The Social Justice Committee have released survey results from a recent survey to our faith communities.

At the September 2021 Synod meeting Synod Representatives voted on your behalf to pass Motion 7 on Climate Change. The motion indicated that Synod recognised that we all have a responsibility to re-think the way we live to meet the challenges of climate change, and said:  "Individuals, parishes and organisations across the Diocese are urged to take action and seek to live more sustainably."

The Social Justice Committee of the Diocesan Council prepared a short survey to learn how faith communities in our Diocese are responding to this call to sustain God's creation. Survey questions asked: 

• What level of interest did parishioners have in finding ways to live more sustainably?
• To what extent has climate change been discussed in your Church/Ministry Unit?
• Is your Church/Ministry Unit currently taking action to live more sustainably?
• Are you joining with any other Church or community groups to carry out this activity?
• Is your Church/Ministry Unit planning to take action to live more sustainably in the near future? 
• What resources would you like to have.. and what can you give in this area?
• What changes do you think are needed to lessen the risk of climate change on your Church/Ministry Unit? 

Although it would have been great to have had more respondents, there were some good examples of ways that many churches are looking seriously at the 5th mark of mission: "To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and re-new the life of the earth".

Around half of the respondents indicated their churches were very interested in finding ways to live more sustainably, with about a third of respondents reporting that it was regularly discussed in their setting. Half of the respondents indicated their churches were taking action to live more sustainably, including some examples of collaborating with others in their local area. 

There were some good examples of what different faith communities are doing, as well as some bigger picture ideas of what could be done to lesson the risk of climate change. 

How could your faith community could start having more intentional conversations about climate change? 

Why not have climate change as an agenda item on your Vestry or Church Committee and start talking about ways that you could start to make a difference?

Get in touch with the Committee via its chair, Ondine Godtschalk if you have resources or ideas you would like to offer, or if you would like to connect with other faith communities who have started this journey. Keep watching this space for resources and information to come. 

The results from the 6 faith communities who responded are attached below.