Communicating Hope: Science, Faith and Sustainability
We are delighted to announce that we have been successful in securing a grant from Scientists in Congregations (part of Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science/ECLAS) to enable us to expand our educational offerings, particularly pertaining to environmental education and the link between faith and caring for the environment. With this grant, we are launching a project entitled ‘Communicating Hope: Science, Faith, and Sustainability’.
As part of this project, we will engage local scientists who have expertise in the environment and sustainability and invite a selection of them to be interviewed by school students across Cambridge. These interviews will be recorded, and - alongside other resources developed from our resultant learning - will be made available online for future educational use by teachers and other interested parties in Cambridge and beyond. One major resource being developed as part of this work, will be two additional touchscreens, populated with information about the environment, sustainability, and faith. These will complement our existing heritage touchscreens, and for maximum public reach one will be placed in Great St Mary’s and one in Michaelhouse.
We will also offer several special events aimed at a general audience in 2026, where there will be the opportunity to hear from scientists, theologians, and people of faith regarding the environmental challenges that face us in this age of climate change, and to consider how we might make an impact with our personal decisions and choices. From September there will be boxes in church where you can post any questions or concerns that you have, regarding environmental issues, with these comments informing the topics that we cover. All events will also offer a Q&A segment.
Our hope is that this project will increase awareness of the environmental issues that we are facing, but also impart a sense of hope that we can make a difference. It is a project for the whole community at Great St Mary’s, which we pray will have an impact far beyond the church walls. We would be glad to hear from any congregation members who would like to be involved in the project – perhaps you have a background in environmental science, volunteer for an environmental charity or local group, or have an interest in eco-theology? We will also be running a poetry competition for students aged 4-19 within the Ely Diocesan area, so if you have expertise in teaching or studying English or creative writing and would like to be involved in helping to shortlist entries, please register your interest with our Education Officer, Natalie Lealand. You can email her at nataliel@gsm.cam.ac.uk or ask one of the clergy or Margaret Johnston to initiate contact with her on your behalf.