Lucy Foster looks at how churches have responded to the climate crisis and what more we can do

In the United Reformed Church’s Jubilee year, awareness of the deepening climate and biodiversity crises has been brought into searing focus by the summer heatwave and the coming ‘heat or eat’ winter. But together, the URC and A Rocha UK’s Eco Church programme offer a hopeful way to respond to this.

The URC’s continued commitment to Christian environmental action is demonstrated in the ten-year strategic framework Vision 2020 and the Environmental policy, and by synod divestment from fossil fuels, and by local initiatives like Dursley Tabernacle’s food surplus work, and tree planting at Barrow URC school in Clitheroe.

The Eco Church awards programme provides a holistic framework to help churches deepen their environmental engagement. Churches work towards bronze, silver and gold awards by reflecting on their community life and personal faith, looking at worship and teaching, buildings, land, community and global engagement, and lifestyle. As they complete an online survey and use supporting resources, churches celebrate what they’re doing well, identify what they might do better and track the changes they make…

Lucy Foster is the Eco Church Officer for Northern England for A Rocha UK. For more information visit ecochurch.arocha.org.uk or

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This is an extract from an article published in the October 2022 edition of Reform

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