Facilitated by the Climate Coalition, the first Great Big Green Week took place in September 2021 and became the largest event for climate and nature in the UK, with 5,000 events happening nationwide in its first year. Since then, communities across the country have hosted activities each year to celebrate and care for the environment.
How can churches take part?
There are lots of ways churches can take part. You could…
- Host an event and register it on the Great Big Green Week platform
- Invite your congregation, wider community, and local decision makers to attend
- Attend an event nearby
- Share your event with us to promote ([email protected]) – and send a picture afterwards!
Whether you’re getting outside in nature to count local species, holding a special creation care service, or hosting an environmental film watch party – we’d love to hear how you’re taking part. If you’re getting involved this year, we’re asking you to send us a photo of your event to [email protected] once it’s taken place so we can share and celebrate it.
Download the resource pack below or read on to explore ideas for your church…
Great Big Green Week – Church Idea Pack
Churches Count on Nature
Intentionally falling within Great Big Green Week, Churches Count on Nature is a week-long event when churches across the country can count and celebrate the biodiversity in their churchyards. The initiative is run jointly by Caring for God’s Acre, A Rocha UK, the Church of England and the Church in Wales.
Simply get a group together and spot the wildlife you can see in your churchyard or burial ground, and record your results on iNaturalist. It’s a great way to enjoy the warmer weather, take time to notice the intricacy of God’s creation, and help local species at the same time. It’s often a hit with children and young people, and a brilliant opportunity to invite local schools or youth groups.
Find out more here and make sure to register by 23rd May to receive your free resource pack in time. You can also watch this recent webinar hosted by Green Christian on biodiversity on church land, which includes a helpful discussion on the Churches Count on Nature initiative.
Eco Church 10 Year Anniversary Celebration Service or Event
2026 marks the 10th anniversary of Eco Church – the A Rocha UK framework designed to help churches care for creation in all areas of church life. Since it began, over 9000 churches across denominations (around 23% of churches across England and Wales!) have got involved and 4500 have achieved awards.
If you’re already involved in Eco Church, you could choose to hold a celebration service or dedicated event. Or, if you’re looking to get started, why not use the Great Big Green Week as an opportunity to host a ‘launch’ event and get your church community on board? A Rocha will be releasing a document soon to help churches plan a celebration event.
National Emergency Briefing Watch Event
In November last year, a National Emergency Briefing on Climate and Nature brought together leaders from business, faith, sport and the media, to call for stronger action across sectors. Experts shared the latest insights on how the climate and nature crises are affecting health in the UK, food systems, the economy, and many other areas of society.
A short film of the event is being released in April, designed to be shown in community settings to spread the message more widely and be a turning point for action. Churches may wish to host a screening, invite the local community and decision makers to watch, and facilitate a discussion afterwards. If you’re interested in hosting a watch event and want to express your interest – or just want to learn more – head to the website.
Gardening or Planting Sessions
Many of us have church gardens or outdoor spaces that we can use to care for nature and support outreach. You could use the week as an opportunity to give your outdoor spaces some TLC by holding a gardening or planting session.
You might plant pollinators in your church garden to help local species, vegetables to enjoy a few months down the line, or simply have a garden clean up event and share coffee and cake.
Caring for God’s Acre and Eco Church have great resources to help you think about managing your church land – however big or small.
Get Children and Young People Involved
Many children and young people care deeply about helping our environment. Why not get them involved in the week?
The Eco Church website has a wide range of resources for ages 4–18, helping children and young people engage through prayer, Bible readings, activities, games, and crafts. Sun Hats & Wellie Boots also offers nature‑inspired and eco‑friendly activities, including their Wonderfully Wild Churchyard resource pack and nature trails.
Or if you have a youth group, you could simply ask them to brainstorm ideas – and let them take the lead on planning an event!
Swap Events
The Great Big Green Week has a theme of ‘swapping together for good’. In line with this, you could host a swap event – for a lighter impact on both the planet and on people’s wallets.
You might swap items people no longer need, such as clothes or toys, or even ‘swap’ skills by running something like a pop-up repair café. Think about the skillsets within your church, ask people what might be useful, and see what ideas emerge.
Other Resources and Ideas
If you’d like more inspiration, you can find an A-Z guide of event ideas on the Great Big Green Week website, along with an organiser’s guide and ideas for outreach and promotion.
How can we register our event?
Don’t forget to register your event on the Organisers Hub. Once registered, it will be added to the events calendar on the GBGW website so people in your local area can find it.
Let us know your plans ([email protected]) and others in your deanery, and ask them to share!
