Creation Care Ministry

The Mission of the Care of Creation Ministry is to equip congregations and individuals for active participation in the stewardship of God’s creation, utilizing what God has put before us in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, so that we may live out our baptismal calling to care for others and the world God made.

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The Care of Creation Ministry does this by the following means listed in no particular order (sample actions are in italics):

Fostering Connections and Communication

• Develop networking opportunities for congregations to share ideas, experiences, and resources and to inspire action.

• Serve as a contact for funding opportunities from foundations, corporations, governmental agencies, and the church that support congregational care of creation projects.

• Recommend external partnerships for the Synod, congregations, and individuals to join and/or partners’ resources to utilize.

Providing Resources

• Provide resources to enrich our understanding of the Biblical basis of our calling and responsibility to care for God’s creation. Resources to be identified from Churchwide materials and other relevant sources.

• Promote and provide educational resources for implementing creation care actions in church facilities and properties.

Energy conservation; switching to renewable sources of energy (e.g., solar panel installation); reducing consumption of high greenhouse gas emission foods; reducing use of resources, including food waste; reducing local pollution; engaging in climate resiliency measures (e.g., planting shade trees; reducing flooding potential; cooling centers)

• Provide congregational worship and children/youth/adult education resources.

Accessed via partnerships (e.g., Lutherans Restoring Creation; Blessed Tomorrow; Creation Care Ambassadors; PA Interfaith Power & Light)

• Act as a resource for congregations wishing to create or enhance their creation justice ministry.

• Advocate and provide educational resources for congregations to develop action plans for their facilities to meet the goal of net-zero carbon emissions (i.e., become carbon neutral) by 2050.

Best practices in benchmarking current emissions; implementing plans for emissions reductions; carbon offsets.

Foster public policy advocacy and identify advocacy opportunities on behalf of creation

Partnership with Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa;)

Nurture hope in youth who are troubled by the prospects for our planet by providing a beacon of hope.

Emissions reductions are achievable and consistent with our calling to care for God’s creation.