Ethical Living Tips

As part of our commitment to become a more responsible community and church, we recently used the Abundant Life Bible study series produced by the Congregational Federation and CWM, which covers topics such as living well with others, with the environment, and ethical money.

During our Bible studies some really interesting suggestions emerged so I thought it would be a good idea to create a living guide of ethical tips. Living because it will be updated regularly with new suggestions from our own members and from our local community.

These tips focus on small changes that most people should be able to try easily. If you have any suggestions drop us a comment below.

Please be aware that all links are suggestions from our members or community and links do not constitute endorsement, or medical and financial advice.

Environment

With problems such as climate change and pollution, the environment is an obvious first choice. But increased media attention is not the only reason why it is at the top of this list: climate change affects people in the poorest countries, and is a major source of conflict and poverty, which in turn result in the humanitarian crises we see with refugees.

The first step in addressing environmental problems is to determine how much our individual lifestyle contributes to them. Whilst most pollution and emissions come from industrial activity, we can still make a positive impact.

  • Check your carbon footprint. You can find out how much carbon is produced as a consequence of your lifestyle through simple quizzes such as the WWF or the United Nations ones. You can play around with the answers to see how much difference small changes can make.
  • Greener houses. Whilst the price tag might be off-putting to begin with, switching to a green tariff will greatly cut the environmental impact of your house. Replacing your light bulb with longer-lasting LED ones and remembering to switch off unused appliances is good for your bills and the environment. You can also consider more expensive options if you are having work carried out on your windows, radiators, etc.
  • Greener Diet. If you currently enjoy eating meat, cutting down how many meals include meal can help reduce emissions and save water. In the case of red meat, it’s also recommended you cut down for health reasons. Additionally buying local and or Fair Trade products can help ensure your food is sustainable or doesn’t need to travel for miles on roads.
  • Greener rubbish. You can check what you can recycle and where on your local authority website or here.

People and Money

Our second main focus in our Bible studies was how we can use our money wisely to help people, whether it is by buying different products during our regular shopping, our charity donations, or our savings. Because of the focus of Abundant Life, we have come up with charities that help the environment or people who are most likely to be affected by climate change or unfair trade practices.

  • Buying Fairly. Many foods we enjoy are produced in countries where the risk of exploitation is high, luckily supermarkets are making it easier to buy certified Fair Trade food. You can also find out how other products fare on an ethical scale thanks to a free website.
  • Giving More. There are many worthy charities you can donate to, both in the UK and abroad, but not many allow you to re-use your donation multiple time by lending money to an entrepreneur in a developing country. Alternatively you can help plant trees to absorb some of that excess carbon, whilst also lifting people out of poverty.

Author: Simone

Originally from Italy, I help Rev Justin as the Assistant Pastor, but also look after our website and our Eco Church accreditation. I am also an emergency service Chaplain. In May 2022, I was received in the Roll of Accredited Ministers of the Congregational Federation. Ask me about: SCM. FOR, Peace Theology, social justice.

2 thoughts on “Ethical Living Tips”

  1. My husband and I are in our 80s and in the recent confinements have started the project of clearing the house of the accumulations of the years. Amongst this stuff there are a number of soft toys, games and jigsaws for different age groups. I am in the process of making this stuff super clean and am looking for an outlet so that they can go to families who maybe cannot buy much at Christmas and who need some entertainement. I wonder if you might have some ideas about this. I should say that we live in Wivenhoe but are not members of the Congregational Church.

    1. Hi Christiane, sorry for the late reply, didn’t get an email about your comment for some reason! There are indeed some groups in Colchester that might be able to help. If you still need advice, drop me an email through the contact form here (choose Website Enquiries) and I’ll be in touch once I can confirm the groups I’m thinking of would be happy to receive.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to content