Faithful stewardship at St Philip’s St Heliers

Contributed by Tsana Plessius, St Philip’s Anglican Church.

At St Philip’s Anglican Church in St Heliers, caring for creation is an expression of our faith. As a congregation and as individuals, we believe we are called to be responsible stewards of the earth — a gift entrusted to us by God.

This commitment is grounded in the Anglican Communion’s Five Marks of Mission, especially the fifth: “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.” For us, this is not just a statement — it shapes how we live.

Over the years we have taken practical steps to reduce waste and care for our local environment. We compost, support battery recycling, promote the Chip Packet Project NZ, and hold bi-monthly beach clean-ups. Joining the Eco Church network encouraged us to deepen this commitment and think bigger.

One significant step has been installing solar panels on our church buildings. This investment has reduced our carbon footprint, strengthened our resilience, and begun generating “homegrown” renewable energy for our community. We are now seeing meaningful reductions in our power costs while also contributing surplus energy back to the grid — a tangible benefit for both present and future generations.

For us, creation care is not an optional extra. It is part of our discipleship — living out our faith with responsibility, gratitude, and hope.