St Ninian’s Comely Bank recently hosted their first Climate Café for members of the congregation and local community. The café was a warm and welcoming space on a bright October morning, with plenty of tea, coffee and home baked cakes.
Alongside congregation members and others from the local community, the café welcomed many asylum seekers from several nationalities, who attend English classes at St Ninian’s during the week. Some of the countries represented include Sudan, Iran, Mali and Eritrea. Conversations over coffee and cake seamlessly linked our varied experiences of climate change from Scotland to East Africa; from flooding and storms to the relief of occasional rain in otherwise dry lands.
Paper tablecloths eased language barriers as maps, pictures and diagrams were drawn. One conversation on active and sustainable travel options led to a vocab lesson on the parts of bike, with detailed labelled diagrams. St Ninian’s is hoping to get funding to provide bikes for some of the asylum seekers, aiding travel in a cost-effective, sustainable way.
The Climate Café was followed by the screening of the film ‘The Letter’ which was provided by Rev David Coleman from Eco-Congregation Scotland. The film tells the story of a journey to Rome of frontline leaders to discuss the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ with Pope Francis. You can find out more, including a link to watch the film on YouTube here.
During the film screening, Mossy Church activities were run in the beautiful church garden and adjacent hall. These activities aimed to encourage local children to engage with creation care through planting bulbs, making eco crafts and bird feeders, all held within the context of liturgy written by Rev Frances Burberry, specifically for the event. St Ninian’s hopes to run Mossy Church again, during Sunday services or at other events, making the most of their outdoor space to engage children with our faith in a creator God.
After this encouraging event, St Ninian’s plans to run Climate Cafés on a monthly basis. These may also include Repair Cafés or incorporate other film screening or talks on related topics. Do look out for upcoming events at St Ninian’s and be inspired to try something similar in your local church.
Bethany Nelson, Empowerment Coordinator
