Access Sustain Island Home Carbon Tracker >

Honoring and Protecting Creation

Caring for creation means living in mindful, ethical, and loving relationship with the earth and all living things, knowing that all life is interconnected and that we share a common home. Climate change is the most important threat the world is facing. As people of faith, it is incumbent upon us to take an active part in the solutions. The time for contemplation on this issue is over. We must act decisively now.

Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth,
you made us fellow workers in your creation: Give us wisdom
and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one
may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet
to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. (Prayer for the Conservation of Natural Resources, BCP 827)

In Colorado, we live in a beautiful and sacred part of God’s creation, a place that calls us to reverence, prayerfulness, proclamation, conversation, and action. In the face of the many challenges impacting creation, we seek more than simple solutions that don’t go far enough. We seek to be educated, informed, and equipped, avoiding aggressive and confrontational attitudes and actions that polarize and divide.

We hope the following resources will help individuals and congregations learn more about caring for creation and discern meaningful and impactful ways to take action–through prayer and worship, practices for living more gently on the earth, care of creation ministries at our churches, and advocating for programs and policy changes at the local, state, and national level.

Who Can Help Us in this Work?

Formation Team

We welcome your comments and questions at any time. Please reach out to anyone on the Formation team:

The Rev. Greg Foraker, Canon for Formation
Tracy Methe, Missioner for Baptismal Living
Elizabeth Cervasio, Missioner for Children, Youth, & Campus Ministry
Janet Choyce, Event Coordinator

Communications Support, including Websites

Mike Orr, Canon for Communications

Mentors, Coaches, Advisors (Care of Creation Team for the Episcopal Church Colorado)

The Rev. Gary Brower, Rector, Good Shepherd, Centennial
The Rev. Linda Brown, Deacon for Care of Creation, Cathedral Ridge
The Rev. Rebecca Brown, Retired priest
Sue Carter, Parishioner, Holy Comforter, Broomfield
The Rev. Alena Lamirato, Pastor, Peace in Christ, Elizabeth
Carl Peterson, Parishioner, All Saints, Loveland
Suzanne Satter, Parishioner, St. John’s Cathedral, Denver

Resources

Access the resources below by clicking on the plus sign next to the topic you wish to explore.

Planning for Earth Day and More 2024

Here are the resources presented at the January 16 presentation on planning for special times for celebrating creation and entering into the work of creation care: Earth Day, Rogation Days, and the Season of Creation.

Session Recording >
Presentation >
Additional Resources for Season of Creation >

Season of Creation Celebration Guide for 2023

The Creation Season 2023: Celebration Guide for Episcopal Parishes, with the updated lectionary for Year A, has been approved for use in Episcopal Church in Colorado churches. Clergy are encouraged to explore these resources in planning for worship services this fall. The ecumenical Season of Creation begins September 1 and concludes on St. Francis Day, October 4. View or download guide here >

Making an Informed Choice to Buy an Electric Vehicle

Resources from Drive Electric Colorado presentation:

Articles about EV Battery Components and Impacts of Mining:

Sustainable Practices for End of Life

We are grateful to Our Last Best Act author Mallory McDuff for providing this list of resources during her presentation on May 18.

Green Burial Council
Green Burial Council cemeteries by state
Funeral Consumers Alliance
The Order of the Good Death
Recompose
The Natural Funeral
9 News article on funeral for composted human remains
Our Last Best Act: Planning for the End of Our Lives to Protect the People and Places we Love by Mallory McDuff
Mallory McDuff web page

Soil: A Firm Foundation – Presentation Recording and Resources

Attention all gardeners: If you missed the presentation on January 20, you can watch the recording and access resources here.
Watch Recording >
References >
Resource: How Much Soil Do I Need >
Evaluating Soil: Jar Test >
Evaluating Soil: The Feel Test >
The Dirt on Soils >

Film: “Understory”

“Understory” follows three women who set sail on a 350 mile expedition through Alaska’s massive Tongass National Forest. Their goal is to explore how clearcut logging in this coastal rainforest could affect local communities and our planet’s climate. Access free viewing here >

Caring for Creation with a Green Advent and Christmas

The creation care team invites you to come alongside us as we add to our preparations green practices that will allow us to live more gently, gratefully, and sustainably on the earth. What might you do differently this season? We recommend you take a few minutes to read through the list and make a plan. Setting our intentions can help motivate us to follow through with our actions. Commit to starting one new practice each week during the season of Advent, and go from there! We hope this list will serve you well! We welcome your feedback and additional ideas. In 2021 we invited creation care advocates from around the diocese to add their voices to how we might further “green” the holidays. Their suggestions have been tagged with the word “VOICES.” Many thanks to all who contributed!  View resource now >

Reconsidering Recycling!

On June 23, the Advocacy Team at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Centennial, led an evening of conversation about recycling–not a “how-to,” but rather a (re-) examination of the practice. We all want to do the right thing! But are we doing it? Can we? The conversation examined the recent NPR video-documentary, Is Recycling Worth It Anymore? The Truth Is Complicated and the editorial Recycling Dead? No, it’s booming. Watch recording >

Every other month, the creation care team gathers with creation care advocates from across the diocese to share, collaborate, and learn together. Our next gathering is March 19, 2024. Additional details coming soon.

In living out our baptismal covenant to strive for justice and peace among all people, we are called to tend to the planet that houses and nourishes all people and to have wisdom and reverence in this work so that the earth is a source of healthy life for each of the more than 7.5 billion people now inhabiting the planet, as well as for those who come after us. Created in the image of God, we are co-creators–fellow workers–inspired to bring about healing and wholeness when we see sickness and brokenness. We see the suffering of people that is caused by lack of clean water, clean air, and nutrient-rich food. We see the many signs of environmental degradation. We can’t ignore the impact of our habits and lifestyles on the earth that supports all people.

What does the Episcopal Church say?

The Episcopal Church says, “As we are called by God to care for creation, we support policies that protect the natural resources that sustain all life on Earth. The Church calls for policies that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, promote sustainable energy and the safe and just use of natural resources, and support communities impacted by a lack of environmental stewardship.”

Read about General Convention resolutions concerning the environment >

Read Expressing the Mind of the House [of Bishops] on Climate and Our Vocation in Christ (July 2022) >

In addition, as part of living into the Jesus Movement the Episcopal Church has asked individuals and congregations to commit to its Creation Care Pledge by:

  1. Loving: We will share our stories of love and concern for the Earth and link with others who care about protecting the sacred web of life.
  2. Liberating: We will stand with those most vulnerable to the harmful effects of environmental degradation and climate change–women, children, poor people, and communities of color, refugees, migrants.
  3. Life-Giving: We will change our habits and choices in order to live more simply, humbly, and gently on the Earth. Read more about pledge in English> or in Spanish >

What does scripture say?

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (Gen 1:26-28)

“The call to have dominion over creation is not a call for domination,” writes Carla Barnhill in The Green Bible Devotional. “Our care for the earth, our care for one another, is to reflect God’s care for us. This reciprocal relationship between God, humanity, and the whole of creation puts us in a place of extraordinary privilege. We are the image bearers when we care for all of God’s creation in the way of our Creator.”

Some resources to help you explore what the Bible says about creation and its care include:

  • The Green Bible, which seeks to highlight the more than 1,000 references to the earth found in the Old and New Testaments–verses that teach about God’s care for creation and how God interacts with creation. Also included are essays from conservationists and theologians about reading the Bible through a “green lens.” Consider using the Green Bible for Bible study, adult formation, or a Lenten series.
  • The Green Bible Devotional provides 60 days of scripture reading, prayer, and reflections to that reflect them of hope, renewal, restoration, and redemption. This is a good resource for Ordinary Time. Read it during the summer months and set up a private FaceBook group where participants can post their thoughts and insights when inspired.

Call for Creation Care Action

In October 2022, the 135th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Church in Colorado passed the resolution “Call for Creation Care Action” sponsored by the Creation Care Team for the Episcopal Church in Colorado. Here is the text:

Whereas, In July 2022 the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church concurred with Resolution A086 directing the Task Force for Care of Creation and Environmental Racism to “continue its work on developing theological resources and materials on a range of environmental topics including but not limited to the sin of environmental racism, an exploration of environmental reparations and the ethical and moral implications of responding to climate change;”

Whereas, In July 2022 the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church concurred with the bishops and adopted Resolution A086 Continuing the Task Force for Care of Creation and Environmental Racism;

Whereas, The House of Bishops issued a statement during the final day of the 80th General Convention naming the climate crisis as an urgent and overarching issue that affects all the other issues of social justice that the convention considered: “Climate change and environmental degradation are manifestations of our turning away from God. The effects of this willful separation from God resonate across our collective lives: All areas of justice are either worsened or made better depending on the health of the planet. A changing climate and degraded environment worsen conflict, forces human migration, and causes food insecurity. These related crises increase the rate of violence, cause more natural disasters and humanitarian crises, and deepen the wounds of those already suffering from racism. People living in poverty are plunged further into poverty by the deteriorating condition of the planet.”

Resolved, that the 135th Episcopal Church in Colorado Annual Convention affirms the climate crisis as an urgent and overarching issue that affects all other issues of social justice considered by the General Convention and that it is the responsibility of every Episcopalian to live out our baptismal vows by responsibly caring for God’s creation on this fragile earth, our island home.

Resolved, that the 135th Episcopal Church in Colorado Annual Convention encourages all congregations, diocesan institutions, and Episcopal Church in Colorado governing entities to engage in the work of care of creation, relying on scripture as well as learning and teaching about and implementing best practices supported by scientific research.

How will the Resolution build up and strengthen one or more of the marks of mission: proclamation, discipleship, servanthood?

Passage of this resolution will 1) raise awareness that as followers of Christ we are also stewards of God’s creation and 2) strengthen diocesan, congregational and personal servanthood, empowering all to do what we can to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis, safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

Who will be impacted by the resolution, and how?

The resolution impacts all congregations and their surrounding communities within the diocese, especially those communities disproportionately affected by harmful environmental practices, by creating a more healthy and sustainable environment. Congregations will not only save financial resources by reducing consumption but also favorably enhance the sustainable practices in their respective communities and in the State of Colorado.

How will the resolution be enacted, including an estimated timeframe for enacting the resolution? Who is responsible for enacting the resolution? Who will be accountable? Against which criteria will it be evaluated (how will we know it’s been done) and specifically how long implementation will take.

Following God’s call to care for creation, this ongoing work will be encouraged and supported by the diocesan Creation Care Team and the diocesan network of creation care advocates through the provision of communications, resources, and workshops offered to congregations.

Upon passage of this resolution, the Creation Care Team will conduct a survey of churches and ways they are engaged in various aspects of care of creation. A second survey will be conducted prior to the 136th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Church in Colorado in 2023, to determine any notable changes in state-wide engagement as well as identify care of creation practices that congregations have found effective.

Are there budgetary implications? What is the source of funding? It should include a cost estimate and detail the source.

Care of creation measures have the potential to save congregations money. There is no expectation of funding from the diocese for this resolution.

What is the impact on the time and workload of diocesan staff, congregations and other responsible parties?

Congregation resources of time and talent will be offset by the environmental benefits experienced by their parishes and respective communities.

Today’s environmental challenges, many of them interconnected, include climate change, pollution, overconsumption of natural resources, loss of habitat, loss of biodiversity, and waste. Because climate change presents one the most urgent crises of our planet, it is the primary focus of this page.

What is climate change?

Climate change refers to the changes in weather patterns due primarily to the increase in atmospheric CO2.

  • Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere, causing temperatures to rise.
  • For the past 800,000 years, atmospheric CO2 been less than 300 ppm (parts per million).
  • In the past 50 years, atmospheric CO2 has increased to 400 ppm.
  • Very rapid CO2 increase destabilizes systems (such as weather patterns).

From the news and from events we may have experienced directly, we are likely familiar with the major trends of climate change:

  • The past seven years have been the hottest in recorded history (Washington Post, January 2022).
  • The ocean is warming, rising, and becoming more and more acidic.
  • Glaciers, sea ice, and snowpacks are melting.
  • Hurricanes, droughts, fires, and winter storms are getting worse

The primary way humans have contributed to climate change is by causing increasing amounts of CO2 to be released into the atmosphere through industrialized processes, energy consumption, and modes of transportation.

For answers to some commonly asked questions about climate change, see the New York Times article Climate Change Is Complex. We’ve Got Answers to Your Questions.

Understanding Climate Science

Do you long to engage in the work of combatting climate change, but are unsure how to talk about climate science? Watch this 45-minute video by Professor James Hurrell, Professor and Scott Presidential Chair in Environmental Science and Engineering at Colorado State. The creation care team invited Dr. Hurrell to create this video for the Episcopal Church in Colorado’s 133rd Annual Convention. It will help equip you for conversations about climate science and climate change with your family, friends, neighbors, and communities of faith. Watch it by yourself or with your family, or host a viewing party and discussion for your congregation.

The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit provides details of the many areas impacted by climate change, from food, water, and health to transportation, ecosystems, and populations that are especially at risk. It provides steps for building resilience: exploring hazards, assessing vulnerability and risks, investigating options, prioritizing and planning, and taking action.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Although we mostly hear about the physical health affects of climate change, the impacts on mental health and wellbeing are significant. Mental Health And Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance, sponsored by the American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica, discusses in detail the mental health effects resulting from the health, economic, political, and environmental impacts of climate change: stress, depression, and anxiety; strained social and community relationships; potential increases in aggression, violence, and crime. Psychological responses are also discussed: conflict avoidance, fatalism, fear, helplessness, and resignation. These responses, says the report “are keeping us, and our nation, from properly addressing the core causes of and solutions for our changing climate, and from building and supporting psychological resiliency.”

Ecological Grief

We know grief and what it means to grieve, but for most of us “ecological grief” is a new term (although likely most of us have felt it). Several definitions of ecological grief that have recently appeared.

It is “the grief felt in relation to experienced or anticipated ecological losses, including the loss of species, ecosystems, and meaningful landscapes due to acute or chronic environmental change.” (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)

Ecological grief is “the grief experienced due to endured or anticipated ecological losses, the disruption of environmental knowledge, and the loss of place-based identity due to environmental changes. (Psychiatric News)

Eco-grief is the emotional heartbreak and mourning that comes when we lose the natural environment around us. (atmos.earth)

How Do People Experiences Ecological Grief?

  • 47% of young people aged 18 to 34 indicated that the stress they experience due to climate change affects their daily lives. (American Psychological Association, 2019)
  • 57% of teenagers aged 13 to 17 years old indicated that climate change made them feel scared, and 52% said it made them angry. (Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation, 2019)
  • 68% of young people aged 18 to 29 reported feeling afraid, and 66% indicated they felt helpless. (Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation, 2019)

The Good Grief Network is a nonprofit organization that brings people together to metabolize collective grief, eco-distress, and other heavy emotions that arise in response to daunting planetary crises. Check out their website for helpful articles and resources.

Individuals may think they have little control over environmental issues like climate change and pollution compared to corporations and industries, or that their lifestyles can impact the quality of life of other people. However our daily choices in consumption are what drive our economy, meaning that each choice is able to influence trends and corporate decisions. In addition individuals can be powerful advocates for policy change at the local, state, and national level.

There are many impactful lifestyle choices we can make to help us align our values around care of creation with the way we live our daily lives. The Money-Saving Guide for Going Green at Home is a great place to get started.

The Earth 911 website is full of practical information about recycling and ecofriendly lifestyle choices. Provide the link to your congregation or consider offering tips each week in your e-newsletter or bulletin.

Interfaith Power and Light is a religious response to global warming, calling us to be faithful stewards of Creation “by responding to global warming through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.” Key to this effort is helping shrink carbon footprints and educating people about their important role in addressing global warming. Resources include educational materials such films and discussion guides, worship and prayer suggestions, ways to reduce carbon, and ways to take action. This is a good resource for congregations considering a creation care ministry.

Also, to keep current on research, articles, and actions, follow the Facebook page Episcopal Climate News, “An unofficial and independent climate-change hub for Episcopalians and other Christians, sharing stories about interfaith, ecumenical, and Episcopal climate action, as well as general and scientific climate-change news to keep the church informed.”

Commit

Educate

  • Educate your congregation about the goals and vision for Care of Creation developed  by the  Presiding  Bishop’s Office and  leaders of the Advisory Council on Stewardship of Creation and in alignment with actions by General Convention.
  • Include weekly creation care tips in your bulletin or e-newsletter. Earth911 is a great source for tips.
  • Hold an adult forum about creation care. Use a variety of media to stimulate discussion. Bullfrog Films has an extensive list of videos on topics ranging from energy efficiency and composting to threats to water quality in the Colorado Rockies. Films can be purchased or rented. Another great source for videos (no cost) is WaterBear. Visit the Episcopal Climate News website for recommended books and curricula. Read more >
  • Do a Bible study that focuses on our relationship to creation.
  • Go deep into a theme of creation care. How about ending plastic pollution? The Plastic Pollution Primer and Toolkit, created for Earth Day 2018 provides detailed information about plastics production and health and environmental impacts.
  • Learn more about topics such as climate change, eco-justice, and loss of biodiversity, and how we ground action in hope and faith, by reading one of the many excellent books on care of creation:
    View list of books recommended by the Denver Zoo Conservation Team >
    View EarthDay.org recommended reads >

Worship

  • Embrace the ecumenical Season of Creation, September 1 through October 4, St. Francis Day. This is a time to celebrate God’s gift of creation and to commit to caring for our amazing island home. Approved liturgical resources can be found here. Learn more about the Season of Creation here.
  • Make reverence for creation part of your regular worship. The language of Eucharistic Prayer C (BCP 369) especially calls us to think about creation: At your command all things cam to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in there courses, and this fragile earth, our island home. In addition, see the Liturgical Resources for Honoring God in Creation beginning on page 289 of the Book of Occasional Services, Revised 2018.
  • Go outside to worship during the summer months.
  • Schedule a prayer hike. The Wilderness Worshipers ministry at St. Luke’s, Fort Collins, holds monthly hikes during the summer months and has created A Hiking Eucharist that has hikers pause along the way for the Gospel reading, Prayers of the People, and The Peace, and culminates in sharing communion at the hike’s destination. Camino Divina at Transfiguration, Evergreen, practices “walking the Divine Way” every Thursday morning. Walkers are invited to be present in the moment, grow in awareness and stillness, and celebrate the divine beauty of the earth.
  • Bless your church garden or have your families bless theirs at home using the Rite for the Blessing of a Garden on page 98 of the Book of Occasional Services, Revised 2018.
  • Hold a blessing of animals on St. Francis Day (October 4) with the creation-honoring St. Francis / Blessing of Animals service on page 100 of the Book for Occasional Services, Revised 2018.

Green your church

  • Find ways to be more energy efficient: use LED bulbs, purchase Energy Star appliances, install a programmable thermostat, consider solar panels.
  • Eliminate single-use plastics at church functions (cups, bottled water, plastic utensils).
  • Recycle and compost.
  • Use paper goods made with post-consumer recycled paper.
  • Purchase Fair Trade coffee. Fair Trade practices promote farming techniques that are safe for workers and environmentally sustainable.
  • Reduce water use: fix leaks, install water-conserving toilets, xeriscape part of your church grounds.
  • Become a carbon-tracking congregation and find ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Learn more about the Episcopal Church Sustain Island Home Carbon Tracker sponsored by the Diocese of California >

Check out the ENERGY-STAR Action Workbook for Congregations, ENERGY-STAR Treasure Checklist for Congregations, and Supporting Healthy Houses of Worship from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Make creation care part of your year-round stewardship model

  • Expand your vision of stewardship to include caring for creation. The Sundays after Pentecost are a perfect time to focus on themes of creation. Consider setting up a sharing table to swap produce from each other’s gardens. Lent can be time to take on disciplines that help us live more gently on the earth.
  • Purchase local food/locally made items whenever possible to reduce the impact of transporting goods long distances.
  • Eat what’s in season. Unsure what that means for Colorado? Visit the Seasonal Food Guide.
  • Start a community garden on church grounds. Join the Episcopal Church Good News Gardens network.
  • Strengthen the social fabric of your community by supporting local businesses, especially those owned by women and/or people of color who are intent on building financial security for themselves.
  • Adopt a highway. Apply on the CDOT website.
  • Look for volunteer opportunities on the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado website.

Start a green team

Creating a creation care ministry can provide the vision, commitment, and momentum needed to begin making significant changes at your church and within your congregation and surrounding community. A good resource for getting started is the hour and 20 minute Creation Care 101 video.

Form a team. Start with people who are passionate about this work. Develop a mission statement and create a calendar for the next 6-12 months. Then begin to take actions, one at a time, starting small if necessary, to gain momentum and inspire others. The Green Team Academy can help you get started. Another resource to explore is the free short course Greening Your Church. Short videos show how to jump-start the process of forming a team and taking action in 10 steps.

EcoAmerica’s 24-page guide Moving Forward encourages congregations to get started with concrete steps that have big impact.

Learn more about safe cleaning products or look for safe cleaning products on the EPA Safer Choice web page.

For recent articles, practical resources, and current events visit BlessedTomorrow.org.

Understand your carbon footprint and how you can begin making more sustainable choices. The best way to assess carbon emissions is to use a carbon tracker. The Sustain Island Home carbon tracker (sustainislandhome.org) was developed by the Diocese of California and endorsed at General Convention 2018. It is a web-based tool available to all Episcopalians. The Diocese of California website provides a presentation, posters, a demo, and FAQs to train individuals and congregations on using the tracker, and offers frequent live webinars for getting started and ongoing support.

In addition to measuring your carbon footprint, the tracker suggests numerous actions you can take to reduce your footprint and measures the reduction of your footprint based on actions you choose to take. Data from each household is aggregated by church, allowing you to see how you are doing as a community compared to other churches in the Episcopal Church in Colorado. As a diocese, we can also see how we compare to other dioceses in the wider Episcopal Church.

Why should churches advocate for creation care and climate justice?

Watch this 27-minute video by the Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Missioner for Creation Care for the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, discussing why churches should be engaged in the work of advocating for a stable, healthy climate.

Know what’s happening in your community and across Colorado

Know what’s happening in Colorado and in your community. There is lots of work to be done right here. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, which includes information about air and water quality, Superfund sites, and EPA news. Learn more >

In addition, find out about Natural Resources and Environment bills and resolutions in the Colorado General Assembly. Read about the Climate Action Plan to Reduce Pollution.

Know how to talk  about Creation Care

Do you feel passionate about creation care, but don’t feel confident talking about sometimes controversial topics like climate change? Or maybe you need help discussing environmental problems in the context of faith? The following guides provide simple advice and concrete examples for talking about creation care.

15 Steps To Create Effective Climate Communications (Watch webinar)
Let’s Talk Faith And Climate: Communication Guidance For Faith Leaders (Watch webinar)