Eco-Congregation Scotland is taking a baton to Paris, to express the demands of churches in Scotland that negotiators agree to a deal that promotes global climate justice. The baton, which will pass around churches in Scotland throughout the summer of 2015, will carry the hopes and aspirations of Christians across Scotland for climate justice to be central to any agreement reached at the conference.
What is happening ?
- Greyfriars Recycling of Wood have made a baton for Eco-congregation Scotland from recycled church furniture.
- The baton bears the message Time for Climate Justice: Churches in Scotland Demand a Deal in Paris, December 2015.
- The relay was launched by Aileen McLeod MSP, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform at our Annual Gathering on 25th of April:
- In December 2015 the baton will be taken to the UN climate change conference in Paris to share our message with other churches and delegates.
See where the baton is going
You can have a look at this map and calendar of where the baton is going to get an idea of when it will be in your area. There are two batons in order to cover as much as Scotland as possible (which is why it will appear that it is in two places at once on many dates!). Green markers indicate where the baton has travelled so far; red markers indicate where it will be going.
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If you are a local church congregation you can book the baton to visit your church when it is passing through your area. As the route is dependent on who signs up please contact us as soon as possible to get your name on the list. Please send an email to manager@ecocongregationscotland.org (or use our contact form here) stating the name of your congregation, its location, plus your name and phone number. We will get in touch to arrange a date.
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We ask that all congregations receiving the baton do the following:
- Fill out one of the postcards and post it to us so we can collect them together and give to the Climate Change minister to show where the baton has been.
- Contact the local press (newspaper or maybe local radio).
- Put an article in your own church magazine.
- Contact other local congregations (of all denominations) and ask them to take part.
When you receive the baton there will be a pack containing printed information. If any of this is missing you can download a copy here:
- Information sheet for congregations explaining what the baton relay is all about.
- Leaflets to give to the general public or congregation members.
- Postcards (front | back) to send to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Minister to tell her where the baton is .
- Advice for contacting the local media.
- Press release (Word format | PDF).
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If you see the baton, tell us where it is, hashtag: #cop21baton
#cop21baton Tweets
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Invitation to join an Omnivores Research Project – Central Belt
In partnership with the SRUC, Nourish Scotland is running a scoping study that investigates people’s views about their least-worst options for reducing meat intake in their diets. This study will help shape a three-year SRUC research project that starts in the Autumn 2024.
Image credit: Nourish Scotland, Damhead Small Farm, April 2024 They are looking for a diverse range of people (age, dietary requirements and preferences, and other demographics) in the Central Belt of Scotland. To participate in this study, you would have to be:
1. someone who eats meat (not just fish) on a regular basis, as part of your normal diet
2. prepared to take part in a full-day workshop that will take place in person in the Central Belt (likely to take place in early June) AND
3. committed to keep a food diary for about a week in the run up to the in-person workshop.
Nourish can cover travel expenses (within limits, within the Central Belt), and £25 (a small contribution to your favourite meal perhaps!).
The discussions in the workshop will be focused roughly around these questions:
– What do people know about the case for reducing meat in our diets, and what, in this, do they care about?
– What do people know about meat replacements?
– What are people willing and unwilling to substitute for meat in their diet i.e. for which meals and under what conditions (taste, cost, availability, skills, time and effort, etc.)?
If you are interested in participating in this study, or have a question about this before you decide, please contact miesbeth@nourishscotland.org.uk to receive an application form by Thursday 2nd May.
Continue reading →Saturday 20th April
Draft Creation-Inclusive Liturgy for Holy Communion in an ecumenical setting.
A draft building on experience in several settings. Consciously not a ‘neutral’ approach. Just use or adapt what seems useful.
Continue reading →God with us urgently now. Statement of Faith
Presented for devotional use as a commentary on historic creeds and statements of faith: suggested for use in Creation themed worship, with a consciousness of the Nature & Climate crises. Writer: DJM Coleman. On this page: Downloadable PDF and full text as simple text.
GOD WITH US URGENTLY, NOW
an inclusive statement of Christian faith
We trust Love who is God
before us, beyond us
and urgently now.
Maker, Remaker of life, and life’s limits.
God: working with Earth,
God: attending to birth;
decisive, co-operative,
with seas and with skies.
God for justice by choice.
to be praised by all breathing.
We trust Jesus our Friend
Incarnate in Earth;
Who lives life with creatures
who knows of their frailness
through flesh, blood, and birth
and dependence on care.
Christ who loves, heals, and warns
and repurposes Scriptures;
Christ who honours
the welcome of God in the stranger;
God’s wisdom in creatures, our kin.
Jesus: Welcomed with branches,
then nailed to the Tree.
Abandoned to Death,
Earth alone could receive him.
The third Day Christ rose
to Life Renewed:
with us as surely as Sky;
We trust the Holy Spirit our God;
Wild Wind of beginnings
beyond our control
yet harnessed for justice;
Reshaping perceptions.
Breath of life;
Spirit of healing, forgiveness:
God with us urgently now.
Continue reading →Season of Creation 2024 invitation
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