Building ecology themes into worship can help to highlight the issues and get everyone thinking about their own response to the climate crisis.
Liturgy and worship materials
- A Rocha worship and teaching - including resources for small groups, recommendations for special Sundays and tools for prayer
- Dave Bookless from A Rocha provides sermon resources that address the intersection of faith and environmental stewardship. Use these materials to inspire and educate your community on the biblical perspective of caring for the natural waorld. Share insights on how individuals and churches can contribute to positive change
- Tearfund gives valuable information and materials for individuals and communities seeking to make a positive difference
- There are all kinds of resources for environment-themed worship and reflection on Christian Concern for One World
- Creation-themed liturgy A Time for Creation
- Liturgy for the Agricultural Year
- Doxecology – songs and study guide to help with ecology-themed worship, by Resound worship
- Sermon resources at Sustainable Preaching and Greening the Lectionary
- The Climate Sunday ran in 2021 in the run-up to COP26, but although campaign may be over, but you can still hold a Climate Sunday service to explore creation care and take action on environmental issues. See all the worship resources still available
Outdoor worship
Outdoor worship can be a great way of introducing environmental themes to worship. Outdoor services tend to attract families with young children and might even help you reach new contacts simply because it’s a different way of doing church. Take a look at the sites and resources given below to find out more:
- See the national Church of England’s outdoor worship guidance
- Forest Church Grove Booklet - a good place to start if you want to know about Forest Church
- Forest Church facebook group
- Wild church page
Inspiring congregations
You can help your congregation to make their own contribution to the climate and biodiversity emergencies by setting up a parish account for Creation Care UK.
Preach about the need for change, then set up an account and get households in your congregation to sign up. Everyone works at their own pace, doing what they can, and households get awards based on what changes they have made. It's a really motivating, and if you celebrate each award in your church, an eco-movement will quickly grow.
Simpler but no less impactful is Count Us In, asking you to choose from 16 steps that will radically lower your carbon footprint.
Tearfund sent a shockwave through Youth Work early in 2021 with this research about how young people feel about church in relation to Climate Change. Find out more.
Being part of a network that is making a positive impact can help young feel empowered and positive about the future. Here are a couple of great examples:
• Young Christian Climate Network
There are some great resources to use with children and youth, to explore the climate crisis through faith:
There are some great resources to use with children and youth, to explore the climate crisis through faith:
• Eco Schools - Brilliant guide to working your way towards sustainability as a school
• Let's Go Zero - Fabulous coalition of schools aiming for net zero
• Christian Aid - Fabulous youth resources that schools can use to explore climate justice and more<
• Burning Down the House - Tearfund's research show highlights just how worried our kids are about Climate Change. Check out the Resources Library for tonnes of activities to do in schools
Seasons of Creation | Free Sunday school resource
Christian Aid has released Sunday School materials to support Seasons of Creation. From 1 September to 4 October, churches around the world come together to think about God the Creator, to celebrate the beauty of creation. It’s also a time to think about the damage we humans have done to creation.
The materials aim to
- help children and young people explore faith and climate justice
- prepare artwork that can be used to challenge and inspire others
Included in these resources are:
- Two Sunday School lesson plans and information
- Artwork examples
- Ideas for sharing what the children create