On Saturday 15 November, it was the organisation Green Christian's annual conference - this year held in Peterborough - and I went down on Friday so that I could attend the board committee meeting the day before.
The theme was
Climate breakdown is happening. How can churches help their communities prepare for what’s coming?
This blog post tells of my experiences -
So you can find out about,
- Flooding in Cumbria,
- A rail journey that worked with no delays, interesting characters I met on route,
- Why and how churches and individuals might prepare for climate change - whether it be warming or cooling
- Interesting features of Peterborough
- Some thoughts
On Thursday I got my bags packed ready with waterproofs as the weather forecast said "100% chance of heavy rain in Peterborough all day on Friday." I planned to go to bed at 10pm, but had so many jobs to finish about publicity and posters and decisions for other groups I am involved with, plus printing out all the papers for the committee meeting the following day that it was after 2.30pm when I went to bed.
On Friday I left the house at 7.12 am with plenty of time to park near Settle station. It was tremendously windy. Would my car be safe parked under the trees with their branches thrashing above? Still, I had no choice.
On the platform I met three friends from three different "lives" in Settle - Anne Michelmore-Brown, Pete Lawrence and Philippa Hinde, all catching the early morning train at 7.27. Nice to feel part of our community. The train was on time. Amazing.
As we approached Leeds I chatted to a man, who had come all the way from Carlisle. "It's flooding in Carlisle!" he said. ("I will be going there in two months to the Lichen Society AGM" I thought). He had left at 5.49am - So glad we kept the Settle Carlisle line open all those years ago..
The train sped south through the huge flat fields of the productive fenlands - where so much of our UK food is grown.
It arrived on time at just after 10am in Peterborough, (in heavy rain.) I put on all my hiking waterproofs. I walked and explored a little of Peterborough and ended up in the Queensgate Shopping Centre. No sales. In the concourse I passed a stall setting up - "Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue".
I doubled back. In Settle area we have CRO - Cave Rescue Organisation - "Saving Lives above and below ground in the Yorkshire Dales". I hadn't thought of flat areas like Peterborough needing a rescue organisation. I gave a small donation to support them, and they insisted on my taking a small gift so I took a red pen.
I arrived at St Mark's church hall on Lincoln Road at just after 11am, took off my waterproofs and draped them on chairs along with several other drying coats.
Then I put them on again and walked back to the road junction three minutes away to buy some lunch. I chose "Go" Palestine Sandwiches and bought a hot falafel sandwich. Across the road I entered a store selling Eastern European products - Ukrainian, Polish and a host of other countries. The products on the shelves were imported from these countries. I chose a packet with a picture of crackers with sesame seeds. It was produced in Romania.
We started our meeting promptly at 12 including 2 members on Zoom and spent the first 30 minutes or so trying to arrange next year's committee meetings. Meanwhile the final three members of our committee arrived.
It was nice to see people in the flesh, rather than by Zoom. Much of the business had happened two weeks ago in a Zoom meeting and by putting reports onto Google Drive - the reports I had printed out and read on the way down.
At lunch time I heated and shared my falafel sandwich. And ate some of Ruth's nice cake.
In the afternoon we discussed various things. Just one of them was a discussion on race / colour / inclusivity. In my simplistic terms my concern is that we ought to have pictures of more colours of people on the website and other physical appearances - so that people can see "People like themselves" on the website, and so might find it easier to join. It is hard to say anything without it being taken in the wrong way.
We explored the church with regard to setting up the conference the next day.
Most of the committee walked though the rain to the Premier Hotel 20 min away. I accepted a lift in the taxi with two of the others. I phoned up a non-board member who had arranged to meet us there.
We had supper at the Premier Inn. We discussed Green Christian's "Food Campaign" before eating.
I went to bed at 9.30pm. Wonderful. Then wasted twenty minutes flicking between channels on the TV, and watching an advertorial programme about cordless vacuum cleaners.
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I set the alarm for Saturday for 6.30am but lay in bed watching tv a while. Then I had a shower and and got my brain engaged working out how it worked. I photographed the little messages left on folder card in the room - Maybe useful to make notices elsewhere using the same template.-
I listened to the prayer on my mobile phone internet - Green Christian is holding 10 minute long prayers every morning of COP30 (The climate conference) Here is the prayer. Today it was delivered by Barbara Echlin.. from her bedroom along the corridor. They carry on next week till the end of COP30.
The skin of life on the surface of our globe is fragile and affected by climate. The climate is affected by the way one organism - humans (also including I suppose, our gut flora) - is changing the composition of the environment. .. so that it will be less favorable for human life.
And here we have the 30th Climate COP - with representatives of fossil fuel companies there and business people and bankers fighting for their businesses of for their profits and share holders and power.
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Already later than the others who had been staying at the hotel, I took a slightly longer route back to the church, past the cathedral and market square. (and because I went wrong via the shopping mall again).. taking photos en route.. of the Norman Cathedral and ancient market place. But everything was running smoothly as I arrived and I had time to look at the display and chat to a few people.
We held the AGM. The work of Green Christian is organised under several committees/projects and a leader of representative of each of these sat at the front and said one sentence (or slightly more) of highlights of what their group had done. Then the treasurer was allowed 10 minutes plus questions.
Then Coffee.
Then Rupert Read of the Climate Majority spoke. He was introduced by Melanie Nazareth
(Link to video to come)
Then it was lunch. As people left the church Cat and I gave them a pink post it note. They were asked to write in six words or fewer and answer to the question "Climate breakdown is happening. How can churches help their communities prepare for what’s coming?"
Then after lunch we would collect them and a team would sort them into 8 piles. After the afternoon speakers, and afternoon tea we would then discuss in 8 groups of up to 10 each taking one topic, and provide a one sentence answer.
In the last half of the lunch-hour I walked back to "Go" Palestine Sandwiches and bought two more sandwiches, one as a meal deal including drink and chips. When I returned it was the end of lunch and CAT was collecting in the questions.
Jo Chamberlain of and Adrian Fox of the CfE Environment programme gave two good talks (Videos to come). Adrian Fox is the Environmental Sustainability Officer at the Church of England’s Cathedral and Church Buildings Department. He gave some very practica advide and stories. At the conference he said to me "Faith may not be flashy but neither is a well maintained gutter, but both helps us weather the storm of climate.
Rev Vanessa Elston gave and inspiring talk (Video to come)
At afternoon tea break I attempted to be helpful. There was a big moist apple cake uncut - and most of the other cakes and biscuits were nearly finished. So I found a large knife by another cake and started carefully cutting it into narrow slices. I got half way round the cake when a lady appeared with another knife "I went to get a clean knife. " she said "That is a gluten free cake - and now that you have cut it with a knife that has been used on other cakes we can no longer call those slices gluten free." She showed the the notice with tiny handwriting saying gluten free next to the cake.
Oh dear.
Afterwards I walked round and took photos of people in their groups attempting to write a one sentence answer.
I collected some Green Christian leaflets and posters to take back to Settle and helped tidy up.
I walked to the railway station and as I had time, photographed a young tree near the station - 99.9% covered with - yes - Xanthoria parietina lichen. This lichen indicates there is much nitrogen compounds in the air. From fertilizer and from traffic.
I caught the return home train (on time - amazing) , changed at Leeds, met more friends from Settle on the train to Settle, found my car safe in spite of Friday's winds and got home by 9.15.
I intended to go to bed at 10, but decided to download my pictures and put them on Green Christian Google drive for others to use. .. So "Oh dear," another 2pm bed-time.
I will add some pictures and more details in a few days. and put links to the talks once they have been made into Youtube videos.
I hope I can get our little Eco-Group at Settle Methodist Church to watch the videos and have discussions about them.
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