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.
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Focus For August 2025 |
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Living Lightly 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. |
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The latest from Scrapstore: Do you have a yearn to learn a new craft? We might have an answer for you.. We have three special Craft, Coffee & Chat workshops coming up over the summer months:
Upcycled Summer Wrap (12/08/2025). In this workshop you'll learn to reuse scraps of fabric and other textiles to make a beautiful garment!
Block Printing (26/08/2025). You'll learn to print some amazing patterns on a handmade tote bag!
Make Your Own Leather Tote Bag (09/09/2025). In this session, you'll learn how to make your own tote bag using our donated leather.
If any of these take your fancy, make sure you book on by following the link below: https://www.wiltshirescrapstore.org.uk/product/craft-coffee-chat/ |
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Plastic problems: Did you have a go at reducing your plastic last month? I tried, and really struggled... I realise that it is all about making a choice each time you look for a purchase. The plastic-free alternative might be more expensive: can I afford it this month? It might have travelled a very long way: should I be paying for air miles? I could shop in a local farm shop: is that a bit far by car? I could do without it altogether: am I prepared to make that choice? Yes, it’s HARD! But it is important to think and make these choices if I’m to build more “caring for the whole of God’s creation” into my life. What was your experience? What guides your plastic free choices? |
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Wildlife support: Help birds in hot weather. Keeping your bird bath topped up with fresh water in warmer weather can be a lifesaver for our feathered friends. Get your garden birds through a heatwave when natural supplies, like worms, become scarce, by putting out supplementary food - black sunflower seeds, pinhead oatmeal, soaked sultanas, raisins and currants, mealworms, waxworms and good seed mixture. And if you’re in the church courtyard garden, check on the water saucer next to the water butt; if it’s dry, please fill it up with fresh water (if the water butt is dry, use a tap in the building).
For more practical ways to enjoy, nurture and defend nature, sign up to A Rocha UK’s Wild Christian email: arocha.org.uk/wild-christian |
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Sound travel: A holiday from home with a difference; click on your choice of destination on the map, close your eyes, celebrate a different type of vacation! Armchair travellers can take a sonic tour of hundreds of Unesco heritage sites via a virtual library of atmospheric soundscapes available free to listen to online. Sonic Heritage takes in 270 Unesco sites and includes recordings of crickets chirping in Florence, Tibetan prayers in Kathmandu, and the sounds from within India’s Taj Mahal. https://citiesandmemory.com/heritage/ |
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Composting competition: Buy a composting bin (£70 – half price!) until 7th August 2025 and enter to win! Wiltshire residents could win composting accessories worth almost £100 with Green Johanna purchase. The accessory pack includes everything needed to get the most out of your Green Johanna: An Insulating Jacket, A supply of Bokashi Bran, A 7-litre kitchen caddy, and Compostable liners. Five winners will be selected at random by using a number generator to ensure a fair draw.
To buy a composter and enter the competition (up to 7 August 2025), go to:
https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/9689/Subsidised-food-waste-composters |