our monthly EcoChallenges help everyone in church to take part from home.

May 2021: EcoChallege - “No Mow May”

Let’s be honest, trying to live in a greener way can sometimes feel like a real challenge! However, every now and then it can actually save us some work and this month’s EcoChallenge is a great example of this. Simply, if you have a lawn, all you need to do is leave your lawnmower in the shed throughout May so that flowers present in your lawn have a chance to bloom – as someone who finds mowing the lawn a real chore this is music to my ears! The point of this is to give hard-pressed pollinating insects (for example bees or butterflies) a boost by giving them more opportunities to forage for nectar on your lawn

At the end of the month you have a chance to do a bit of citizen science by counting the number of flowers present in a random square metre of your lawn. 

What if this blogpost has come too late for you and you have already mowed the lawn this month? No fear, you can always take part in #LetItBloomJune or #KneeHighJuly.

Plantlife, the organisation behind the NoMowMay campaign, have found that the optimum way to manage your lawn for pollinators is a ‘Mohican’ approach. Mowing about every four weeks is the best way to promote the growth flowers that like shorter lengths of grass, such as daisies and white clover. At the same time leaving some areas unmown for longer can allow a richer variety of flowers to flourish in your lawn.

If you would like to sign up to the campaign and take part in the flower count at the end of the month visit this site: https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/no-mow-may

And this article gives a great summary of the Mohican approach to cutting your lawn:
https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/bees-wildlife-how-to-gardening-tips-mohican-grass-cut-423589

If you’d be interested in finding out more about the Woodlands People + Planet group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

EcoChallenge for March: Eat less meat (& dairy too)

At Woodies, we are keen love God's creation and our People + Planet group is key in helping us to reduce our impact on the environment as a church. Throughout 2020, we want to challenge everyone in church to do the same - so each month we’ll be having an EcoChallenge.

March 2020: EcoChallege
Eat less meat (& dairy too)

This month’s EcoChallenge is to try out a new Meat/Dairy Free recipe. You’ve probably noticed that eating vegan or plant based foods and diets are having a bit of a moment now.  This isn’t a fad - there are a lot of good reasons for this!

  • Eating Less meat and dairy is good for the planet
    It needs much less land to grow crops to feed humans, than to grow crops to feed to animals which are then fed to humans. This means through reducing our meat consumption we could more easily meet the demands of feeding a growing global population and also allow more space for nature too.  Moreover, cows and sheep belch out lots of methane, a particularly potent greenhouse gas. Emissions from livestock account for 14-18% of global man-made greenhouse emissions. Significantly reducing the amount of animal foods we consume has a key role to play in limiting the damage of climate change. 

  • It’s good for you
    Typical western diets high in red-meat, processed meat and other animal products are not very good for us. Meat also takes up space in our diets where we could get wider nutritional benefit from eating other sources of protein such as beans, pulses or nuts.

  • It’s good for animals
    Modern industrial farming methods have developed to meet our demand for meat and dairy, and it is extremely debateable whether animals are generally treated in a humane way. Some would argue that an unnacceptable degree of suffering is inherent when we farm animals for food.

Easy Ways to Change Your Diet

Now we hear from David from the Woodies People + Planet group, who has some great advice for us….

Reducing the amount of meat that I eat is something I have been working on for some years now. I haven’t gone vegetarian, much less vegan, although I have friends and family members who have and I often wonder whether I should too.  I do however think quite hard though about how to limit the amount of meat and dairy I eat.

Here are some of the steps I’ve taken:

  • I’ve started buying oat milk or some other non-dairy milk for my breakfast cereal.

  • Not adding milk to the copious amounts of coffee I drink while at work.

  • On weekdays, my general rule to myself is that lunch must be vegetarian, preferably dairy free to. The staff at the sandwich shop by my office are starting to recognise me and my requests for a houmous and salad baguette. Soup is always an easy option too!

  • Finding some really good meat free recipes to cook in the evenings at home. This week I have really enjoyed making and eating a shepherd’s pie, but with braised green lentils instead of mince. It was very tasty, and fed us as a family for a couple of days in a row. The children ate it too!

  • Sometimes we go to cook a meat/dairy based dish by default, but there are a lot of very tasty, easy to cook vegetable based meals out there waiting to be tried.

So have a shot at this month’s EcoChallenge and find a new veg based recipe. Personally, my goal is to find some good use for the Tofu now sitting in my fridge - I am thinking a noodle soup could be a good use for it. I will let you know how it goes!

If you want some inspiration this North African Squash Stew is one of my favourites – it’s very tasty comfort food.

Get involved with Woodlands People + Planet group 

If you’d be interested in finding out more about our group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

March for Justice: Creation Care - Tim Dobson (7pm Sermon)

1st March 2020 - 7pm Service

March for Justice: Creation Care with Tim Dobson
Bible Passage: Genesis & more…

Filling our hearts with mercy & compassion

Our focus for this month's series is March for Justice and we will be looking back at lessons from The Prophets as we consider how we as Christians deal with some of the challenging issues facing the world today. Sermon topics will cover freedom from slavery, creation care, Fair Trade and the persecuted church - plus a Heart of Worship special on the last Sunday in March. 

EcoChallenge for February: Try out a new Fairtrade product

At Woodies, we are keen love God's creation and our People + Planet group is key in helping us to reduce our impact on the environment as a church. Throughout 2020, we want to challenge everyone in church to do the same - so each month we’ll be having an EcoChallenge.

February 2020: EcoChallege
Try out a new Fairtrade product

This month marks the beginning of Fairtrade Fortnight (24th February – 8th March), so it seems fitting that our EcoChallenge for this month is Try out a new Fairtrade product. There are many great things you could buy, from coffee, tea and bananas, to products such spices, snacks, beauty products, wine and clothes.

There’s a famous Martin Luther King quote ‘Before you finish eating breakfast in the morning you’ve depended on half the world.’ That’s even truer now than when he said it in the 60’s! Much of the food we eat every day is grown overseas by farmers in developing countries. They generally will have received only a fraction of the value we paid for it in the shops, are exposed to wild swings in global commodity prices, and can become trapped in a cycle of poverty.

Fairtrade seeks to establish a more just system, giving marginalised farmers and producers a better standard of living and more control over their lives.

 The key principles of Fairtrade are:

  • Farmers and producers join together as a cooperative, to work together where appropriate and to increase their selling power. (Some companies dependant on hired labour can also become Fairtrade certified if the meet Fairtrade standards)

  • They receive a guaranteed minimum price for what their produce (never less than the market price) allowing them to be sure they can make a living and plan for the future.

  •  On top of this, they also receive a Fairtrade premium, to raise their living standards. They collectively choose what to invest this in, typically community benefits such as schools, healthcare and housing, and also tools and training to improve production.

  • For products to be certified as Fairtrade, certain environmental standards and worker’s rights must be met. This helps to guarantee that people are treated fairly, and the planet is not being unduly harmed, which is not always the case with non-certified products. For example non-certified cocoa farming has been associated with child labour, modern day slavery and illegal deforestation in West Africa.  

Today over 1.66m farmers and workers are Fairtrade producers and around 17% of UK shoppers buy Fairtrade products regularly. You may already be one of these, if so continue the good work! Choosing to buy Fairtrade products is one of the easiest ways we can make a difference in the lives of people who might otherwise be marginalised by our current economic system.

So please do give this month’s challenge a go and find a new Fairtrade item for your shopping basket. Visit the Fairtrade website to check out how you can buy Fairtrade products.

Get involved with Woodlands People + Planet group 

If you’d be interested in finding out more about our group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

EcoChallenge for January: Carbon Footprint

EcoChallenge - January 2020 .jpg

At Woodies, we are keen love God's creation and our People + Planet group is key in helping us to reduce our impact on the environment as a church. For the year ahead, we want to challenge everyone in church to do the same - so each month we’ll be having an EcoChallenge.

The Thinking behind EcoChallenges

At Woodies People and Planet, we have been thinking for a while about how we should, as Christians (and as a church) respond to the global environmental crisis we are facing. If you have started thinking about this too, like us you may well have found it rather overwhelming! The scale of the problems we face seem to be far bigger than us, yet at the same time we are so often contributing to the problems by our own lifestyles in many different ways. It can be hard to know where to start.

We are aiming to pitch the challenges so that whether you are a card-carrying environmentalist, or a pretty average member of the public, they will be achievable and relevant. Some will be focussed on personal actions to take: our actions do make a difference, and moreover we are all influenced by what we see our friends and neighbours do - so individual changes we make can be part of a wider change in culture in our church, our city and our country. Of course, a lot of the things which need to happen go far beyond what we can do as individuals, so some months we will be asking you to call on large corporations or on our government to take action. Please do have a go at them; we hope that you will find them useful.

January 2020: EcoChallege - “How Big is Your Carbon Footprint?”

For January’s challenge, it seems appropriate that we begin by having a look at the impact we make and measuring our own carbon footprints. We’d recommend the World Wildlife Fund’s Carbon Footprint calculator as it is very quick and easy to use and also can give you helpful tips on some things to focus on if you want to take steps to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.

There are so many ways you can reduce your carbon footprint, but first you can measure your Carbon Footprint with this simple online questionnaire:

Then take some time to think about the results:

  • Was your impact about what you expected?

  • What are the things you do which make the biggest contribution to your carbon footprint?

  • Were there any surprises?

Personally I was surprised by how much impact my car-use was/is having. We believe that the Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, and that ultimately He is in charge. As January is a month where as a church we seek to refocus on prayer, let’s also take this opportunity to pray - pray for leaders and those in responsibility that they have the wisdom and courage to take significant action against climate change. Let’s pray too for ourselves that we can learn to treat our world in a way that honours its creator.

If you’d be interested in finding out more about our group, or have some feedback about the challenges, connect with us:

Woodlands Church, Belgrave Road, Bristol BS8 2AA