Continuing our reflection on the Eco Church categories as we work towards an Eco Office Silver award, this week we focus on Worship and Teaching.
The Worship and Teaching category invites us to consider how our faith shapes the way we understand and respond to creation itself. As Christians, we believe the world is not simply a resource to manage, but a gift entrusted to us by God.
Churches participating in Eco Church come from a wide variety of traditions, each with its own way of worshipping. As there is so much diversity, the survey encourages churches to interpret questions within their own context. At its heart, this category asks us to reflect on who we are and to recognise our place as part of creation – not apart from it and not above it.
Many of the questions in this section relate to aspects of collective worship: preaching, prayer, music, and special services. Others focus on how creation care is included in teaching and discipleship, whether through sermons, small groups, preparation courses, or work with children and young people. Together, these practices help shape the culture of a church community, reminding us that caring for creation is not an optional extra but part of our shared calling.
At Church House, engaging with this category has meant ensuring that environmental awareness is integrated into the life of the office as well as the wider diocesan community. Information about the Eco Church award process, is shared with staff, helping everyone understand how our environmental commitments connect with our work and witness.
We also create space for ongoing conversation and learning. The staff team regularly shares ideas and works through practical questions related to environmental issues, and sustainability features in our internal communications. These updates might include reminders about energy use, ways to reduce our carbon footprint, or prayer points related to creation and the climate crisis.
Alongside these structured practices, we are also reminded of the importance of simply noticing and celebrating the natural world. Staff are encouraged to take breaks during the day and spend time outdoors where possible, recognising that stepping outside can be both restorative and spiritually grounding.
As with the other Eco Church categories, this section is less about doing everything at once and more about growing awareness over time. When care for creation becomes part of our worship and discipleship, it shapes not only what we do, but who we are becoming together as people of God.
Here are some ways to begin engaging with this section:
5 minute challenge:
Take a moment during your day to step outside. Notice the sounds, colours, and textures around you, and offer a short prayer of thanks for one aspect of God’s creation you might normally overlook.
30 minute challenge:
Explore some of the worship or teaching resources available through the Eco Church programme and consider how creation care could feature in a prayer, sermon, or group discussion. Worship and Teaching resources→
Half a day challenge:
Bring the Worship and Teaching section of the Eco Church survey to your church leadership meeting or small group. Reflect together on how creation care already appears in your worship and teaching – and where there might be opportunities to deepen this connection.
Sophie Simmonds, Mission and Ministry Team Administrator, discusses how we live out Worship and Teaching in our offices:
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