As many of you know, our Scarecrow Festival involves the whole Benefice, and people keep telling me how much you all love it! What you may not know is that many of the things we make for you to enjoy are created from recycled materials, this year the unwanted wooden pallets came from a variety of building projects and the Moses baskets to make the boats from the ECCO recycling store. The plastic to make the fish and Mr. Men came from a kitchen firm skip in Harlow.
We do our very best to ensure that nothing goes to waste and that as little as possible ends up in landfill. I believe our rather large octopus this year even went off to be used as animal feed! And if you visit Ecco, you may spot one of our elephants welcoming you into the store. Nothing wasted!
With your help, we are discovering what can be achieved when we think creatively about reusing materials. Yet the climate and nature crisis continues to pose serious challenges, affecting everything from food supplies to the natural world around us. There are things we can do, both as individuals and as communities, but first we need to understand what is happening and what it means for our future.
A couple of weeks ago, John Dunlop, our Green Councillor, and I went to Hertford to see the People’s Emergency Briefing. We were so encouraged by what we saw that we would like to bring a screening to St James, High Wych, making it easier for people in our villages to come along.
The National Emergency Briefing has been commissioned to present the latest evidence about the climate and nature crisis and to build support for a televised national emergency briefing. The aim is to encourage a more informed and urgent response to the challenges ahead.
As part of the Church of England, we are called to follow the Five Marks of Mission. One of these is:
“To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.”
This is sometimes summed up in one word: Treasure. It is about caring for the environment, protecting the natural world and recognising that we have a responsibility to look after the wonderful planet we call home.
Over the summer, through our Messy Adventures, we have been exploring the natural world and thinking about what the Bible has to say about our environment. We have looked at plants, seeds, trees and water, discovering more about this wild and beautiful world that God has entrusted to us.
But how do we turn that sense of wonder and responsibility into everyday action?
We have already become accustomed to recycling our household rubbish, and we have seen what a difference that can make. There are, however, other things we can learn about and changes we can consider making in our homes, workplaces and daily lives. The People’s Emergency Briefing offers an opportunity to find out more, to ask questions and to think together about how we respond.
I would therefore like to invite you to join us at St James, High Wych, for a screening. It will be an opportunity to see, hear and reflect on what is happening now, what the future may hold, and what we can do about it — for ourselves, but perhaps even more importantly, for our children and grandchildren.
We have all noticed how unpredictable the weather can feel, and this year has brought its share of unusual weather and worrying reports from around the world. It can be tempting to think that the climate and nature crisis is happening somewhere else, far away from our own villages. But the changes taking place in our natural world affect us all, including the food we eat, the places we love and the world we will leave to future generations.
We may not be able to solve everything on our own, but we can begin by learning more, talking to one another and considering what changes we can make together.
So, why not come along? This is an opportunity to find out more, to share in a conversation about our future and to discover how, as individuals and as a community, we can play our part in caring for the world we all call home, and so you are invited.
INVITATION
People’s Emergency Briefing
St James, High Wych
Thursday 26th November 2026
At 7.30 pm – the presentation and discussion will last for 1hr 30 mins.
Your Priest
Alison