Notice of Eco Meeting
A presentation of the A Rocha Eco Church programme is taking place at Christchurch on Friday 9 September 2026 at 10.00 am in the back room. The guest speaker is Freya Ballard – Carbon Reduction Officer for The Bristol Methodist District. Freya will be providing a useful insight into A Rocha programme and what the requirements are for gaining the silver and gold awards as well as suggesting what Christchurch will have to do to achieve those awards.
Malcolm Brader will also provide a report on the current status of our A Rocha survey, i.e. what we have achieved to date and what we will need to focus on in the future.
The Eco Team would like to invite you to attend the talk. Space is limited so please let Malcolm Brader know if would like to attend (Tel 01452 526411 or email malcolm.brader72@gmail.com). This is an ideal time to engage with the church eco programme as church member participation is an important aspect of the programme.
It is important to remember that we are all stewards of God’s creation and as humans, we are entrusted with the care of creation, not ownership, and therefore we must all act responsibly.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” – Psalm 24:1
“The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers; the heavens languish with the earth. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant.– Isaiah 24:4-5
People’s Emergency Briefing
A Westminster event called the National Emergency Briefing (NEB) was held in November 2025 at Methodist Central Hall. It featured leading experts who briefed an invited audience of over 1,200 politicians and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media. The briefing set out the implications of climate and nature breakdown for health, food systems, national security and the economy.
A compelling documentary film, the People’s Emergency Briefing, has since been produced. It contains footage of that event and is being screened across the nation including by many churches. It aims to support a parliamentary call for a televised briefing and educate people of the full scale of the crisis and show what the response needs to be.
The Joint Public Issues Team has called for as many churches as possible to show the film. Churches have historically played an important role at times of national crisis. From providing much needed pastoral care, being a place of refuge as well as challenging the government of the day on issues of justice and morality.
The climate crisis is both a global threat and a national one and, as the film makes clear, it affects every aspect of society.. There is clear evidence that emergency action will strengthen our national and economic resilience and improve lives. The National Emergency Briefing is designed to help create a societal tipping point towards the genuine emergency action now needed.
As Christians our concern is underpinned not just by the threat to our own interests but by core Christian principles of caring for God’s creation, Jesus’ command to love one another and responding to human need. While the climate crisis will affect all of us, it is important to remember it is the poorest communities in the world who are most impacted and least equipped to deal with the consequences. The briefing aims to further strengthen global action through the leadership of the UK’s response.
Members of Christchurch have been invited to attend the event at Hucclecote Methodist Church. There is a QR code in the attached poster which leads to the ticketing site (tickets are free).
Rummikub Evening
We are also hosting a Rummikub Evening on Saturday 26th September at 7.30 p.m. You are all very welcome to attend. The cost of the tickets is £10, which includes a ploughman’s supper. Please book your place on the sign-up sheet on the table at the back of Church, by telephoning 01452 615072 or contacting Di. The proceeds raised will be for the 7th Gloucester Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Association funds.
Operation Christmas Child
The following Saturday, 26th September, there is an open invitation to join with people from other Churches who support Operation Christmas Child at a meeting at Christchurch between 10.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. Come and meet the new Regional Manager, Rachel, and see the new videos of children receiving their shoeboxes and the impact those shoeboxes make.
Everyone is welcome.
Gloucester Foodbank
The Gloucester Foodbank has asked Christchurch to become a ‘Ready Meals Champion’ for Harvest 2026.
Last year we were Custard Champions and made a wonderful contribution. Please help us this year to be Ready Meals Champion and hopefully we will be able to rise to the challenge, just as we did last year. All brands, flavours and sizes are acceptable. Our donations will be displayed on 4th October at our Harvest Service. With thanks for all you can do to help continue supporting Gloucester residents who face food poverty.
A.Rocha Eco Church Bronze Award
Christchurch Abbeydale was awarded the A Rocha Eco Church Bronze award on Thursday 30 June 2026
Bug Hotel
A new Bug Hotel has been erected in the church grounds as part of our commitment to helping the environment and biodiversity.
Card Machine
Do you often find yourself without cash when in Church? We have now set up the card machine to accept small donations for Sunday coffee and biscuits. As the cost of coffee in particular has increased significantly of late, we encourage those who tend not to carry cash to make use of this facility as often as possible. Thank you.
