Wardie Parish Church holds the Eco-Congregation’s Gold award, having embedded its principles in the management of our buildings and garden, in our purchasing, and in the use of sustainable resources. We encourage members to do the same in their personal lives. Information on relevant issues is a regular feature in our newsletters, and is the focus in worship where appropriate. We always welcome initiatives to improve our practice.

You can access our 2015 Climate Challenge Fund Report here.

Many Christians are concerned about the environment but don’t know what they can do. Eco-Congregation Scotland helps congregations understand environmental issues and make appropriate practical and spiritual responses.

News archive

2018: A Gold Award!

After we were given our third Eco-congregation award, the system was changed to bronze, silver and gold awards. We were able to re-apply by filling in the forms but without requiring a visit. Thanks to Karen Bowman we updated and augmented our application and received very favourable comments:

The application describes a wide-ranging and interesting variety of action embedded in the life of the congregation.  The assessors were very impressed with your thorough, integrated approach to planning and review. It is very encouraging for us to see a congregation like yours that is incorporating care for creation as a sustainable, integral part of its work and worship.  In the words of one of the assessors, “I am particularly impressed that some elements have been maintained for several years. Wardie seems to add to their work without losing the earlier projects.”

We are only the second church in Scotland to receive the gold award, which was celebrated at our Morning Service on Sunday 13th May 2018 (picture below) with the help of David Rae, formerly Director of Horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

If anyone is interested in helping to plan future eco-activities please contact me on heathermchaffie@hotmail.com.

Heather McHaffie

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On Palm Sunday 2017 Ross Greer MSP came to help us celebrate our 3rd Eco-Congregation award. He spoke on Reformation and care for the environment reminding us of the horrific problems people are facing due to climate change. Ross had come straight from refugee camps in Italy and told us the stories of some the people making it across the Mediterranean from Africa.

We signed a Christian Aid Big Shift petition asking the major banks to stop investing our money in fossil fuels which add to global warming and plan the transition to investing in renewable energy. During the offering the congregation wrote on renewable ‘money’ with ways that they were reducing their own carbon footprints. As part of this campaign our ‘money’ was stuck on Prudence the pig, and Prudence was later taken to a local bank when we delivered a letter asking for a commitment to reduce investment in fossil fuels and increase investment in sustainable energy.