Caring for Creation – Church Tent at the Bath and West Show

At this year’s Bath and West Show, the central theme of the church tent was Caring for Creation. There were resources, information, and leaflets to raise awareness and understanding of how we can better care for God’s earth. The diocesan Environment team was also on hand on Friday to answer any questions visitors had.

The tent featured Andy Gray’s award-winning window display, inspired by the fifth Mark of Anglican Mission: safeguarding the integrity of creation and sustaining the Earth’s life. There were also interactive resources such as Bible chat mats to color in and a drawing wall where people could post their prayers and thoughts.

“We emphasized our prayer apple tree and held discussions on how to care for the Earth, along with composting demonstrations by Carymoor,” said Revd Toby Osmond, Vicar and Church Tent Coordinator.

Staffed by volunteers from two local churches, the Church tent offered a warm welcome with free teas and coffees for anyone who wanted to drop in.

“We had two churches from the local area every day. They arrived around nine o’clock, received breakfast, then had a briefing about the tent and its theme. By ten o’clock, they took over,” explained Revd Toby Osmond.

In addition to refreshments, the tent served as a venue for significant conversations. “Every year, there are two or three deeply meaningful conversations with people, often those hurt by the church in some way. It’s an opportunity to share God’s love by listening and assuring them that what they’ve experienced isn’t reflective of the whole church,” said Toby.

On Friday, our diocesan Environment team shared recent efforts in caring for God’s creation.

Dan Wills, Net Zero Enabler, said, “The Bath and West Show was an excellent opportunity to showcase all that our diocese has been doing to care for creation. We shared our Net Zero goals with many members of the public, who found it encouraging that if we can achieve Net Zero in uninsulated, centuries-old church buildings, they can do it in their modern homes.”

Sara Emmett, Climate Justice & Environment Adviser, said, “It was wonderful to meet with people from across the diocese and beyond who are caring for creation. There is so much enthusiasm and commitment, and we felt refreshed and inspired by everyone’s hard work.”