ISSUE
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CreationCare
My nephew has just won the Year 5 speech contest at school for a stirring speech on the harm of factory farming pigs. His younger brother wrote his own speech which he delivered to the family after dinner, demanding action be taken to clean up our beaches and urging us to pick up five pieces of plastic each time we go the beach. They are not alone. In recent times we have seen children and young people take to the streets to demand action on climate change. A growing number of children and young people are voicing their opinions about the need to care for our world. If our children are talking about the harmful effects of humanity on the environment, if they are delivering speeches about it, if they are marching down the streets about it, if they are helping adults to change their buying habits, then it’s important that we are helping them to connect their faith with these conversations.
“What does God have to say about the factory farming of pigs or the plastic on our beaches? What does the Bible have to say about caring for the environment?” This edition of the WAY2GO mag is not about making a political statement about climate change. We don’t want to get into a debate about carbon emissions! Rather, we want to give you a couple of practical suggestions to help connect these conversations children are already having with faith and the Bible. How do we help children to think biblically about caring for their world?
___ Annette Osborne SUNZ Children and Families Consultant
For God so loved the world… Most children love the environment deeply. From early on they wander the world noticing the smallest bug or a bright coloured leaf. As they grow, they delight in the perfect climbing tree, or a summer swim at the waterhole. Let’s help them to know that God loves the bugs, climbing trees and waterholes too! Let’s help them to know that part of what it means to be a person of faith is to take good care of God’s world.
Outside In: Often our children’s programmes are run inside buildings with concrete walls. The bugs and trees and waterholes are tucked away outside, out of sight. It may not always be possible to head outside, but we should aim to sit under a tree and read a story from the Bible whenever we get the chance! And if we can’t head outside, how do we bring a bit of creation inside? Here are a couple of suggestions:
• Encourage children and leaders to bring along amazing creations (a jar with a hairy spider in it always sparks joy). Take time to look at a beautiful ladybird or a bunch of roses. Have a magnifying glass on hand for closer inspection. Notice all the detail and be in awe!
• Ask them: What do these created things tell us about what God is like? • Read a Psalm or passage from Isaiah together, looking at how the Bible talks about God and creation. Here are a few to get you started: o Isaiah 40:25-26 o Psalm 19 o Psalm 8 o Psalm 104
• Create your own piece of creation on-site. Grow something. Does your church have any garden space, or a spot for a couple of garden pots or boxes? Make sure you keep it manageable and start off small. • Plant something that you can eat. This could be a fruit tree somewhere on the church premises, or some strawberry plants in a pot. • Plant something that the birds or bees will enjoy. This might be a line of flaxes down the driveway, or some sunflowers. • Enlist the help of the gardeners in your congregation and community. This is the perfect reason to bring the generations together in a project.
Rethinking Craft
I have had to give up my love of glitter. These shiny little pieces of delight are actually harmful to the environment. It’s sad to no longer be able to sprinkle a little bit of sparkle around, but it is more important to stop these nonbiodegradable bits and pieces ending up in our lovely ocean.
For years, craft projects have been a common component of a children’s programme. But, as we become aware of the impact of certain products on the environment, it should cause us to stop and think about the crafts that we create. Are they long-lasting and useful, or will they simply end up in the bin or clutter up the family kitchen bench and gather dust? Crafts and art projects are great but we just have to rethink how we approach them. • Think about an art project that takes all term long and results in something of more lasting value. • Are the materials used for this craft recyclable? • Are the materials used for this craft up-cycled? • Can the craft contribute to helping our environment flourish? We made beeswax wraps on camp, so that the kids could take them home and use them to wrap up their sandwiches instead of using non-recyclable plastic wrap. I found the instructions on this website very helpful: palmers.co.nz/ diy-bees-wax-wraps
Conversations: Allow children to bring their conversations about the environment with them to church. Talk with them about ways in which the church could be a better steward of their resources. They will have lots of ideas! Here’s a few to get them started: • Do you use disposable cups for morning tea and if so, can you replace these with reusable ones? • Do you print out newsletters and notices to go home to families? Could you email them instead? • Do people turn off lights when they leave a room? • Are there recycling bins around the church site? • Is the coffee served to the adults ethically sourced? Considering all this can be challenging for the wider church, but our children are already taking action on these things. And for them, our actions as adults will speak louder than words.
Resources to help you Waste Watchers If you are looking to run a holiday programme in your community around the theme of Creation Care, then Scripture Union has the resource for you! The ‘Waste Watchers’ resource explores the wonder of God’s creation. It encourages 5-11 year olds to look after the world God has made and to discover how Jesus can make a difference to the mess we make of our world and our lives. This programme covers the life of Jesus, and has been written in partnership with A Rocha, a Christian nature conservation organisation. A Rocha is also in NZ. You can find out more at: www.arocha.org.nz/
‘Love Your Neighbour’ The Love Your Neighbour Trust has the mission of helping churches engage with their communities. Their website is a fabulous source of stories of churches in action. It’s a good place to go for examples of how churches are caring for creation in creative ways.
loveyourneig
Caring for Creation The Presbyterian Church of New Zealand has a helpful resource called ‘Caring for Creation’, which is suitable for all ages. It includes study material, links to helpful websites and important information. It is a couple of years old, but still good! You can find a pdf version here: www.presbyterian.org.nz/sites/default/files/speaking_out/ Presbyterian_Church_Caring_For_Creation.pdf
Scripture Union wants to work with your church to create opportunities for children and young people to discover and follow Jesus, grow as leaders, and influence the world. Contact us and let us know how we can help you.
SCRIPTURE UNION IN NEW ZEALAND
PO Box 760, Wellington 6140 way2go@sunz.org.nz 0508 423 836 sunz.org.nz
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