CAPSULES
Creation Justice News and Views
Winter 2021

Our news updates are made possible through grassroots donations. Please consider making a contribution.

DONATE

Got a creation justice community news tip for us? Email us at info@creationjustice.org! For ongoing news updates, check our Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to our Creation Justice Weekly social media roundup.

CREATION JUSTICE MINISTRIES NEWS

The Creation Justice community is transitioning as we say goodbye to our beloved executive director Shantha Ready Alonso. While we are sad to see Shantha leave we are celebrating with her as she starts her new position at the Department of the Interior.  Despite being in a transition, the Creation Justice staff and community continue to work to protect, restore, & rightfully share God’s creation as we go through the process of hiring a new executive director. Read Shantha's Farewell HERE.

NEWS​

• They’re turning churches into climate-resilience centers   Brianna Baker,Grist, 01/13/21
• The First African American Cardinal Is a Climate Change Leader  James Bruggers, InsideClimate News, 11/26/20
• Once Arctic Refuge is ruined, there is no getting it back Rev. Richard Killmer, Bangor Daily Mail 12/08/20
• Tribal leaders: ‘Support the ‘30 by 30 initiative’ to protect 30 percent of US lands and waters’ W. Ron Allen, Leonard Forsman, Reno Keoni Franklin, Aaron Payment, Indian Country Today, 12/17/20
• ROBERT BULLARD - LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, Champions of the Earth
• Creation Justice Ministries Condemns Attacks on DC Churches, Shantha Ready Alonso, Creation Justice Blog, 12/15/20

RESOURCES

• Health, Environmental Racism, & Eco-Justice Created for Earth Day Sunday 2021, this Christian worship and education resource has felt very timely. Sign up HERE to be notified when the resource is available
  
• Churches & Sea Level Rise, A Faithful Resilience Guide: This 6-part guide has theological reflections for sermons or Bible study, questions for reflection, action steps for your church, and examples of churches building community resilience
• Greening the Parish- a webinar with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America, featuring Previous Executive Director Shantha Ready Alonso
• Sacred Ground- An organizer's toolkit for Faith Climate Action Week
• 52 Ways to Care for Creation--2021 Edition: Check out Creation Justice Ministries' weekly challenge to care for creation.  Do the challenge yourself, or put it in your church's bulletin for your whole congregation. Take a photo for social media, tag us, and use the hashtag #CareforCreation. You can find the link to the page with the bulletin inserts here. ​
• Racial Justice Resources A compilation of recent racial justice resources from our member communions

GET INVOLVED

• Creation Justice Ministries is hiring fellows for the Faithful Climate Action Fellowship! Learn more HERE.
• Issue Area Policy Updates--  The Creation Justice Ministries staff will be compiling regular updates on the many issue areas that we work on. Would you like more regular updates on the topics that you are passionate for? Select your issues HERE
  
• Creation Justice Ministries' Monthly Action Center Check this new action center monthly to find different ways for you and your congregation to be more involved in caring for God's creation. 
• Plant a Laudato Si' Garden A Laudato Si’ Garden is created through a small project dedicated to an area of our city where you can plant together trees and shrubs to integrate with the surrounding flora and host animals such as birds, butterflies and other insects.
• Sermon Campaign: Our Children's Trust Climate Change Lawsuit In solidarity with the 21 youth who have taken the U.S. federal government to court for neglecting to take action to abate climate change, clergy and youth are encouraged to make a pledge to preach a sermon on climate justice. Liturgical resources and case updates are provided. Help spread the word on social media at the hashtag #EachGeneration.​​
• Friends Committee on National Legislation are hiring for their Young Fellows Program- Apply by 2/15
• The United Methodist Board & Society is currently accepting applications for the Summer EYA Internship Program! Apply by March 1st
• Become one of 50 new monthly #CreationJustice Giving Partners at the #CreationJustice Monthly Giving page.

CREATION JUSTICE MINISTRIES EVENTS

• Feb 18th at 6pm ET: ResiLENT Worship:   ad Preaching Our Way to Climate Resilience --A Virtual Workshop: As Lent begins, join us for this virtual workshop to learn about building climate resilience into your worship. Hear three mini-sermons on climate resilience, listen to worship music for the era of climate change, and gain tools for incorporating climate-resilient worship in your community.
• March 25th at 6pm ET: Climate Justice on Sacred Ground:  The Role of Church Lands in Resilience and Adaptation --A Virtual Workshop
• Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD), April 18-21: This year's theme is "Imagine! God's Earth & People Restored" Creation Justice Ministries will host six virtual Eco-justice workshops for the conference. In addition to these excellent workshops EAD offers plenary events, worship, and an advocacy opportunity. Learn more HERE
  

MORE EVENTS

January 28th at 3pm ET: Our part of the Covenant: Congregations, Climate Disasters, and the Climate Crisis- A Disciples of Christ-Green Chalice Virtual Workshop
January 28th at 5pm PT: Join the Energy & Environmental Justice Ministry of the Congregational Church of San Mateo for the virtual webinar-- Creating a Climate Church .
January 28th-29th: Join the Creation Care Alliance for "Sacred Lands, Sacred Bodies; Faithfully Caring for People and Place"--Creation Care Virtual Symposium
January 28th at 2pm ET: Make Me An Instrument of Peace: Bring People Together to Care for Creation,  EcoAmerica's webcast series, 'Let's Talk Climate'. Conversation on civil discourse and finding climate solutions with Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, Episcopal Church, and Theo Brown, National Institute for Civil Discourse. Register here.
February: Black History Month
Feb 2nd: World Wetlands Day
Feb 4th: Transit Equity Day (Rosa Parks’ Birthday)
Feb 6th-12th: The New Green Economy: Compass Conference 2021 this event is hosted by many of our partners!
Feb 13th: Winter talks on the Doctrine of Discovery with Disciples of Christ.  Join to spend time considering the DOD’s impact on Northern Light Disciples structure, & theology. Winter talk is a space of accountability to the Native American voice and how that voice is heard when exploring the past, understanding the present, and visioning the future.
Feb 17th: Lent Begins
Feb 23rd, March 9th, & 23rd at 7pm: Join the American Baptist Churches USA Creation Justice Network for their Lenten devotional webinar series "Creation Reflects: Earth, Sea, & Sky". Email ABCUSA Creation Justice Minister: Rebecca Driscoll at Rebecca.driscoll@abc-usa.org to register.
Feb 23rd-27th: Taking Nature Black conference
Feb 27th: International Polar Bear Day
March: Women’s History Month
March 3rd: World Wildlife Day
March 8th: International Women's Day
March 21st: International Forest Day
March 22nd: World Water Day
March 27th: Earth Hour
March 28th: Holy Week Begins
April 2nd: Good Friday
April 4th: Easter
April 22nd: Earth Day
April 30th: Arbor Day

This is the sign board from outside the United Methodist Building where the Creation Justice Ministries office is located

REFLECTIONS

• Inaugural Member, The Faithful Climate Action Fellowship- Colleen Schena, Presbyterians for Earth Care, 01/21/20
• Water, A Gift from God and Human Right- Bryanna Baker- Meckley, Creation Justice Ministries Blog, 12/21/20
  
• Pine Cone Spirituality, Rev. Dele, 12/20
• Who would have thought I would walk the same roads the same river bank and the same forests as Sojourner Truth, Rev. Dele 11/20

POLICY UPDATES

• Arctic Refuge Solidarity Faith Leader Letter to members of congress
  
• Faith Organizations Letter of Support for 30X30 to members of congress
• Reinstate the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine Monument- a petition submitted to the Biden administration