Creation Care

Sheldon Road Church is committed to do all we can to care for God’s Creation in our worship, lifestyle and engagement with our community. We include this commitment in our church vision: Caring for the whole of God’s creation so that it thrives now and into future generations. We are part of A Rocha UK’s Eco Church programme, and we are currently working towards the Gold Award.

April 2026

Living Lightly 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

Power to the people?: Every time we leave our phone charger plugged in, run the tumble dryer instead of hanging washing outside, or keep devices on standby overnight, we are consuming energy. In the UK, home energy accounts for one-fifth of our national carbon footprint.

Recent energy crises have reminded us how vulnerable we are when we rely on fossil fuels. Yet electricity and clean water are not equally available across the world. As we reduce our own consumption, we remember those living in places more vulnerable to climate change. Here are some ideas to try:

Unplug appliances not in use and switch off standby mode - devices on standby still draw power
Wash clothes at 30°C and air-dry instead of tumble drying where possible - tumble dryers are massive energy users
Take showers under 5 minutes
Heat the person, not the space - turn down your thermostat by 1-2°C and wear an extra layer. Make use of blankets and hot water bottles.
Boil only the water you need in the kettle!
Turn off lights in empty rooms.
Spring clean your emails and cloud storage - data centres use enormous amounts of energy and water

Spring forward: Things are starting to change and grow: it’s a time of growing yourself as well. What could you learn together with others? What’s your answer to the question: “I’ve always wanted to learn to….”?

Can you make time to join with a friend or neighbour to prepare the ground/pots/trays in the garden to plant some wildflowers/salad leaves? How about joining the Chippenham Shed to learn or practice woodwork with others? Could you look at and book one of the workshops available at Wiltshire Scrapstore? (https://www.wiltshirescrapstore.org.uk and look for Adult Workshops) What about baking? Try The Loaf Shack based in Colerne. (https://theloafshack.com/baking-workshops) Or come along to the SRMC Craft group, which meets at church every other Friday! (Ask Truda or Jan for details)

Single use Plastic: The Big Plastic Count is important for 2 reasons: for each of us to be reminded just how much single use plastic we use, and our data will show the government they need to get serious about tackling the plastic waste crisis. In mid-April, The Big Plastic Count (https://thebigplasticcount.com/) will reveal the national picture, along with what needs to happen next.

Free and fresh: The church courtyard garden is springing into life, with lots of flowers, but there are some herbs flourishing there too: why not bring some scissors and a bag to trim off some of the fresh oregano flourishing in both the white sink and the large wooden planter? They need to be used!