HARVEST 2019

I believe we are created to be creators. We create with our hands, we create with our words. The things we day have immense power over others. We can build up and destroy by a very small sentence, and our actions speak volumes about our understanding of God and his world.

We’re told here in Genesis that we are created in the image of God

which means that God has placed his make up in us. You could say that God has placed his spiritual DNA in each of us. But it’s not about our outward appearence, it’s about our charachter.

His charachter of generosity, care, protection, love, peace, justice and the list goes on

And as we are created in his image, to be the people he has created us to be, he gave us the role of ruling over the fish, birds, animals - every living thing that moves

God looked and it was good

And I got those young people to line up all their creations, and got them to look at what they had made, and say that it was good

What does it mean to ‘rule over creation’?

It means being good stewards, good caretakers, looking after God’s world. The world he has given and entrusted to us

Let’s be honest, we haven’t done a great job of it.

And these poor young people watched in horror as their mean youth workers,

And the message was clear, it was mean, it was horrible - but they realised that that’s what they and we have done to God’s awesome, beautiful world

We can blame others, but when we look at how we personally use the earth’s resources, we’re becoming more aware of how our carbon foot print impacts other parts of the world - our carbon footprint is our individual impact on the world based on how much we eat, travel, use electricity, hear our homes etc.

We’ve become aware that we’re global family, and we’re seeing the poorest in our world affected by climate change.

As the earth gets hotter, and the glacier’s melt, the sea is rising. The habitat of many creatures is shrinking, and as the sea rises it causes tsunami’s and floods.

And for too long, we’ve looked from a far and said ‘but that wasn’t me. That wasn’t us. We’re not to blame’ and just like Adam blaming Eve in the garden, we place the blame in other places

When I was a teenager, I believed that this was an inevitable part of the earth’s changing environment. I was taught about the green house effect at school, but partly wondered if this was God getting us ready for the end. And in my fundamentalist phase, I partly welcomed it.

But I now realise the part I have to play in the world. As a child of God, created in his image, I have been entrusted with being a good steward of his world. Someone tasked with looking after the world he has given us.

And I realised that I had not been looking after his world. I’d looked to the whole world, and decided that because others weren’t doing their part, I didn’t need too either, because after all who am I. I’m one person among 7 & 1/2 billion people.

Who am I to change anything?

Who am I to make a difference?

Over the past few weeks we’ve learned a thing or two about our creation.

Before the world was created, God knew you, he had a purpose for your life, and he loved you so much, he was willing to die to get to know you.

And through the death of Jesus, you are adopted as his child. Every barrier between you and him is now broken if you’ve said yes to following Jesus.

And through the power of the Holy Spirit, you have power over this world. As co-heris with Christ, as children released in the riches of the Father’s grace, we have power to speak things into reality. To say to ungodly powers - be gone in Jesus name.

So who are you to make a difference in this world.

You are a child of God, and the impact you have on the world around you is incredible, it’s powerful.

So don’t belittle your part in being a good steward over the earth, and don’t shurk your God-given responsibilities.

And St Marks hasn’t been. Under Anne Bridges and John Robinson, a whole team over many years has been shaping the way we look after the campus which we have been entrusted with.

[interview Anne]

Why are you passionate about looking after the grounds God has given us?

Can you tell us a bit of the story of how we got to this point?

What have you and the team been doing to help us be more environmentally friendly?

The Journey from Community & Quiet Garden Garden to

vision for our Land and the land next to the church particularly "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden".

A true belief that God has given us two books: His Word and His Creation

The initial transformation took place through a few work days were loads of church family and volunteers got together to start the transformation, and then a smaller team established to continue the transformation into the grounds we have now, and the community garden

Once the centre was bought, the garden was then established right along the side of St Marks as a Spiritual Walk linking the Church Garden to the Graveyard

Over the following years what started as a project in the community garden, grew to encompass our whole campus as a Green campus, and the childrens play space and dog walking areas were created and in 2011 we recieved our first Eco Congregation award

The vision for the Community Garden (later with Quiet Garden) on the derelict patch of ground then owned by the Council (later legally transferred to us for £1) was given to Anne just before I came to St. Mark's in 2006 from Ezekial 36 v. 35a -

We were part of the same Cell group and the Community Garden project became our outreach focus seeing that God has given two 'books': His Word and His Creation (both of which we visually 'signpost' in the Garden!).

Initially a large group of volunteers held several work parties removing skips full of rubbish and clearing away the undergrowth. Then a smaller group - which became the monthly Roots, Shoots and Fruits Cluster with the regular Tues / Weds Team- have continued to develop the Garden for the last ten years based on both Anne's vision and the suggestions collected from the local community using an 'apple tree quiz' on a Fun Day.

In the early stages our focus was just the Community Garden, but when St. Mark's aquired the Centre, it became possible to install gates to create a Spiritual Walk linking the Church Garden to the Graveyard via a new Raised Beds area (funded by 'Hope 08') on the Centre playground to a new Quiet Garden Labyrinth based on the “Whatever is...” words in . 8 at the centre of the Community Garden.

This is when the concept of a Green Campus open to the Community arose in dscussions with Rev. Mark Cockayne (partially due to the ramifications of the Field, Car Park and Graveyard having been legally designated as an Open Space by St. Helens MBC). At the same time a small group called the Green Team was established to develop and succesfully obtain the EcoCongregation Award (now Eco Church) concept based on the Church of England’s 5th Mark of Mission – ‘To Strive to Safegaurd the Integrity of Creation and Sustain and Renew the Life of the Earth’.

Alongside this we applied for funding to create signed accessible paths from the road whilst levelling and surfacing the Car Park. Meanwhile in getting funding to refurbish and reconfigure the Church (now TANGO) Hall, we were able to widen, create the raised walkway to the Centre and re-surface the road / hard-suface parking.

Subsequently, the Cluster / Team circulated a proposed project Public Questionaire, then used Co-op Bank grant funding plus work teams to erect fences and plant mixed species hedges, creating wildlife habitats and routes linking the graveyard (with new willow hedges) and Garden to the boundaries, separating the Playing Field to create a Dog Walking area and Community Orchard.

John Robinson

Harvest 2019

*Weekly Team: Anne (Church Gardener) & John, Bill, Mike, Mark, Verna, Carol, Sandra

*Monthly Roots, Shoot & Fruits Cluster: the above plus Ian and Liz (with 'extras' for big jobs).

This is now where I invite Lauren to come and share a bit about where we’re at with the new EcoChurch Award

So Lauren, you’re our ECO champion now…what does that mean?

Why are you so passionate about the environment & why should we care?

And you’re an ecologist - What does that mean & where do you work?

I wonder if you could give us your top tips for the environment

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HARVEST 2019

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Made in God’s image