Parable of wise and foolish builders
The Climate Crisis can seem far away and not something which will affect us here in Norfolk and Waveney very much.
However, for those of us living on the coast and in the Broads area, recent projections of rises in sea levels have made many of us realise the impact it could have. The town of Great Yarmouth in particular is caught between the sea and the River Bure, and much work is being done to try and protect the town’s residents and businesses from flooding.
Taking inspiration from the parable of the wise and foolish builders, Great Yarmouth Parish Council are planning an event at the Minster this summer thinking about the ways we have built society and industry on the sandy ground of profit above all else. Having won a grant from ECLAS (Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science) the event will draw in local groups and organisations to investigate how we can stop exploiting and damaging the environment, and
begin building on the rock by working with our planet.
Good mission and ministry is grounded in the community in which it is based, and so this project will look at one of the growing industries in the Yarmouth area: renewable energy. The Scroby Sands wind farm is just off the coast, and key players in the off shore renewable energy sector are based in the town. One of the local colleges even has an Offshore Wind Centre, providing training for the sector. By bringing together the theology and the science of care for creation through alternative sources of energy, we hope to inspire and educate people from the local area, and further afield. Great Yarmouth has its problems, and it is good to have an opportunity to highlight what is good, and growing
in the area, bringing skills and jobs to the Borough.
The Scientists in Congregations project run by ECLAS has been very straightforward to access, and the support they have given through the application process, and continuing as we plan and deliver the project, has been really good. Now that the Climate Crisis is rightly on more people’s minds than ever, it’s worth exploring what grants and support might be available to educate and/or effect change in your community.
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