St Philip’s Anglican Church in St Heliers is living out the Fifth Mark of Mission through practical creation care. From composting and beach clean-ups to installing solar panels, the congregation is reducing its carbon footprint and generating renewable energy for the benefit of future generations.

Around 20 people from eight local churches joined together in Napier to care for God’s creation through a beach clean-up. Volunteers collected everything from small plastics to large debris — even spotting a dotterel’s nest along the way. It was a warm day filled with teamwork, care, and connection, showing that local churches are ready to roll up their sleeves for the environment and the wellbeing of our shared home.

At Pauatahanui Anglican parish, one of our four core values is legacy. For many years prior to the launch of Eco Church, a group called God’s Earth Our Home operated within the parish, fostering a deep spiritual sense of ecological responsibility within parishioners and nurturing environmental action. This provided a natural launching pad for the parish to join the Eco Church movement at the start of 2021.

Mary Hutchinson, A Rocha trustee, had the pleasure of joining in the Eco Church launch celebrations of Karori Anglican at St Mary’s Anglican Church in Karori. Read on to find out about what activities they did during and after their launch service.