Worship and Teaching
- We keep the season of creation each September leading into Harvest.
- Care for creation is expressed regularly in our intercessions.
- Our Forest Church, Wonder-full, invites people to engage in worship by actively engaging in sense divine in the woods beside the river Dee.
Buildings
- We are asking the fabric team to look again at the possibility of photovoltaic cells on the church and rectory roofs. Contrary to previous advice, it now seems likely that 20% of our energy needs could be met this way, with use of batteries and selling back to the grid is possible.
- We have moved to LED lighting in the choir and sanctuary.
- The rectory is on a Green Energy tariff, helping to reduce its Carbon Footprint – the church has not yet taken this simple step.
Land
- We are exploring the possibility of laying moss on the ground we invite Tease to use as a sturdier ground covering than grass. This will also help with carbon capture and moisture retention.
- We are receiving help from the province in obtaining the necessary licence to trim the chestnut tree.
Lifestyle
- We recycle as much as possible and do our printing on a mixture of recycled and sustainably managed papers.
- We ask our congregation to use fair-traded coffee, chocolate and sugars – unless they are sourced from countries where this designation is not relevant.
- We have asked the congregation to move to ground coffee as this requires 8 times less water and deforestation in its production than instant coffee.
- We encourage car sharing, walking and cycling to church.
Community and Global Engagement
Currently this type of engagement is undertaken by individuals rather than by the church as an organisation. We have church members who are active as:
- Green Party members
- Banchory Pathways members
- Beautify Crathes village with wildflowers
- Are involved in gardening projects throughout the community
- Serve the Cairngorms National Park Rangers
St Ternans Banchory 