At St Ninian's, we believe that it's the job of humanity to care for creation.
Right from the start of the Christian Scriptures, humanity is called upon to watch over, care for, and manage well the creation we've been given. We are taking this seriously.
Here are some of the things we're doing about it, and we'd love you to partner with us in this in any way that brings you alive.
This invitation is open to everyone.
How we're working.
We're working in three main areas to steward creation around us.
Commitment
We believe that creation care and ecological action are core to our Christian beliefs, life and worship. We are committed to respond to this by participating in the A Rocha UK Eco Church Award Scheme, and as an Isle of Man UNESCO Biosphere partner.
Community
We value community, and recognise that creation-care is a human-wide concern. We are committed to being inclusive and open, to welcoming and involving everybody. We dream of a space which is welcoming, inspiring, nurturing, peaceful, practical, creative and fun. Here, people are heard, seen and connected.
Collaboration
We recognise working collaboratively brings a richness to our own growth, understanding and ability to care for creation. Other organisations who share our ethos and values bring a wealth of experience and enable us to be genuinely connected to others. Our grounds belong to God, not us, and wherever possible we look to bless others as they also bless us.
Join our community choir
Up for a singing adventure? No experience or ability to read music needed.
We're putting together this fun, folky choir for a performance that delights the heart and draws attention to the incredible creation all around us on this amazing UNESCO biosphere island that we call home.
Gareth Moore is conducting and rehearsals will be once a month over a weekend (sometimes a Saturday morning and sometimes a Sunday afternoon).
Here's a little glimpse of the music.
Here is a little more information.
Commitment
We've found the guidance from A Rocha UK incredibly helpful in guiding our practices and thinking. We're able to measure ourselves practically by looking at our worship and teaching, our buildings and energy, our land and nature, our community and global engagement, and even our individual lifestyle! Under these guiding principles, we've gained a Bronze Award and are proud to say that we are almost at Silver.
As a partner of UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man, we have also found their guidance exceptionally helpful. Their vision and strategy revolves around thinking through education, enjoyment, engagement, environment and economy.
Practically, we are committed to do anything possible that will mean we care for our environment (such as making sure we recycle, being careful about food-miles, supporting local business and being fair-trade, collecting rain water and more).
We also recognise that humanity is a part of creation, which is why we have such a strong commitment to community.
Community
The community element of our work is where we try to be creative and inspiring, helping all people to connect in and make a difference - to notice and treasure nature and to notice and treasure other people too.
Soup & Soil is a rag-tag, open collection of people who gather ad-hoc to re-wild our grounds. We are slowly transforming what we have, creating a garden filled with native plant life and colour which can be enjoyed and is a gift to any who wander our pathways. We nurture nature, and each other as we listen to creation and others.
The Wild Folk will be a scratch choir, coming soon, gathering around "The Lost Words" music and poetry. This will be low-key, folkie and fun. It will enable any who love singing to draw attention to the precious habitat all around us.
Book in for the first rehearsal right here.
We are also inviting local community groups, schools, clubs and individuals to enjoy the space, plant, make paper, laugh, and get involved in workshops and wild days. To make these happen we work in collaboration with others.
Collaboration
The Isle of Man is rich with charities, organisations and individuals who are way ahead of us when it comes to stewardship of creation in their own particular fields. We are partnering with other organisations wherever we can, and hopefully these links will continue to be mutually beneficial to their mission as well as our own.
Manx Wildlife Trust have come to advise already, and will be working in relationship with us to stage family community days and more.
Isle of Man Woodland Trust have looked around the grounds with us, given advice, talked to us about how to manage what we have, supporting and enhancing wildlife. We will be remaining in contact with these heroes.
Manx Birdlife have been in consultation with us about how we can best encourage birdlife. We have begun gathering volunteers to do community bird counts, and we will have schools groups up to the grounds for workshops and lessons run by them too.
Our Creation Care Rep
Annie Naylor is our 'Caring for God's Creation' rep for St Ninian's.
This means that as we continue to encourage our engagement in all of these ways, Annie is the one to connect in with. She's dedicated to connecting in as many people and as many strings to this bow as possible.
Annie says this: "I'm very excited about the way things have been growing so far in this role, and I genuinely feel that this is central to our role on planet earth. What energises me the most about this role is that it's equally as focused on wellness and community as it is on ecology and environment."
We'll one day have a shop here!
That's right! We're working on making things we can sell. The things we sell will be made by hand using as much as our natural resources as possible. Funds will go straight back in to making our space as beautiful and wildlife-rich as it can be for everyone to enjoy for generations to come.
