The Green Anglican event was held at All Saints Anglican Church- Ledig in Rustenburg on the 30th of April 2016. The main purpose of this event was to celebrate and honor Arbour Day which is celebrated every year on the last Friday of April and to teach the community of Ledig to live a green lifestyle.
A presentation was made to teach them about the importance of care for creation and what Green Anglicans is. A task was given to the young people of Rustenburg Archdeaconry to prepare an attire, using litter for a girl and a boy, which will be presented at the conference in September.
Issues affecting the Ledig community included: mines polluting the air and rivers nearby, constant electrical blackouts resulting to the community cutting down trees to make fire to cook with as well the increase of litter in the community. They were advised to start recycling, use electricity wisely by switching off lights at rooms where there isn’t any person, plant trees and teach rest of the community about the importance of tress. The community was motivated to write a letter to the mines expressing their concerns.
Practical Activities
Garden: A vegetable garden was started on the day: onions, carrot and spinach were planted. The significance of making a vegetable garden is to bring the people of God together
Unity: to work as one unit, seeds planted will produce food to assist the church when having events and assist the community.
A prayer for planting a seed: This week, dear Lord. We will plant the seeds of……….. That you have given us. Bless them and watch over them, bring them to the full growth and rich harvest that you wish to bless us with. Amen
Tree Planting
The 13 trees were planted in different locations as follows:
7 trees were planted at different homes in Ledig at families that have lapsed
- at Motseng family section planted 2 trees.
- at RD Maimane Selosesha section planted 2 trees.
- at Matshitse Khalayoni section planted 1 tree
- at Ngondo Khalayoni planted 2 trees.
2 trees were planted inside the church premises.
1 tree was as a gift to the church warden
3 trees where given to the priests that were present :The Ven J. Dhladhla, Regional Dean, and Rev Selinah
The tree planting ceremony symbolised having hope in the Lord, it also represents growth in our faith. May they bring growth upon our lives and our faith be rooted in Christ and have hope, believe in Christ.
Order of Service for planting a trees
Prayer
God of heaven and earth, the work of your hands made known in your beautiful creation and in the lives of those who faithfully live their lives in your grace. May this tree speak the power of your life in our midst, deeply rooted and ever growing in all creation, through Jesus Christ Amen
Scripture reading: Jeremiah 17:8
Blessing of the tree
Creator of life and sustainer of seed and soil of the tree………….you have created in this world and all that lives in it. Deepen the roots of these trees that we are planting today. Make them to grow in order to beautify and glorify the land with all of the other trees of Israel.
Strengthen, too, our roots in the land. Connect our faith to be rooted in Christ and bless us together with these trees and through us, all the families of the earth. Amen
Closing Benediction
Closing song:
We shall not be moved.
Just like a tree, planted by the waters
We shall not be moved.
-The Green Team ya Pitori