Bishop of Sheffield garden party to highlight environmental issues

The Very Reverend Dr Pete Wilcox and his wife, Dr Cathy Wilcox, will be joined by the Environment Officer for the Diocese of Sheffield, Dr Cathy Rhodes, to organize the event on June 18.

It will emphasize the theme of Creation Care, Eco Church and Upcycling and will include stalls, children’s activities, face painting, a prayer space, live music and refreshments.

The Bishop’s charities this year are Christian Aid and Refurnish – a charity committed to conserving resources and enriching lives.

There will be a number of stalls selling recycled products created from no longer used items that might otherwise have gone to landfill. Many activities for children focus on caring for creation, including making bug houses, a nature trail and a prayer tent for all ages.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the music of the Dinnington Colliery Band, the Nether Green Junior SchoolChoir and the choristers and bell ringers of St John’s Church in Ranmoor.

Bishop Pete said: “Bishopscroft house and garden only really come alive when full of people. For more than two years, we have not been able to offer hospitality as we would like – and as Jesus encourages his disciples. So, Cathy and I are looking forward to welcoming, we hope, a great crowd at the garden party!

“We are especially delighted that the event has a strong ecological theme. The climate emergency is one of the greatest challenges facing this generation and all that we can do to raise awareness, change lifestyles and make the difference will be extremely helpful.We believe that all Christians have a responsibility before our Creator to engage vigorously in the task of caring for planet Earth.a prayer tent for healing the environment and the natural world.

She said: “The tent will include the use of interactive prayer trees and a ‘healing prayer environment’ for people to respond to the damage we are causing to our planet to demonstrate how healing and caring of our planet overlap.”

The Garden Party will take place at Bishopscroft, Snaithing Lane, Ranmoor from 2-5pm on Saturday 18th June.