Trinity goes green

22 October 2009

Last week was ‘Green Week' at Trinity, when we focused on our responsibility both as individuals and as leaders to care for God's wonderful creation.

Students and staff gave thanks for the world God placed us in, explored the theology of creation care and better understood our responsibility of stewardship of the earth. This was done through our regular services and activities as a community, as well as a display board publicising a number of environmental charities and a fabulous floral display with a message in reception (top photo).

Dr John Bimson preached in our weekly communion service from Genesis 2:15, helping us understand the theology behind our responsibility to be stewards of this earth and what it meant in practice. We welcomed David Hughes from A Rocha who spoke in our Gospel in Action session entitled ‘How many Christians does it take to rescue the planet? - why climate change is an opportunity for the church'. He gave us information on A Rocha's Eco-congregation project which provides tools for greening a church. Joining David was former Trinity student Revd Michael Perry who explained the work his church had undertaken in creating an allotment scheme on church land for the community in Queen Camel, Somerset. (The scheme won a Church Times Green Church Award in 2007.)

To help students work off their bounteous food intake at college we relaunched Chooseday, a Bristol-wide initiative, to encourage people to travel to college on Tuesdays by means other than car. While eating lunch we were also presented with daily tips on ways to reduce our carbon footprint. We also held a cake sale and fairtrade stall (bottom photo), raising £130 for our chosen charities.

Many students commented on how positive the week had been for them and have said how they have been inspired to reflect further on appropriate responses.