Waikanae Anglican Parish

Why should a parish concerned to baring the love of God to people put time and energy into caring for creation? God has put us here in this incredibly beautiful and complex world that he has made, to live in a loving relationship with him, the Creator. It follows that we have a responsibility towards creation. As God said to Adam and Eve, we are to till the earth and ‘care for it’.

So what does this mean in the twenty-first century when species are disappearing, fish stocks are declining, deserts expanding and sea levels rising? Groups in the parish have met over the last two to three years to discuss how to live sustainably and minimising our environmental impact.

The Harvest Festival creation litergy makes the point: ‘We believe God calls the church to love the earth, to live humbly in the web of relationship.’

In our own environs many people have worked hard to landscape and plant the grounds at St. Andrew’s. In the wider community many parishioners are involved in restoration groups such as Friends of the River (contact Feriel Falconer, 0-4-904 3579, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and the Waimeha Lagoon Group, which also plants the dunes (contact Pam Sinclair, 0-4-905 7790, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). They are doing wonderful work beautifying and restoring the native vegetation in those areas. More helpers are always welcome.

Environment audit

The parish is currently undergoing an Environmental Audit, looking at all aspects of parish life from an environmental viewpoint. The transport survey earlier this year was part of that. It suggested that we need to take our environmental impact much more seriously.

Contact

If you would like to come to grips with this is a new group to meet once a month, please contact. Sally Mathieson, 04 904 1260, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .