Chapter 7

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#669999" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Cherishing the  Earth</B><B>    </B></FONT><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cherishing the Earth"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>       </B></div> <div> by Martin J Hodson and Margot R Hodson<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      </B></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=175 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="052afc00egerdp.jpg"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="synopsis.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Book synopsis"><U><B>Book synopsis</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="aboutus.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About us"><U><B>About us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="biblestudies.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bible studies"><U><B>Bible studies</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="commendations.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Commendations"><U><B>Commendations</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="upcoming.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Upcoming Events"><U><B>Upcoming Events</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="reviews.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reviews"><U><B>Reviews</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="howtobuy.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How to buy"><U><B>How to buy</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Chapter 7</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="05e93e50.jpg" border=0 width="147" height="229" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Chapter 7- Caring as Communities</B></div> <bR> <div> In this chapter we look at what Christians can do to care for creation at community level. We first look at Jesus and his commitment to local communities. We consider the role of the local church, of community involvement with examples of different projects. We also look at initiatives such as Transition Towns and Ecocongregation. The chapter ends with an environmental reflection on communion.</div> <div> <A HREF="chapter6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 6"><U>Back to Chapter 6</U></A>                <A HREF="chapter8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 8"><U>Forward to Chapter 8</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> <B>UPDATE 1</B></div> <bR> <div> In November 2007, the Environment Agency in the UK published a list of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0907BNFQ-e-e.pdf?lang=_e" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://publications.environment-agency.g"><U>50 Things That Will Save The Planet</U></A></FONT>. The list makes interesting reading, but perhaps one of the biggest surprises was what came in at number two in the list- <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#CC3300" FACE="Arial" ><B>"A Leap of Faith"</B></FONT>- religious leaders need to make the environment a priority. We think that should be leaders at all levels, but the advice is probably best applied at local community level. So vicars, pastors, priests or whatever.......</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> <B>UPDATE 2</B></div> <bR> <div> One of the examples we mentioned in this chapter was a nationally recognised churchyard project at Ss Mary and John, Cowley in Oxford. On 24th Jan. 2008 the project featured in the Oxford Mail- <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/headlines/display.var.1992277.0.churchyard_team_needs_helpers.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/headlines"><U>Churchyard team needs helpers</U></A></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> <B>Web Links to Resources used in this Chapter</B></div> <bR> <div> For Faithworks see: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.faithworks.info" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.faithworks.info"><U>www.faithworks.info</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0c293c40.jpg" border=0 width="147" height="196" ALT="Ss Mary and John Churchyard" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10">For information on eco-housing see:  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/EcoHousingUK.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/EcoHou"><U>www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/EcoHousingUK.html</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Transition Towns: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.transitiontowns.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.transitiontowns.org"><U>www.transitiontowns.org</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> WWF-UK: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.wwf.org.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.wwf.org.uk"><U>www.wwf.org.uk</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Sustainable Development Commission: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.sd-commission.org.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.sd-commission.org.uk"><U>www.sd-commission.org.uk</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> WWF-UK and the Sustainable Development Commission (2005) Sustainable development and UK faith groups. Two sides of the same coin? Available at: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/faith.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/fa"><U>www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/faith.html</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> St Sidwell's Centre, Exeter: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.stsidwells.org.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.stsidwells.org.uk"><U>www.stsidwells.org.uk</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0c493290.jpg" border=0 width="147" height="41" ALT="Sage" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10">Sage, Oxford's Christian environmental group: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.sageoxford.org.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.sageoxford.org.uk"><U>www.sageoxford.org.uk</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> UK Web Archiving Consortium: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.webarchive.org.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.webarchive.org.uk"><U>www.webarchive.org.uk</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Oxford Urban Wildlife Group: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.ouwg.org.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ouwg.org.uk"><U>www.ouwg.org.uk</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0c693c40.jpg" border=0 width="147" height="196" ALT="Sage walk" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10">Fresh Expressions: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk"><U>www.freshexpressions.org.uk</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Ss Mary and John Churchyard: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.ssmjchurchyard.org.uk " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ssmjchurchyard.org.uk "><U>www.ssmjchurchyard.org.uk</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Ecocongregation: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.ecocongregation.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ecocongregation.org"><U>www.ecocongregation.org</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>