By Kim Richmond
Step 1: Pass the Resolution
The Western North Carolina Conference adopted the Local Church Creation Care Team resolution at its June, 2023, annual conference, with no opposition. Passage of this resolution has provided great exposure and marvelous momentum for the Creation Care Ministry throughout the churches and offices in the conference!
Step 2: Gather Information From the Churches
Passage of the resolution prompted inclusion of an information-gathering form in the charge conference packets requesting the designation of a layperson as Creation Care Coordinator who will serve as liaison between the local church and the conference Creation Care Ministry team. Each church was also asked whether it already had any form of creation care ministry or green team. Those responses should be available for data mining in November and should facilitate our outreach efforts to the individual churches through those serving as the district contacts on our conference team.
Step 3: Provide Information Through the Districts
Building on the momentum from the annual conference, we are providing information sessions by district about the resolution starting in October, 2023, and finishing all eight districts by March, 2024. The sessions will focus on the theology of creation care and justice, practical ways to begin or expand a creation care ministry in the local church, and resources that will facilitate the process.
Step 4: Reach Conference Leaders
In January, 2024, we will be using a similar format to the district information sessions in presenting a course at our annual conference-wide leadership event called “Equip and Connect Conference.” We are planning to record a brief, ten-minute or less video to promote the resolution and the various training sessions based on a model shared with us by members from the Tennessee-Western Kentucky conference—thank you very much!
Step 5: Partner With Other Ministries
And it recently came to our attention that the Lay Servant Basic Course has included a segment under the “Caring Ministries” section where they announced the passage of this resolution, went over the highlights during the session, encouraged each participant to start a creation care ministry in his/her local church, and followed up with sending a copy of the resolution to each participant.
Providing that information to a broad-based audience from across the conference in this setting helped overcome a common challenge for this ministry of effectively getting the message out to those who have not already made creation care and justice a priority.
Presentation and passage of this resolution has made a real difference in elevating the conversation about creation care and justice in the local churches throughout our conference!
Kim Richmond is a UM EarthKeeper. She started the Creation Care Ministry in her home church, Maple Springs UMC, in Winston Salem, and is active in the Western NC Conference Creation Care Ministry, serving currently as the coordinator for that team. She is also a Climate Reality Project Leader and the Advocacy Chairperson for her local Audubon chapter.