As the concept of “going green” continues to gain traction among consumers and businesses, churches in the United Kingdom used the Christmas season to highlight their role in improving the environment.
In early December, St. Luke’s, a Catholic church in the London suburb of Pinner, switched on its solar panels, while the Anglican dioceses of Gloucester, Exeter, Bath, and Wells launched an ambitious project to provide “green” electricity for most of their 300 churches, 200 schools, and other institutions.
“We want to take God’s gift of energy and offer it back in a way that does not damage the environment,” said Canon Adrian Slade of the Diocese of Gloucester.
A number of other green initiatives were implemented by churches this Christmas season.
“Don’t Stop at the Lights,” an Anglican handbook, provided material to help church leaders plan a year of environmental change in their communities, and offered themes that could be linked to services, as well as study materials on Biblical texts dealing with environmental concerns.
Practical suggestions for Christmas mentioned in the handbook included decorating churches by using greenery from gardens rather than florists, creating home-made decorations and gifts, and lighting candles instead of using electric lights.
The ecumenical campaign Operation Noah ran a “Reclaim Christmas” campaign advocating “putting the waiting back into wanting” throughout Advent, and urging people to buy less.