Beaconsfield is working on a wide variety of projects in their community.  Green team meetings have led to the installation of a new composter and a Sunday School program working with environmental themes.  The folks at Beaconsfield are already underway with a professional energy audit of their building and there are hopes that a geothermal heating system might be installed in the not too distant future.

A few weeks back we all gathered in the main hall at the church which was decorated with eco-art of the Senior Sunday School class for eco-worship led by our minister, Shaun, as he considered the destructive effects of fish farming he had observed during summer vacation on the cycle of sea life and the earth.

We had a standing room only crowd, extra-large choir, and chairs had to be found as latecomers were added to table groups. Following worship we immediately enjoyed a breakfast of Eggs Benedict (or pizza pieces) and salad with fruit.

Laura, one of our green team members, helped members of the Senior Sunday class to set up a power point presentation which followed the breakfast. After a short introduction of the eco-footprint idea, we had to agree in our table groups, and keep our eco-score to decide about our carbon footprint.  Then Jacob, one of the older members of the senior class read out the questions as they were shown on the screen and we had one score card per table to fill out.

The Snelling-Lusher table had to admit to the highest score …  requiring 6 earths to maintain their lifestyles. They received the biggest black footprint and then all the table groups listed how each could improve their record. Even the winning table required about .5 of the earth, so we all had some work to do. Other smaller feet were handed out giving folks 3 opportunities to suggest how they will improve their footprint.

After working for a while on the footprint, Laura led us through an apple cutting demonstration about the precious Earth resource we have to live on.  That exercise really caught people’s attention. As people were starting to leave, they were given homework sheets which some will surely hand in next week to the Senior Sunday School class for their compilation and report-back

Beaconsfield United Church
202, chemin Woodside, Beaconsfield Qc, H9W 2P1
Téléphone: 514-695-0600
e-mail: bu1@bellnet.ca
www.beaconsfieldunitedchurch.com