As Christians, we believe that the earth belongs to God; that all things have been created and will be redeemed in Christ; and that we have been entrusted with the care of the earth.
The Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care provides support to individual Anglicans, parishes and the Diocese as a whole to make creation care an integral part of our worship, life and witness. Our mandate is to encourage Anglicans in the Diocese of Toronto in creation-informed, Christ-centred discipleship.
Care for creation is lived out through the Cast the Net Calls to Action, including Call #4 (Recognize and act on opportunities to participate in God’s healing work in the world); Call #5 (Make explicit connections between following Jesus and working for justice and peace) and Call #8 (Intensify advocacy and action in response to the climate crisis.)
To learn more, contact the the co-chairs of the committee, the Rev. Susan Spicer and the Rev. Paige Souter, at creation.care@toronto.anglican.ca.
Season of Creation 2024 - To Hope and Act with Creation
Season of Creation is a growing ecumenical movement among Christians around the world to observe the period between September 1 (the World Day of Prayer for Creation) and October 4 (the feast of St. Francis of Assisi) as a time of particular attention to praying and caring for the earth. In 2019, General Synod passed a resolution adopting the Season of Creation in the Anglican Church of Canada and encouraging Dioceses and parishes to participate.
The Bishop’s committee on Creation Care is planning a public Diocesan celebration of the Season of Creation with a Eucharist at St. James’ Cathedral on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. This service is intended to bring together parishes from across the Diocese. Accompanied by vibrant contemporary music and youth participation, the liturgy will express the ecumenical theme for Season of Creation 2024, “To Hope and Act with Creation.”
Just as the many watersheds in our Diocese flow into Lake Ontario, parishes across the Diocese are invited to bring something from their local context – water from their local watershed, an intercession, photos or displays about creation in their locality – to share at the Cathedral service. Download this guide for more details and suggestions.
To close the Season of Creation, one or more Hiking Church events will be held outside Toronto on Saturday, October 5, 2024. More details on the closing event(s) coming soon!
Zero Emissions Church - Parish Heating Survey
The Diocese of Toronto encourages all parishes to participate in the first step of the Zero Emissions Church process by filling out a survey form about your parish heating system. Nearly 50 parishes completed forms distributed at Diocesan Synod in November 2023. If your parish hasn’t already done so, you can fill out the form here.
Hiking Church Resources
Over the past year, members of the Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care in the Diocese of Toronto have been exploring Hiking Church as an experience of walking and worship in creation.
While the words “hiking church” may conjure up the image of a pristine forest trail, Hiking Church events can and should take place in many different environments: rural, suburban, urban. The idea is to connect with creation – noticing signs of life where creation is flourishing, as well as where it is stressed.
The walk begins with a gathering song and prayer, moves to a Eucharist (contextualized for the location), and culminates in a re-gathering, closing prayer and dismissal. During the walk itself, participants are invited to walk in silence, with awareness. It’s amazing what you begin to notice when you pay attention!
Further resources
Worship and Preaching resources
Bring concern for creation into prayer, preaching, and worship.; plan a service of Hiking Church; design an outdoor worship space
Environmental advocacy
Join with others working for action on climate change and environmental protection.
Educational resources
Explore how the call to creation care is woven into the biblical story.
Practical greening
Find ways of making your parish more eco-friendly, including buildings and gardens.
Diocesan policy and reflection papers
- Report to Diocesan Council on Environmental Synod Motions, June 17, 2021
- Diocesan Policy Paper on Environmental Issues, 2019
- World of Wonder: Contemporary Discipleship, Climate Crisis and Anglicans
(reflection paper by the Rev. Dr. Stephen Drakeford)
Connecting with others
We’re connected to the Creation Matters working group of the Anglican Church of Canada, and through it to the global Anglican Environmental Communion Network.
We commend these other Canadian faith-based organizations working on environmental justice and stewardship:
- Citizens for Public Justice: a Christian voice for social and environmental justice in Canadian public policy
- Faith and the Common Good: an interfaith organization helping faith communities with practical greening through their Greening Sacred Spaces program
- KAIROS: a coalition of Canadian churches working together for justice and peace
- A Rocha Canada: a Christian environmental stewardship organization working in conservation, environmental education and sustainable agriculture
