Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

As climate change and environmental degradation continue to shape the lives of our communities, our response as people of faith has never been more urgent, and full of possibility. Churches have the unique opportunity—and responsibility—to weave care for God’s creation into worship, mission, and daily life. What does it look like when a congregation takes that call seriously?

In his article for Vestry Papers, the Rt. Reverend Francisco José Duque Gómez, Bishop of Colombia, writes, "Science is clear regarding the climate crisis and biodiversity. We are reaching, exceeding, and then ignoring the turning points for the world’s environment that threaten mankind and all life on the planet – turning points that are hitting the poorest and most vulnerable the hardest.” He continues by discussing the impact of climate change on biodiversity and indigenous peoples.

The Rt. Reverend Marc Andrus, former Bishop of California, uses the stories of two communities to explore our call as Episcopalians to eco-justice and ways to help care for creation.

In Holy Hikes and Thin Spaces, Haley Bankey encourages us to “get out into the world in which we are stewards and to find God among the rocks, leaves, animals, chirps, rain, rocks and rivers.” In case we have difficulty, she provides resources and places where an urban dweller can look.

This short blog post by Phoenix, AZ, resident Ken Mosesian implores us to refrain from flowery language and do something about climate change.

Debra Rienstra writes in her book Refugia Faith, “The refugia model calls us to look for the seed of life where we are, concentrate on protecting and nurturing a few good things, let what is good and beautiful grow and connect and spread. Trust God’s work.” ECF’s Josh Anderson explores her book and her faith in this article.

This webinar, led by ECF Fellow the Rev. P. Joshua Griffin, discusses what forms of our life together as a global Anglican communion are already well adapted to an age of planetary uncertainty, instability, and risk and to what new forms of ministry and mission are we being called.

As believers in a living God, we are transformed by prayer. “There have been and will continue to be unintended consequences for our environment due to our choices and behaviors, but study and prayer can help us to become more conscious of the human impact on our planet.” Explore liturgies your congregation can use to embody Creation Care in its prayer.

The Season of Creation, September 1st through October 4th, is celebrated by Christians around the world as a time for renewing, repairing and restoring our relationship to God, one another, and all of creation. The Episcopal Church joins this international effort for prayer and action for climate justice and an end to environmental racism and ecological destruction. Access Episcopal resources to help guide your congregation to observe the Season of Creation.

Called to Transformation is an asset-based approach created by Episocpal Relief & Development and The Episcopal Church. It is centered around the belief that individuals, groups, and communities have the gifts they need to achieve God’s dream for their community. 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that each of us is given different gifts to serve the community and we are all a part of the body of Christ working together. Participants can learn important asset-based community development concepts online and gather in-person or on video chat for skills practice, project planning, and a local site visit.

ECF’s Vital Practices Team gathers five resources from around the church to help you take action toward living more gently on the Earth.

In this article, the Rev. Audra Abt discusses steps on how to care for creation as a ministry involving your neighbors and community.

Timothy Goldman speaks about his participation in the Faith and Grace Garden at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in West Des Moines, Iowa. The garden is a vibrant ministry that brings together members of local churches, high school students, and the Boy Scouts to work in it. All vegetables grown in the Faith and Grace Garden are donated to area food pantries and the local food bank. Over 4,000 pounds of fresh, organic vegetables were grown in the quarter-acre garden in one year.

In this blog post, Peter Strimer shares his experience with faith gardens. In a twist, which may work in churches that don’t have abundant land that can be converted into a garden, his church gives out free “starts” or seedling plants to parishioners, who then bring back their harvests.

In his blog post, the Rev. Greg Syler discusses conducting a comprehensive energy audit for his church. He says, “There is a return on investment in the long run, which of course is two-fold: a very real financial cost savings as well as positioning your local church to be a better steward of creation.”