MK Eco Church Network – August 2026 Update
Dear MK Eco Church Network friends
I hope that you’re finding time to relax during this traditional month of summer holidays. I’d like to draw your attention to:
First, following the first screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing film organised by MK Climate Action Network, the faith community has been encouraged to arrange a screening for members of the faith communities in Milton Keynes. It has been agreed that Churches Together in MK, the MK Eco Church Network and Interfaith MK will arrange a PEB screening on Sunday 13 September, between 2.00-4.30pm at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone. The screening will be followed by a short discussion. More details about the event can be found below. Please register to attend the event here.
Second, just a reminder that the first Sunday in September (6 September) will be the first opportunity to celebrate the recently designated new Feast Day in the Christian calendar: the Feast of Creation. You can read more details about this below, and hopefully you’ll find ways to mark this Feast of Creation on 6 September, perhaps as the opening to the Season of Creation (1 September – 4 October).
Third, I’d like to highlight that the date of our next MK Eco Church Network meeting has changed and will now be held on 17 October (not 10 October as originally specified). The time and venue will be the same: 10.00am – 12.30pm, at St Michael’s Church, Woburn Sands.
Please share this Update with other people who may be interested.
Best wishes,
Stuart Kean
Convenor, MK Eco Church Network
email: mkecnetwork@ctmk.church
MK Eco Church Network – August 2026 Update
Events
- Milton Keynes Parks Trust – Community Volunteering
- Friday 21 August, 12.00 – 16.00 Love Wetlands Day at the Floodplain Forest
- Wednesday 26 August, 11.00am, Community Litter Pick: Bancroft Roman Villa
- Saturday 12 September, 10.00 – 12.30am, Great Linford Manor Park. Part of the Heritage Open Day Series, where volunteers can help nature thrive on the distinctive geological features— Blisworth Limestone bedrock.
- Tuesday 29 September, 11.00am. Community Litter Pick: Stony Stratford Nature Reserve.
For details: https://www.theparkstrust.com/events/?Event+Category=Volunteering
- Feast of Creation: 6 September. Many churches have been working to add ‘The Feast of Creation’, to the Christian calendar to be celebrated annually on the first Sunday in September. Recently the URC General Assembly agreed to encourage its churches to observe this Feast from 2026 onwards and the General Synod agreed a similar proposal. Here is a link to the Feast of Creation website which has been recently updated and has some great resources: https://www.feastofcreation.com/ . The liturgical/worship materials can be found for many Christian traditions.
- Season of Creation, 2025 Theme: ‘Living Water’: 1 September – 4 October: A lot of resources are already available to help you plan activities at your church during the Season of Creation, which you could link with planning your Harvest Festival services. More resources will become available on these websites:
i. The Season of Creation Ecumenical Steering Committee has a large collection of resources: https://seasonofcreation.org/resources/
ii. A Rocha has recently launched a new page on its website: Living Water – Season of Creation 2026 – Resources
iii. The Church of England website has a page of resources for Creationtide: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/environment-and-climate-change/creationtide/creationtide-resources
iv. The Methodist Church ‘Creation Time’ webpage has a range of resources, including hymns: https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/resources/seasons-and-themes/themes/climate-and-creation/creation-time/
- Screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing Film for the Milton Keynes faith communities on Sunday, 13 September 2026 between 2.00–4.30 pm at Church of Christ the Cornerstone. You are invited to attend a free screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing Film about the risks to British life from ongoing damage to nature and to our climate. The film presents a clear, measured overview of how the climate and nature crisis is affecting everyday life in Britain – and what the evidence says about risks and responses. This screening is for members of the faith communities in Milton Keynes and is being co-hosted by Churches Together in MK, Interfaith MK and the MK Eco Church Network. The 45-minute film will be followed by a time of discussion. Please book your free ticket using EventBrite by clicking here and registering: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/peoples-emergency-briefing-film-for-milton-keynes-faith-communitiestickets-1995450216313?aff=oddtdtcreator.
- Eco Art Exhibition, Saturday and Sunday 19 and 20 September: St Mary’s, Bletchley is hosting an eco art exhibition during Milton Keynes’ Heritage Open Days. Our local schools, community groups and residents have been busy creating amazing pieces of artwork on the theme of “Our Planet. Our Voices. Our future” to inspire environmental action. The exhibition is open 10am – 4pm on 19 Sept and 2pm – 4pm on 20 Sept. Free entry and refreshments provided!
- Please note the change of date for our next meeting: 17 October, 10.00am – 12.30pm, MK Eco Church Network meeting at St Michael’s Church, Woburn Sands.
Resources
- Last month I mentioned that the much-anticipated new Church of England eco theology document ‘Hope for all Creation – A theological response to the environmental crisis’, had been published by the Faith and Order Commission for the House of Bishops. It can be downloaded together with many other related resources here and it can also be bought from CH Publishing. To encourage churches and individuals to begin exploring the document, it has been announced that a range of accompanying resources will be released during the Season of Creation. From 31 August, the Everyday Faith app will feature daily reflections inspired by the document, and downloadable Bible studies will also be available for use. Three webinars will run on consecutive Tuesdays, 5.30pm – 6.30pm during the Season of Creation starting on Tuesday 8 September. All sessions will follow the format of presentations followed by a Q&A. Find out more about the content of the Hope for All Creation webinars and register.
- A Rocha Resource of the Month: Creation Care and Climate Change: Biblical and Practical Responses. How might Christian faith shape the way we understand and respond to climate change? In this talk for the Faraday Institute Summer Course, A Rocha’s Rev Dr Dave Bookless explores biblical perspectives on creation care alongside practical responses to one of the most pressing challenges facing our world today.
- Year round meadow management: Caring for God’s Acre have produced some new resources on meadow management. If you manage an old burial ground, making small adjustments to your grass-cutting routine can transform it into a vibrant meadow filled with wildflowers. New meadow management guidance sheets on our website detail tasks throughout the year for managing your burial ground for long flowery grassland or for medium height flowery grass. Attractive posters with clear diagrams for both types of management can also be downloaded to display in your church porch or churchyard. This year we are suggesting that due to the heat long grass in particular is cut early, both because the majority of flowers will be over and also to reduce the fire risk of long grass. Don’t forget to rake up!
- Green Christian Prayer Guide for August: Prayer Guide – GreenChristian
Funding Opportunity
- Community Solar for MK Organisations programme. MK Community Energy in its Summer Update has announced that funds are available through the MK City Council’s Green Business Fund, for a range of MK Organisations including business, charity and I spotted faith buildings are mentioned specifically. If you are interested, you can check if your organisation is eligible: https://mkcommunityenergy.co.uk/solar-for-mk-organisations/
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