We’re now in the ‘season of creation’ month, with the theme of ‘Living Water’, based on the vision from Ezekiel 47:1-12 when God’s life-giving water flows from the temple of God, restoring a desolate place, reviving waters, and bringing transformation. This feels timely, as across the diocese we’ve experienced the impacts of another exceptionally hot summer, with record-breaking temperatures, alongside a declaration of drought in much of the UK and a hosepipe ban. The Met Office reports that summer 2026 is on course to become the UK’s hottest summer on record, while much of England and Wales has faced prolonged dry conditions and water stress and reminders of the stark changes to the UK climate[1].
The Seasons of Creation resources, alongside the new Feast of Creation liturgy, offers ways for your church to celebrate the Creation entrusted to us to care for with love and responsibility.
Cool Spaces
With five heatwaves to date in the UK and another on the horizon[2], the Compassionate Communities team developed a new toolkit to support churches wishing to operate as ‘cool spaces’ for their local community. If your church is interested in finding out how to do this, check out the toolkit here.
Hope for All Creation
Did you mark the new annual festival of Creation in Christ? We’d love to hear your stories about what you did. There is also still time to catch some of the webinars exploring the ideas behind the new publication of the Hope for All Creation theological document.
The Rt Revd Dr Anderson Jeremiah, Bishop of Edmonton, is a member of the Theology and Environment Working Group that produced the document. Bishop Anderson reminds us:
We have been given a world of extraordinary beauty and intricate interdependence, yet we also live at a time when that gift is under profound strain. This document invites us to see the environmental crises not simply as scientific or political challenges, but as questions of Christian discipleship. It reminds us that our hope rests not in ourselves, but in the God who loves, sustains and will renew all creation. My prayer is that it will help churches reflect more deeply on how our worship, our witness and our common life can bear faithful testimony to that hope.
St George’s, Southall
In celebration of our seven churches in the Diocese of London who have been awarded Gold Eco Church awards we have asked each church to share their journey to the award. Today we hear from St George’s Southall in the west of the diocese.
Read St George’s Southall: A journey to Eco Church Gold
Net Zero Carbon Programme explained
The Net Zero Carbon Programme is a practical expression of our calling to love God and our neighbour, protect the most vulnerable, and protect creation for generations to come. But what does it mean in practice?
The Church of England is working to reach net zero carbon across the energy used to heat, light, and power our buildings. Churches are achieving this in stages, often made up of lots of small steps to improve energy efficiency such as draughtproofing, insulation, switching to LED lighting and using digital controls. Then planning for the larger projects such as new heating systems. The important thing is to take the steps you can, when you can.
Investment in energy efficient technology is about stewarding resources well. It can reduce energy bills and address fuel poverty. Every pound saved can be released back into mission and ministry. Ultimately, we want warmer, more welcoming buildings that are fit for the future. We want to create spaces that support worship and community life. We understand this work is complex and challenging. It takes time. Every church, parish. Check out our resources online and stories of what other churches are doing.
Faith in Action: Net Zero Carbon Programme Impact Report 2025 | The Church of England
If you have any enquiries contact – nzc@london.anglica.org
Ongoing progress around the Diocese
Fed up with a very noisy and inefficient boiler that sometimes needed turning off during services, the congregation of All Saints N20 in Friern Barnet have embarked on an ambitious heating and lighting project.
Members of the PCC are looking forward to not having to get to church two hours before a service starts to turn the rather cumbersome heating on — and still feel cold! As a busy community church, they want to be able to offer a warm and inviting welcome.
Members have spent at least 10 years fundraising for new electrical wiring, LED lighting throughout, under-pew heating and radiant heating panels, which will be attached to pillars around the church. With a vast building to heat, they knew that it would be better to “heat the people” rather than try to heat the whole space.
The PCC needs approximately £130,000 to finish the works, allow for extra tasks such as repairs and plastering, and make sure there is a contingency budget. To date, they have raised about 85% of what they need and have received their Faculty permissions.
With one final fundraising push required, Fr Harry said: “I’m so pleased that at All Saints’ we can finally go ahead with this project after years of planning. It will be amazing to offer a warm and bright church for our winter and Christmas services.”
[1] https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2026/warmest-uk-summer-on-record-increasingly-likely-as-temperatures-stay-well-above-average