I am the Environment Officer for the Diocese of Oxford.
This article originally appeared in the Oxford Times The summer is here – the abundance of life is clearly all around us – nature is busy doing its thing! It is a time when we perhaps feel more connected to the earth. Delights for our senses are everywhere, from the sweetness of freshly picked strawberries […]
This column first appeared in the Oxford Mail The climate has been much on our minds recently. With weeks of rain and flooding causing distress and disruption across the country. Local churches in Oxfordshire and beyond played their part in providing support and refuge, with St Luke’s, Canning Crescent, becoming known as the community’s ‘Noah’s […]
A couple of weeks back I spent a Saturday afternoon with forty other people of all ages in the beauty of Wytham Woods. It was the first gathering of the Oxford Forest Church group, and we’d come together to explore nature and connect with God. On that clear crisp afternoon we spent time both together […]
Forest Church is a fresh expression in nature, drawing on contemporary research that highlights the benefits of spending time with nature in wild places and much older traditions when sacred places and practices were outside. The idea provides for a fresh way of connecting with God in nature, and local groups are springing up all […]
Fewer than one in ten children regularly play in wild places; compared to almost half of children a generation ago. In the following article Matt Freer, Environment Advisor to the diocese, explores the growing gap between children and nature, and asks what roles can the church play in response? Nature Activities to use with children […]
Tackle the growing gap between children and nature and use these nature activities this summer…
HOME is a film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. It is breathtaking and inspirational – and has at its core a goal of inspiring people to act on what they see. Available in full on YouTube for free it makes for a great resource for groups to use and to screen themselves.
Earthing Faith is a network to resource and encourage churches and individuals in the Diocese of Oxford as we connect our faith with the earth.
The network has been established to assist the sharing of ideas and experiences around the environment, and to help us to be creative and collaborative in our engagement with creation.