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 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
Start planning now for the Season of Creation, which begins on Sept. 1. Here are prayers for World Environment Day on June 5. Check out this green liturgy. A new creation-focused prayer is posted each week. Creation-focused commentaries on the lectionary are available from a Lutheran source.
Education
Join From Resilience to Thrivance in a Collapsing World online on June 28 to hear about all the benefits of community farming. Join Lutherans from around the country for Renewables & Lutheran Ethics online on June 30. Pursue a Certificate in Climate Justice & Faith, online – apply by June 10. Use the video series Caring for the Earth: Stories for Faith Communities to get a discussion going. Check out this kids’ book, Sing Up the Earth!.
Discipleship
Share these “Bulletin blurb” eco-tips (+ verses & quotes) with your congregation. Work online with a facilitator to create a plan to reduce your household carbon footprint in Living the Change. Consider your call to ecological conversion in this inspiring sermon. Check out I Love God’s Green Earth devotions for kids. Get inspired by this pastor’s Backyard Creation Care.
Building & Grounds
Check out this church in Georgia and these nuns in Louisiana both going solar to benefit the larger community. What could you offer to your community if your church went solar? Caring for the Earth: Stories for Faith Communities and the American Climate Leadership Awards give food for thought for your congregation. Have you ever thought about the Theological Implications of HVAC Maintenance? Join the Cool Congregations Cohort, meeting online on the 4th Monday, to start or re-activate your green team.
Public Ministry/Advocacy
The weekly-updated Opportunities to Care for, Learn About, and Enjoy Nature features volunteer events in the greater Houston area. Attend the Interfaith Justice Advocacy Workshop online on June 7 to get ready for mid-terms & beyond. Engage on ELCA environmental advocacy & federal policy in Coffee with Christine, online on June 3 & July 1. Affirm the Covenant for Our Future to support feeding the hungry, healing the sick, protecting the environment, and treating migrants with dignity. A new eco-justice advocacy opportunity is posted on the synod team’s website each week.
June and Early July Creation Care Events
- Living the Change – June-August, dates/times individually scheduled, online
- Interfaith Justice Advocacy Workshop – Sunday, June 7, 2 – 3:30 p.m., online
- From Resilience to “Thrivance” in a Collapsing World – Sunday, June 28, 6 p.m., online