By Lisa Brenskelle
For more information on any of the below, or for creation care assistance/information, contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com or see our new website! The team is seeking additional members. If you would be willing to serve, please contact us.
The mission of Lutherans Restoring Creation is to promote incorporation of care for creation into the full life and mission of the church, working in five areas: worship, education, discipleship, building & grounds, and public ministry/advocacy. For some timely information in these areas, see below:
Worship
What does pastoral care for climate change look like? Here is a source with a variety of creation-focused prayers. Check out these other creation-focused worship resources. A new seasonal creation-focused prayer is posted each week. Creation-focused commentaries on the lectionary are available from a Lutheran source.
Education
Learn to host sustainable celebrations, online on Nov. 13. Contemplate the oneness of all creation from both a scientific & scriptural perspective in Oneness: Scripture & Science online on Nov. 27. The book The Blessing of the Beasts is great for kids’ creation-education. Consider how your church can build community climate resilience in Faithful Resilience, weekly online, starting Nov. 8. Host a screening of the documentary The Territory with discussion afterward.
Discipleship
Share these “Bulletin blurb” eco-tips (+ verses & quotes) with your congregation. Make use of this creation-focused Advent devotional. The book Franciscan Lectio can deepen your spiritual practice. Use a daily devotional to pray for world leaders at the U.N. Climate Conference in Egypt, and ourselves, Nov. 6 – 18. Do your investments reflect the values of your faith? Check out Invest Your Values.
Building & Grounds
Consider the impact of the financial institutions used by your church: banks, credit cards, insurance & more. How do your church’s finances align with the faith’s values? Conserve water & reduce flooding by pre-ordering a discounted rain barrel – pick it up on Nov. 6 in Houston. A new solar co-op will launch in November – join the solar co-op waitlist to go solar for less! Plant-based foods are healthier for people and the planet. Be sure to prefer such foods for church functions. Avoid pesticides and herbicides use on the church lawn – these pollute waterways and damage marine eco-systems.
Public Ministry/Advocacy
The weekly Opportunities to Care for, Learn About, and Enjoy Nature features volunteer events in the greater Houston area. Join The Path of Hope, online, beginning Dec. 1, to learn about climate impacts on church ministries & how to engage in advocacy. Urge GM & Toyota to commit to electric vehicles. Join the Lutherans Restoring Creation bike team for the family-friendly Park to Port Ride in Houston on Nov. 5. A new eco-justice advocacy opportunity is posted on the team’s website each week.
November & December Creation Care Events
- Faithful Voter Weekly Discussion Group – Tuesdays, thru November 1, 6 p.m., online
- Creation Care 101 – 2nd Thursday/month, thru April 2023, 6 p.m. or 9 p.m., online (indicate Lutherans Restoring Creation as your church/group)
- Climate Solutions 101 – Thursdays thru November 17, 5 p.m., online
- Park to Port Ride – Saturday, November 5, 7:30 -9:30 a.m. rolling start, Hermann Park, 6001 Main St., Houston. Join members of Lutherans Restoring Creation bike team.
- Distribution of Daily Devotionals for use during the U.N. Climate Conference – Saturday, Nov. 5, 5:4-7 p.m., & Sunday, Nov. 6, 8:15 a.m.-1 p.m., Christ the King, 2353 Rice Blvd., Houston, 77005. Contact gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information.
- Rain Barrel Pick-up & Installation Training – Sunday, Nov. 6, 1-2:30 p.m., 1st Unitarian Universalist Church, 5200 Fannin St., Houston. Note rain barrels must be pre-ordered.
- Faithful Resilience: A Study on Climate Resilience for Faith Communities – Tuesdays, November 8-December 13, 6 p.m., online.
- Justice Advocacy Event – Sunday, Nov. 13, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Christ the King, 2353 Rice Blvd., Houston, 77005. Contact gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information.
- Sustainable Celebrations – Sunday, November 13, 2 p.m., online.
- Oneness: Scripture & Science – Sunday, November 27, 6 p.m., online.
- The Path of Hope: A Study on Climate Action for Faith Communities – Thursdays, December 1-December 22, 5 p.m., online