Ideas for Action – Greening Church Spending
Management of financial, catering and purchasing matters
Many churches have a finance, catering or management committee that works to ensure that the weekly housekeeping needs of their church are met. Typically such committees are responsible for finances, church property, catering, cleaning and ministerial expenses. This module addresses some of the issues raised in the agenda above with suggestions as to how management committees can help their church show practical care for God’s creation.
Download the latest version (May 2013): Greening Church Spending
Additional Resources
Buy Ethically
Fairtrade
- Fairtrade - Your congregation can become a Fairtrade Place of Worship | Fairtrade Communion Wine* | Fairtrade vending machines* | One World Shop*
- Christian Ecology Link’s food campaign - Locally Produced, Organically Grown, Animal Friendly, Fairly Traded
Food
- GreenCity Wholefoods* - Glasgow based co-operative
- SUMA* - Co-operative wholesaler of specialising in vegetarian, fairly traded, organic, ethical and natural products.
Recycled products
Invest Ethically
- National Ethichal Investment Week - arranges an annual week discussing ethical investments. They have produced an Action Guide for Churches
- EIRIS- an independent, not-for-profit organisation, that works to develop the market in ways that benefit investors, asset managers and the wider world
- The Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR) – church-based investor coalition and membership organisation working for economic justice, human rights, environmental stewardship, and corporate and investor responsibility
- Your Ethical Money - Learn about how and where your money is invested, search for green and ethical financial products, and find out how you can help make finance more sustainable
Offset Your Carbon Footprint
- Climate Stewards- projects supporting small communities plant trees and restore deforestated areas. The website also has a carbon footprint calculator
Reuse, Compost, Recycle
- The Community Composting Network - supports and promotes community composting
- Donate unwanted items website ex: eFreeko | Freecycle | Gumtree | freegle
- Mobile phones and printer cartridges recycling ex: Oxfam | Action Aid |Christian Aid | Raise funds for your own church
- Stamps and coins reuse ex: Oxfam
- Tools in working condition reuse ex: Tools for Self Reliance | Tools with a mission
- Recycle Now - find out what and where you can recycle in your local area
- Zero Waste Scotland – Scottish Government funded project to help everyone to reduce, reuse and recycle – includes the following campaigns and more Love Food Hate Waste | Stop Unwanted Mail | Furniture Reuse | Home composting | Real Nappies
Sustainable Transport – How do you organise transport for church and church events?
- Traveline Scotland – for easy public transport planning
- Carclub - gives support to anyone setting up car sharing schemes
- Examples of lift-sharing websites - Liftshare | CarShare.com | National Car Share | Freewheelers | MyLifts
Water Use
Waterwise is an independent, not for profit organisation focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK
*Please note that the companies mentioned have not been specifically endorse by Eco-Congregation Scotland and are just examples of companies supplying the type of product with recommend e.g. Fairtrade, recycled and/or sustainably produced products
Note on using the Ideas for Action
Ideas for Action have been designed to fit into church life and support and enhance church mission. They were designed collaboratively with churches to provide a resource that is not a textbook, but a toolkit, to suit all the different varieties of church life represented in the Eco-Congregation programme.
All congregations using our Ideas for Action should first register, and registered churches can also order printed copies. Find out how to register, or contact us if you’d like to know more.
All our resources may be freely copied and distributed within your church, but please accredit Eco-Congregation.
