JANUARY1. Make a Green New Years ResolutionHappy New Year! Make a "Green" New Year's Resolution. Start the year by choosing a "green" resolution that is meaningful to you. How can you make more eco-conscious choices this year? How can you care for creation in 2024?
2. Host and Eco Bible StudyHost a creation-focused Bible study! Scripture is full of nature verses, references, and metaphors. How does Genesis relate to our responsibility to care for the earth? Which Psalms inspire reverence for nature? Check out the "resource hub" on our website for Bible study resources.
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3. Celebrate MLK Day in Your CommunityFind and attend a local/online event celebrating Dr. King's birthday on January 20! King once wrote, "we aren't going to have peace on Earth until we recognize the basic fact of the interrelated structure of all reality.” Consider the relationship between social and creation justice.
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4. Rest and ReflectWinter is a time of rest and renewal for the earth and for God’s creatures, including us. How does winter reflect the Sabbath? How can you invite the practice of Sabbath into your life this season?
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FEBRUARY
5. Read Books by Black AuthorsIt's Black History Month! Enjoy books written by Black authors, theologians, and ecologists. Check out “The Intersectional Environmentalist" by Leah Thomas and "Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals" by Alexis Pauline Gumbs.
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6. Climate ResilienceWhat impacts is climate change having/going to have on your community? Learn how your church can be a hub for climate resilience, view interactive maps, and more by visiting creationjustice.org/resilience.
7. Write to your Elected OfficialsWrite to your members of congress or local elected officials, asking them to support an environmental issue that you care about. How does the issue you've chosen relate to racial justice? Include this information in your letter or email.
8. Annual ResourceThe release of our annual resource is quickly approaching! Check out all of our annual resources on our website. Use our sermon-starters to write a sermon for Earth Day Sunday. You'll also find an Earth Day Bible study guide, stories, liturgical resources, and more.
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MARCH
9. Ash WednesdayAs we enter the season of Lent, how can your Lenten practices honor creation? You could challenge yourself to give up single-use plastics, eat less meat, drive less, etc. If your church hosts a fish fry, encourage sustainable seafood options!
10. Women's History MonthLearn about women making environmental change! Some inspiring creation justice heroes include Dr. Vandana Shiva, Sister Dorthy Stang, and Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai.
11. First Day of SpringMarch 20 marks the first day of spring and a season of rebirth. Pay attention as buds appear on the trees, seedlings sprout, and animals are born. When you come across these signs of spring, say a blessing for God's new creation.
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12. Ecological ResurrectionEvery ecological success is a resurrection story! Find out which animals, plants, or ecosystems have been revived after environmental degradation. For example, the Monterey Bay in California has a wonderful "resurrection" story!
13. Lenten ResourceThe Lenten season continues, and our 2024 Lent Resource features a daily practice to reflect on and care for the earth. Download the action-calendar on our website!
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APRIL
14. Sing Hymns of CreationFind/choose some creation-themed hymns to sing at church. Some ideas: “All Things Bright and Beautiful” and “The Ocean is a Call to Worship.”
15. Holy WeekOn Good Friday, we confront the ways we have caused suffering in the world. As we remember the death of Jesus, let us acknowledge the suffering we have inflicted upon God's Creation. In our mourning, may we resolve to be healers and helpers. May we participate in the resurrection of our environment.
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16. Eco-Friendly EasterThis Easter, trade the plastic easter-eggs and chemical dyes for an eco-friendly Easter celebration. Try dying local/free range chicken eggs with dyes from beets, onions, and cabbages for a fun and natural holiday craft!
17. Earth Day ReflectionThis earth day, take a moment to reflect on this proverb: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; rather we have borrowed it from our children."
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MAY
18. Reverent Nature WalkGo on a walk and try to pay a little more attention than usual to the trees, or the water, and the grass around you. Take time to notice and admire. Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor speaks to this spiritual practice of paying attention in her book, "An Altar in the World."
19. Endangered Species DayHappy endangered species day! Check out CJM's resource to learn about and celebrate endangered plants and animals. Visit creationjustice.org/resourcehub to access the information.
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20. Start a Church GardenPlant fruits, vegetables, and native plants! Look for plants that attract your local pollinators. Use compost. Start a church gardening club to help tend to the plants. Share the harvest with your neighbors!
21. Rest and ReflectAs Wendell Berry writes, "There are no unsacred places. There are only sacred places and desecrated places.” Identify a place that is sacred to you. What makes it so? How can you care for that place?
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JUNE
22. Happy Ocean Month!What do you love about the ocean? This month, choose an ocean-related book to read, podcast to listen to, or documentary to watch. Check out our website for ocean resources.
23. PentecostAs we celebrate and imagine the Holy Spirit in the image of the dove, consider these words from Thomas Merton: "The sky is my prayer, the birds are my prayer, the wind in the trees is my prayer, for God is all in all."
24. Beach/Watershed Clean-UpPlan a beach clean-up or trash pick-up for a nearby river or lake! Record the trash you collect in the app "Save Our Shores" to contribute to data that monitors which types of trash cause the most problems in your area.
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25. Take Action to Protect Marine AreasMany of God’s sacred marine areas are being put at-risk by pollution, overfishing, and coral bleaching. For example, Cashes Ledge is an underwater mountain range on the Gulf of Maine, but the extreme warming rate of the water puts its ecosystems in danger. Learn more at creationjustice.org/cashesledge
26. Ocean ReflectionWhether you live in a land-locked state or on the coast, everyone is connected to the ocean. Ecclesiastes 1:7 reminds us: "All streams run to the sea."
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JULY
27. Social Media AdvocacyUse social media to advocate for an environmental cause that matters to you. Share your favorite photos of God's creation! Be sure to tag us at @creationjustice.
28. Start a Creation Justice GroupDoes your church have a creation justice/creation care group? If not, you can start one! Gather and discuss how your church can be involved in caring for the earth. Learn together and get involved in local environmental causes.
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29. Meditate OutsideGod is supporting our existence with each breath. As you meditate, focus on your breathing. Oxygen is gifted to us from plants and plankton in the sea. As you breathe, consider the interconnectedness of creation.
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30. Rest and Reflect“Speak to the earth and it shall teach thee. Ask the creatures of earth and sea for their wisdom” - Job 12:8. What do God’s creatures teach you? What can we learn from creation?
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AUGUST
31. VolunteerFind a local environmental organization doing work that interests you and sign up to volunteer! Caring for creation requires the whole community.
32. DonateShare the Plate: Does your church have a donation or share the plate program? Consider giving to support the work of Creation Justice Ministries or another environmental group.
35. Church of the Wild ServiceHost/join a "Church of the Wild" Service at a nearby park, beach, or garden. Read Victoria Loorz's book, "Church of the Wild" to learn about this time of gathering, wondering, and admiring God's creation.
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33. CompostStart a compost pile. Set one up in your own backyard or find out if your county has a curbside composting program! Tune into the Evolving Faith podcast, which features Jeff Chu's "Theology of Compost.”
34. Rest and ReflectLeah Thomas writes, "we can't save the planet without uplifting the voices of its people, especially those most often unheard." What does this look like in your community? How can you help out?
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SEPTEMBER
36. Season of CreationSeptember begins the "Season of Creation.” Celebrate in your church community! Find theological reflections and liturgical resources at creationjustice.org/seasonofcreation and creationjustice.org/blog.
37. Learn About a Local Plant/AnimalPick a native species and observe it and learn how to identify it. Fall in love with it! A heartfelt connection with the life around us is the root of conservation. Tell someone about your findings and connection to this new species.
38. Local Food SystemsWhere does your food come from? What native plants/crops grow in your neighborhood? How is your community affected by food insecurity? Find out if there is a farmer's market in your area!
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39. Natural Protected AreasLearn about the state parks, city parks, and/or national parks closest to you. Is there a protected beach? A marine sanctuary? A protected forest?
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OCTOBER
40. Coffee HourConsider your church’s coffee hour. Is there any single-use plastic being used? What changes can be made? Can mugs replace single-use cups? Can spoons replace plastic stirrers? Look for sustainable and/or local coffee brands as well.
41. Recycled HalloweenHost a recycled Halloween party. Challenge your child or adult guests to create a costume solely out of recycled items. Costumes can be eco-themed too (animals, bugs, recycle-monsters, native plant species, eco-heroes, etc.). Have fun!
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42. Take a Break from Online ShoppingOnline shopping produces a lot of packaging waste and produces excess carbon emissions from airplanes and vehicles. Take a month off online shopping or reduce what you buy online. Try to make purchases closer to home!
43. Rest and ReflectAs Ayana Elizabeth Johnson writes, “we need to have a whole cultural shift, where it becomes our culture to take care of the Earth." How does the earth take care of you? How can you take care of the earth?
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NOVEMBER
44. Indigenous Peoples monthLearn about the Indigenous people who lived on your land first. What is the name of that nation? How does the nation relate to the land and ecosystems? Learn, pray, acknowledge, and stand in solidarity.
45. Food PantryVolunteer at your local food pantry! Especially during the holiday season, your help is appreciated. Help fight hunger while reducing food waste!
46. Attend a Town/City Hall MeetingWhat kinds of environmental issues are being discussed? Any ideas/issues you’d like to share with your community? What work needs to be done? What work is already being done? How can you be involved?
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47. ThanksgivingThis Thanksgiving, spend time learning about the Indigenous history and the traditional ecological knowledge where you live. Begin your thanksgiving meal with a land acknowledgment of gratitude.
48. Rest and ReflectRandy Woodley writes, “A society concerned with shalom will care for the most marginalized among them." How can you and your church community practice shalom?
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DECEMBER
49. Advent: Rest and ReflectThe Advent Season celebrates the incarnation of Christ, born into our world. What does incarnation have to do with creation? Where do you encounter the divine?
51. A Green ChristmasWhat can you reuse this Christmas? Can you create decorations out of recycled materials? Sustainable gift ideas are: beeswax wrap, reusable water bottles, vegetable seeds, metal straws, bamboo utensils, reusable cloth shopping bags.
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50. Christmas Tree ShoppingIf you're going Christmas tree shopping, choose a real tree over a plastic one! Tree farms help to sequester carbon and provide habitats for birds and other wildlife.
52. Write a Prayer for CreationWrite a prayer of gratitude, protection, or lament for creation. This could be a prayer about environmental injustice or climate change. It could be a gratitude prayer for a specific tree. It may help to write in an outdoor setting. Be creative.
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BONUS WEEK
As you make your year-end gifts, consider giving to support the work of Creation Justice Ministries. Visit creationjustice.org/donate to learn more and give.
