Churches in Transition
Christian Ecology Link last year launched a support network for “Churches in Transition”, part of the Transition Towns movement, and last weekend held a national conference at Scarborough to explore the implications of climate change and peak oil. This bi-annual meeting addressed the transition to low carbon lives.
Churches in Transition is a broad, interdenominational alliance, which aims to “help people involved in Churches in Transition Towns to help each other.” It was launched in Devon, a Transition Town, in November 2009. Christian Ecology Link are encouraging individuals and their churches to start an ‘ecocell’ study course in lifestyle change, and take part in online conversations and collective spiritual discipline for Lent.
The Transition Towns movement, started in Ireland in 2005, and now expanded to towns and cities throughout the world (including a few in New Zealand), seeks to equip communities with the means to withstand the challenges of climate change and peak oil. It promotes sustainable, low-energy living and reduced reliance on oil and its products, through collective projects such as community gardens, recycling, and business waste exchange (matching the waste of one industry with another industry that uses this waste).
Central to the concept of Transition Towns is the idea of local people working together. As a key community group within many towns/cities, it naturally follows that successful transition initiatives will include the participation of Christians and other faith groups.
For more information on Churches in Transition, visit Christian Ecology Link
You can find more information on Transition Towns here and here
To see an example of how its done, watch this video from Campbell Live: Raglan as a Transition Town
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