In September 2020, the NC Conference is highlighting creation care ministries. Bishop Ward announced this focus in a recent connections video.
The NC Conference Creation Care Team is offering an online worship service, bi-weekly webinars, and resources.
The NC Conference Media Center also has several books and DVD studies to help your small group, youth group, children’s ministry, or congregation learn more about how to care for creation in ministry and in our lives. Keep reading for our recommendations for adults, youth, and children.
Request These Resources
These resources can be borrowed for free by anyone involved with a United Methodist Church in the North Carolina Conference. We will mail them to your home! All you need to do is fill out the Resource Request Form.
DVD Studies
Serving God, Saving the Planet: A Call to Care for Creation and Your Soul by Matthew Sleeth. Dr. Sleeth and his Blessed Earth ministry partnered with the NC Conference in recent years to share with us about Sabbath-keeping and creation care. In this 12-session DVD study, Dr. Sleeth provides simple, everyday ways to focus on stewardship and sustainability according to Scripture.
Climate Justice: A Call to Hope and Action edited by Pat Watkins. Pat Watkins was a speaker and teacher at the 2018 NC Annual Conference. This 8-session study from United Methodist Women invites you to understand climate justice, which means setting right our relationships with each other and the earth. The study will challenge you to see what needs to happen for climate justice to become a reality in the world today. It uses a DVD documentary, Can’t Stop the Water.
Organic Wesley: A Christian Perspective on Food, Farming, and Faith by William C. Guerrant, Jr. This DVD study examines the intersection of the teachings of John Wesley with the ethics of the contemporary food movement. Wesley’s teachings can provide us with guidance as we seek to make food choices that are consistent with our Christian values – the choices that are best for our bodies, our fellow creatures, our communities, the environment, and all of creation.
Books
Reforesting Faith: What Trees Teach Us About the Nature of God and His Love for Us by Matthew Sleeth. The Bible talks about trees more than any living creation other than people. This latest book by Dr. Sleeth takes readers on a walk through scripture to show why trees are essential to every Christian’s understanding of God.
Hospitable Planet: Faith, Action, and Climate Change by Stephen A. Jurovics. This book seeks to fill the gap in religious and secular texts by providing both a compelling biblical case for action on climate change and by identifying substantive measures to mitigate climate change and how to achieve their implementation. The book describes quite clearly what actions to undertake, how to accomplish them, and why this course of action can attain its objectives.
Watershed Discipleship: Reinhabiting Bioregional Faith and Practice edited by Ched Myers. This collection introduces and explores “watershed discipleship” as a critical, contextual, and constructive approach to ecological theology and practice, and features emerging voices from a generation that has grown up under the shadow of climate catastrophe.
A Hopeful Earth: Faith, Science, and the Message of Jesus by Sally Dyck and Sarah Ehrman. This book study draws together the Christian faith of Bishop Sally Dyck and the scientific world of her niece, Sarah Ehrman, to address this crisis. The book and leader guide will bridge the gap between Jesus and the environment and guide readers in understanding that living as good stewards of God’s creation is a significant component of what it means to follow Jesus.
Youth Resources
Inventing Tomorrow: The Future is Brighter Than You Think. This DVD follows young scientists from Indonesia, Hawaii, India and Mexico as they tackle some of the most complex environmental issues facing humanity today – right in their own backyards. Framed against the backdrop of the severe environmental threats we now face, the audience is immersed in a global view of the planetary crisis, through the eyes of the generation that will be affected by it most.
Joining Voices for Climate Justice: A Study for Youth by Jay Godfrey. This study is the youth version of the Climate Justice study from United Methodist Women. It engages youth in the issue of climate change as both a justice and faith issue. At the heart of the study are five climate voices. These voices are five individuals who have been engaging climate justice issues in a variety of contexts. The resource will encourage youth to interact with the voices in each session to deepen their understanding of climate change through perspectives from around the world.
Burst: Green Church by Tim Gossett. This 6-week program for youth groups shows Christian teens how caring for the earth is a way to honor God and show love for our neighbors. It takes the usual “three Rs” of conservation – reduce, reuse, and recycle – and adds three more – reclaim, repent, and rejoice. This structure is based on the work of Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter who is an environmental scientist/naturalist-turned-UM elder and who has traveled the country helping congregations go green.
Children’s Resources
It Is Easy Being Green! 60 Bible Stories & Crafts With the Earth in Mind by LeeDell Stickler. This book features sixty exciting craft projects that children will enjoy making while learning about the Bible and building their faith. Simple “green” crafts accompany a related Bible story. Teachers will enjoy clear, step-by-step instructions, along with a materials list featuring green or recycled products.
God’s Extravagant Garden: A Children’s Study on Climate Justice by Pat Hoerth. This study for ages 5-12 is based on the Climate Justice study from United Methodist Women. Children are encouraged to learn more about God’s creation by experiencing it first-hand during each of the sessions. Every encounter leads them into a deeper understanding and appreciation of the delicate balance of our environment and how our actions impact others. Children can develop their own action plans for caring for God’s extravagant garden where they live.
Green Church: Caretakers of God’s Creation by Daphna Flegal and Suzann Wade. This study will help children experience what it means to be good stewards of God’s Creation. Each lesson includes introductory activities that children will select based on their interest, a large group time where the children will come together to hear and interact with the Bible Story, and a small group time where the children will discuss ways to take action for God’s creation.
Additional Resources
For a complete list of all of our resources on creation care, including videos, books, online resources, and children’s picture books, view our Creation Care pathfinder.