On Sunday mornings at Morley Church of the Nazarene in Leeds, England, congregants pour themselves a cup of hot tea or coffee and chat with a friend. <\/p>\n\n
However, at Morley, the dishes are reusable, and volunteers wash up after the crowd disperses rather than hauling out bags of disposable cups and plastic spoons. The cups and saucers were an intentional decision to care for creation, and now the church is being recognized for its effort.<\/p>\n\n
The congregation at Morley has been awarded \u201cCertified Nazarene Eco-Church\u201d status by Nazarenes for Creation Care (N4CC), a grassroots group that educates churches about creation care. The certificate recognizes the church for its thoughtful, deliberate stewardship of God\u2019s creation.<\/p>\n\n
For Jennie Poppleton, building manager at Morley, the certification has brought a fresh sense of excitement into the church.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s created a real buzz and everybody\u2019s really proud of it,\u201d Poppleton said.<\/p>\n\n
To receive certification, churches must form a team, sign a covenant focused on caring for creation, and pursue personalized solutions to local and global environmental issues. Changes don\u2019t need to be dramatic to make an impact, as demonstrated by the 50 or so people who call Morley home.<\/p>\n\n
Along with reusable mugs and teacups for Sunday fellowship, the church also creates craft projects using upcycled and repurposed goods, and when old light bulbs go out, they\u2019re swapped for LED bulbs. The changes arise naturally, aligning with Morley\u2019s commitment to use every item as long as possible.<\/p>\n\n
Morley’s uniform exchange program emerged in a similar way. Morley\u2019s charity shop often received donated school clothes, and as a parent and former primary school teacher, Poppleton knew that school uniforms were often outgrown before they were outworn. After the COVID-19 pandemic subsided, area parents faced a dilemma. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cWhen the kids started back to school, the parents were struggling because they\u2019d got kids who had suddenly grown, and the uniform didn\u2019t fit them, and we couldn\u2019t go shopping like we\u2019d used to,\u201d Poppleton said.<\/p>\n\n
Poppleton and church volunteers saw the need and created the uniform exchange. Donations trickle in throughout the year, and each uniform is cared for by a member of the congregation: holes are patched, missing buttons are replaced, and faulty zippers are fixed up. <\/p>\n\n
During school holidays, the church hosts pop-up shops, where community members come and take what they need. More than 5,000 pieces of uniform have been saved from landfills while actively supporting families in the surrounding area.<\/p>\n\n
The uniform exchange has also fostered relationships with community schools, which now donate unclaimed, lost clothing at the end of the academic year instead of throwing the items away. Students are involved, too\u2014 Poppleton and the team intentionally engage their youth as a part of the ministry.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cWe have a team of young adults who help at the events to get them having conversations with their friends,\u201d Poppleton said. <\/p>\n\n
The Morley congregation wants its students to embrace the model as well so that \u201cwearing second-hand becomes second nature.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
To the west of Morley, Manchester\u2019s Longsight Community Church of the Nazarene has also received N4CC\u2019s Eco-Church Certification. During the pandemic, the church had to rely on single-use, disposable cups, plates, and silverware. As a result, the plot of land behind the church building became overgrown and underutilized.<\/p>\n\n
Once the pandemic subsided, says Reverend Nicole McConkey, \u201cWe had to start to think again and say, \u2018this is not good.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n
The church returned to reusable cups and silverware for fellowship after Sunday services. For larger events, they purchase compostable single-use dinnerware. The overgrown plot of land behind the church is now lush\u2014its weeds replaced by raised garden beds\u2014thanks to a partnership with a local ministry serving the homeless. <\/p>\n\n
The ministry brings its clients out to work the garden and surrounding grounds. In turn, these visitors harvest and cook the food they grow. Last season\u2019s rhubarb became a crumble\u2014the potatoes whipped into bangers and mash.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cI mean, it was absolutely overgrown,\u201d McConkey said, remembering the garden\u2019s prior state. \u201cIt was just amazing the transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n