As extreme weather becomes more familiar, churches are finding practical and hopeful ways to respond. Hannah Mann, Environment Programme Manager, explores how we all need to learn to live differently.
From frozen sheets to feet in buckets
The impact of the heatwaves has been seen in all corners of British life; in the small ways, the big ways, the comical moments and the serious.
I’ve heard many tips on keeping cool; from putting bed sheets in my freezer, purchasing a ‘cold’ water bottle and sitting at my laptop with feet in a bucket of iced water. My colleague Alison and I have been sharing some more serious adaptations to homes through this handy Heatwave toolkit using various items and hacks to keep the sun out of the house during the heatwaves.
Locally there have been some unusual but much-needed adaptations to normal life. At the recent ordination services, ordinands were released from wearing the full attire normally required as part of the ceremony. My children were delighted that school uniform pretty much went out the window, ice-creams were a given at any time of day, every day, and that outdoor pools and splash parks are opening early to cater for those seeking cold water.
When heat becomes dangerous
More seriously, many of our church schools, along with others across the diocese, either closed fully or partially, to keep children out of the dangerous school temperatures in classrooms that are unprepared for this kind of heat. 11 people in Oxfordshire, including children, died after swimming in open water during the May heatwave. The impact on heat-related deaths in the UK was 2,700 across May and June.
While sleep deprivation may some mild in comparison, 65% of us couldn’t sleep, 86% of us reported our homes felt too hot, and 1 in 10 reported that our working conditions felt unsafe.
Creation groaning
And the sorts of things we are experiencing, nature is also feeling – water, shade and food are much harder to come by for our co-habitants, whose normal patterns of living are disrupted and food supplies out of sync with when they need to be accessing the food. This has serious implications for all our birds, mammals, insects and fish. We hear echoes of Romans 8 in what we are seeing all around as, as God’s creation on earth – God’s people, creatures, and land - seem to be groaning.
These are the summers of now, of tomorrow, and the future.
Learning to live differently
This type of weather is here to stay, so learning to live with it is going to be vital – both in the short term, and in the longer term. There are many organisations, local authorities, research institutes, and government committees exploring this question – looking at how our climate and our weather is changing and understanding what sort of response is needed. The National Trust has been looking at this for a long time – it turns out that fewer people visit National Trust properties when it’s hot, and more properties have to close so that volunteers aren’t working in unsafe temperatures. If it is to keep properties and gardens open, the charity will need to make some changes.
Churches responding locally
But it’s not just national institutions exploring this challenge. Many of our churches are thoughtfully responding too. There are churches such as those in the Bernwode Benefice offering themselves as Cool Spaces, using this excellent toolkit as a resource, opening for people to come and sit, rest, work in our historic buildings, which are some of the coolest places at this time of year.
We have churches such as St Lawrence’s Hungerford engaged in planting trees, a contribution which can make a temperature difference of up to 5 degrees. Tree planting not only makes it cooler for people and wildlife, but is vital for providing homes and habitats for nature longer term too.
We have churches such as All Saints, Great Bourton, installing water butts to save water, as we experience warnings from our water companies of low water pressure and a depleting supply. And churches such as St Francis Terriers, Wycombe, providing a community garden in an urban centre, to offer a cooler space to which people can retreat. It’s amazing to see so many churches finding a response that is unique to their local context.
Preparing for what comes next
While the heat is the topic of the moment, flooding is something else increasingly impacting our communities. And although we don’t yet have a church (that I’m aware of!) that has flooded, the closure of the Abingdon Road into Oxford in November 2024 led to the last-minute deviation to Church House of our two new Bishops, who were trying to reach Christ Church Cathedral for their announcement. This was a small reminder that things are changing.
Protecting our buildings and supporting those in a time of floods will be a new challenge, but one that is on the horizon- and there is much to learn from churches in other parts of the country which have already gone through this and come out the other side. You can find their stories online.
What the Church can offer - and what it can't
The church cannot be all things to all people – we are not the emergency services, or the local authority, or the energy companies, or anything else that keeps civic life ticking over as we know it. But we are uniquely placed in community; we are living and sharing these experiences with our neighbours and can speak into local need.
We are called more than ever to be the church that cares for and speaks up for the vulnerable (James 1:27), and for those who are in need – i.e. to love our neighbour (Matthew 22:37-39). Although extreme weather is indiscriminate, those who have less, the very young or the very elderly, are much more vulnerable. We can often fill some gaps; whether pastorally or practically. We can join in with those in our communities to collectively step up in a moment of time-critical need, and to speak up for those of us who get left behind. We can minister to all those in our communities who seek extra support, or a sign of hope.
A prayer for hot days
So, during these heat waves, I want to thank God for the many organisations – including our own churches – offering help and support as we try and keep cool. I pray that people will stay safe and that nature will pull through.
I pray for those feeling particularly affected – farmers, those living and working in care homes and hospitals, the emergency services, and the many of us living in homes unfit for purpose. And I invite us to reflect on our place - our community and our role within it, as we help one another to live in a changing world.
Just one thing
Doing just one thing can make a big impact. Whether you're a church leader or parishioner, brand new to climate care or a long-time activist, what one thing could you do this week?
- Become a Cool Space
Learn what a 'Cool Space' is and how your church can actively welcome the wider community to use your naturally cool building as a respite during heatwaves. - Help wildlife in hot weather
Lend a helping hand to wildlife in hot weather. Keep your watering stations topped up with water, and let some of your garden grow wild to provide shade for animals. - Become a climate-resilient church
Explore the kinds of changes that could help your church adapt to our changing climate, so that extreme weather events cause less harm and can be recovered from more quickly. - Listen to the Common Ground podcast
Bishop Mary interviews inspiring people from across the diocese. Bishop Mary's 'just one thing' has been starting to grow something edible - in her words, "more tomatoes than I bargained for!"