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
Season of Creation 2021: “A Home for All? Renewing the oikos of God”
The global Season of Creation runs from the World Day of Prayer for Creation on Sept. 1 to the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4. However, some Canadian Anglican churches find it suits the rhythm of their parish life to start in mid or late September and include the celebration of Harvest Thanksgiving on the second Sunday of October.
We encourage you to celebrate Season of Creation in a way that makes sense for your parish. Some resources to help you include:
- Watch this short video introducing this year’s theme.
- Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat, co-chair of the Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care, has created the following liturgical resources you can incorporate into your worship. You may use them separately or together:
- The Anglican Church of Canada website has links to international and Canadian resources (including a new resource from PWRDF)
- KAIROS celebrates September as Climate Action month. Follow them for daily updates and action ideas on weekly themes throughout the month.
- The global Season of Creation website: includes resources for personal and corporate prayer, lectionary reflections, a checklist for planning events and more.
- Don’t forget to participate in the For the Love of Creation – Faith-in-Action campaign, calling on Canada’s leaders to increase our emissions targets, build a just transition to a green economy, uphold Indigenous rights and support climate adaptation and mitigation in the global south. The campaign ends Oct. 4, so messages will reach newly elected federal leaders in time for the UN Climate Change Conference taking place Oct. 31-Nov. 12.
- For the Love of Creation is also holding a series of advocacy webinars on Thursday evenings in September, as well as a symposium on Saturday, Oct. 30. Learn more and register here.
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
- 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
