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Creation Care

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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.

To learn more, contact Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat and the Rev. Susan Spicer, co-chairs, at creation.care@toronto.anglican.ca.

Latest news and resources

The Season of Creation is a time when churches around the world renew their relationship with God the Creator and all creation through prayer and action for our common home.  At General Synod 2019, the Anglican Church of Canada encouraged Dioceses to mark the Season of Creation as a time of prayer, education, and action, and in a 2019 video message, Bishop Andrew invited parishes in our Diocese to participate.

Globally, Season of Creation is observed from September 1 (the World Day of Prayer for Creation) to October 4 (the feast of St. Francis of Assisi). However, some parishes in our Diocese find it suits them better to start in late September or early October so as to include both the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4) and Harvest Thanksgiving (the Sunday before the second Monday in October). We encourage you to consider how best to incorporate Season of Creation into the life of your parish.  Here are some suggestions:

  • incorporate creation care themes into your Sunday services
  • hold a special prayer service, perhaps outdoors
  • host a study series or invite special speakers
  • invite ecumenical, interfaith, or community partners
  • look at ways to reduce your energy or plastic consumption as a parish
  • advocate for stronger environmental policies locally, provincially, and federally

The theme of Season of Creation 2022 is “Listen to the Voice of Creation.”  You can find more resources at the global site seasonofcreation.org

Diocesan Resources:

Anglican Church of Canada Season of Creation resources

 

Ecological Grief and Creational Hope: A Lent Curriculum for All Ages

This six-week resource explores the biblical themes of creation’s groaning and lament as well as its hope for redemption.  Each week includes a Scripture passage with questions for reflection and discussion, prayers, suggested activities and action ideas, as well as links to explore further.  The questions and activities can be adapted for individual, family, group, or parish use, with specific suggestions for children and youth.

Ecological Grief and Creational Hope (full colour PDF)

Print the resource in black and white (grayscale)

Further resources

Worship resources

Bring concern for creation into prayer and worship.

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

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

Download a copy of this poster