From the Pews….
You may have noticed as you have walked through the churchyard new signs, painted by Teresa Negus. They explain the church’s commitment to becoming an eco-church, and as part of that the rewilding of some of the graveyard. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this has proved to not be without controversy for those who visit their loved ones’ graves and find what they see as an unkempt churchyard. We hope our signs will go some way to explain to them that this is not the case, and perhaps look instead for the different beauty to be found in the rehabilitation of food sources and homes for our natural wildlife.
Last year Hambledon church picked up a bronze award from A Rocha, an international charity supporting religious communities responding to their calling to be stewards of this beautiful world we live in. We are not resting on our laurels and intend winning both the silver and gold awards as well! If anyone is interested in becoming part of the eco church group and having some input into the steps we take to carry this forward, I would very much like to hear from you.
As part of this commitment an energy efficiency audit was carried out of our church. In response to our findings, over the winter all our light bulbs will be changed to LED, and an investigation conducted into using HVO oil as an alternative to gas oil. If you are interested in this option, we will arrange for the information to obtain HVO oil to be shared.
Ours is an old building and we have been pleased to offer it as a place of refuge from the heat over this hottest of summers to those seeking a peaceful cool place. Our church is open every day and all are welcome to stop here for refuge from the weather or from the world and to enjoy some time in its peaceful tranquillity.
Rachel Houlberg