Introduction

What do people in the pews need to address creation justice? Information, ideas, and inspiration to take action!

Through these brief Tips, you can give them the basics of what the issues are, why Christians should care, and how they can respond to make a difference for all of God’s Creation.

Choose any or all of the Tips. Cut-and-paste to put them in your worship bulletin, your newsletters, your social media, your website, your bulletin boards or monitors. Or save them for a 10 Tips special. The choice is yours.

The service is free. For more information contact Crys Zinkiewicz at tips.creationjustice@gmail.com.

This Month’s Tips

  1. Commit to reuse, repair, and recycle in the present rather than discard, despoil, and destroy our future. Do it for the children and grandchildren you know and love.

  2. Watch what you recycle. We want to do our part, but 25% of what is going into recycling facilities can’t be recycled and contaminates the output. 1) Make sure the items are clean, not fouled with food. 2) Know your local guidelines. They are different in different places. Contact your local government for specifics.

  3. If COVID restrictions are sending you to the internet to shop, seek out product providers that are also socially responsible. Many companies donate a portion of their profits to environmental and justice causes. By purchasing from them, you get what you need, and you support businesses that support the planet.

  4. With summer’s bounty, buy food locally, perhaps at a farmers’ market or at an actual farm. Not only will you have fresh food, you will also cut down on emissions from long-distance transportation. 

  5. Write to law and policy makers. In your letter state why the particular environmental issue is important to you—and to others. Tell your story; speak up for justice. Indicate you are a constituent and a person of faith. Policy makers pay more attention to letters from individuals, and they may need a broader religious perspective than they sometimes receive.

  6. In 1 Corinthians 3:6 Paul wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” Continue to do your “planting” for creation care and justice. Others will assist, and God will give the growth. Your job is to be faithful in your task even if you don’t see results. Trust God to be faithful too.

  7. Do you know someone with asthma or COPD? The air pollution that affects our climate also harms the health of people. Jesus challenged us to care for the “least” among us, including children and older adults whose lungs are vulnerable. COVID shows us that people in poverty and people of color especially suffer from compromised health due to air pollution. Climate action is also action for justice.

  8. The first section of our United Methodist Social Principles is titled, “Community of All Creation.” Notice the emphasis on “community.” In some theologies humans are given an elevated status and told to have dominion/power over all else. Contrast that view with reminding us that we are part of the community of all creation. How well we fare is all interconnected with how well the rest of creation fares. 

  9. Throwing away a used paper towel is essentially throwing away a tree. Trees inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. We need trees. You need an easy cleaner-upper too. Go back to basics—the rag bin. Grab a rag and you are reusing a resource that is past its prime but is still good for messes. And it’s washable. You don’t have to throw it into a landfill.

  10. Go paperless! Your mortgage, auto loans, utilities, credit cards, healthcare providers, and more offer an online option. Sign up and save yourself some hassle and save some trees.

Bonus Image + Tip

These Tips come from the Special Family Edition, which gives ideas for ways to connect children to nature. Sharing your love of God’s creation with a new generation is one way to ensure that they will also become passionate about caring for God’s earth and God’s people. More of these images and tips are available on umcreationjustice.org/tips/