Multiple environmental crises present existential threats to our planet. Since Earth Day is Monday, April 22, your congregation could celebrate by designating April 21 as “Earth Sunday” or “Creation Sunday.
This year, the problem of plastics is a focus of many faith groups concerned about our environment.
Celebrate Earth Day as a Church, offered by Lutherans Restoring Creation, lists a number of ideas. While there, peruse their website for a goldmine of resources.
Plastic Jesus: Real Faith in a Synthetic World, is Creation Justice Ministries‘ resource for 2024. This resource is designed to help congregations think more deeply about the ways that plastics impact our lives and God’s creation.
Healing Our Throwaway World: A Focus on Plastics is the theme of Catholic Climate Covenant’s 2024 resource. The one-hour program will help your community learn about how plastic production, consumption, and disposal are impacting human and planetary health, and give you strategies for personal, community, and systemic actions.
Planet vs. Plastics the 2024 global response promoted by EarthDay.org. They ask everyone to join their movement to reduce the world’s plastic consumption by 60 percent by 2040. What can you and your congregation do?
Common Ground: Cultivating Connections between Food, Faith, and Climate is the focus for Interfaith Power & Light’s 2024 “FaithClimate Action Week,” April 19-28. Plan and publicize an local event. Click here for IPL’s main page.
For the Love of Creation – For 2024 The United Church of Canada has assembled a package of materials to celebrate “Earth Week” beginning on April 21. Lots of good ideas.
Green Churches & Climate Change is a page of links to a variety of organizations and resources compiled by offered by the Episcopal Church Foundation.
Earth Day Sunday Resources – good stuff from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Earth Day Liturgy – from the National Council of Churches.
Educational Materials
Awakening to God’s Call to Earthkeeping – This is a great educational resource from the ELCA — a 50-page booklet with lots of ideas and lessons.
Creation Care Curriculum: Every Creature Singing – Here’s a 13-lesson guide from the Mennonite Creation Care Network. Excellent!
