Resources

As United Methodists, our theological understanding of creation is based on scripture, tradition, reason and experience. Scripture proclaims God created all—from Earth’s hospitable atmosphere, mighty seas, abundant forests and other plants to nutrient-rich soil, from majestic whales to the tiniest microbes and all sentient and non-sentient beings; Scripture also proclaims God called humans to be caretakers of creation (Genesis 1–2).  It follows that loving God, the Creator, includes loving God’s creation.  Creation, including all people, is already or will be…

What is Climate Injustice? Those who are most affected and have the fewest resources to adapt to climate change are also the least responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions—both globally and within the United States. Those people are most often indigenous, black, brown, and low-income communities. That is climate injustice. The goals of climate justice are to make sure no one is left behind in the climate crisis and to transition to a healthier and fairer future for all living…

The 2024 General Conference of The United Methodist Church adopted a revised set of Social Principles and several new creation care/climate justice pieces of legislation and amended and/or readopted some previous resolutions. These are listed below. Note, the relevant portions of both the Book of Discipline and the Book of Resolutions can be freely read online. Rev. Richenda Fairhurst from the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement has produced a 6-chapter study guide to this legislation that can be freely downloaded…

This page contains information about setting up a green team and some ideas as to what your green team might do. Your church green team maybe a dedicated team at your church, but in smaller churches, it might form part of the work of another team, or just be a single person. In every church, creation care and climate justice should live somewhere. You may use the term green team or perhaps use another name. However you choose to organize…

This page contains information about the work that you could do to implement actions in your setting to bring your church land back in harmony with God’s intentions and systems. This work could be organized by your church Green Team or your Trustees or your Church Council or in whatever way works best for your local church. GenerAl Conference Legislation The 2024 General Conference passed some legislation about Church Land Use with some suggested tasks (resolution 1214.) There was also…

This page contains information about the work that you could do to implement actions in your setting to reduce the carbon footprint or greenhouse gas emissions of your local church. This work could be organized by your church Green Team or your Trustees or your Church Council or in whatever way works best for your local church. General Conference Legislation The 2024 General Conference passed some legislation about reducing emissions with some suggested tasks (paragraphs 2533.8 and 2550.11 and resolutions 1215 and…

This page contains information about avoiding and reducing the use of plastics. Plastic is everywhere. We eat and drink from it, make clothes from it and buy products wrapped in it. Once these things become trash, they don’t just disappear. Instead, they stick around for hundreds of years in landfills or the natural environment. Chemicals sourced from fossil fuels make plastic, and both plastic production and disposal contribute to greenhouse gases. Resolution 1217 on the Use of Plastic was passed at…

Fossil fuel divestment involves shifting investments away from polluting coal, oil, and gas and instead investing in just and sustainable forms of renewable power. The science is clear: to stabilize the climate and prevent runaway climate change, we must phase out fossil fuels. As United Methodists and as followers of Jesus, we are challenged to respond faithfully to today’s threats to God’s creation with resilience and hope. “Investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure is moral and economic madness. Such investments will…

Below are some worship resources that those planning and leading creation themed worship may find helpful. The UM Creation Justice Movement Library has some worship resources including liturgies, prayers and readings. There are at least 12 free worship resources listed in this library – you need to go to the library page and then click on the “worship resources” tab. UM Discipleship Ministries has an Easter 2025 worship series Believing into Christ that has a creation focus. The Calvin Institute of Christian…

One of the goals set by the Climate Justice Ministries Task Force for this year is to encourage every church member of the the California-Nevada Annual Conference to spend 10 minutes outside each day. We firmly believe that our actions –and our energy — for earth justice work must befed and empowered by nurturing our love for God’s creation, and this simple practiceis an important step in that direction. You might even experience some health benefits. Being outdoors can trigger…

Rev. Laurie Bayen, from Windsor UMC, who is also a Global Ministries EarthKeeper, has a new project called Sacred Ground that connects visitors to over 75 beautiful scenic vistas, parks, and trails in Sonoma County and beyond combining creation care and Indigenous history with calls to action. Each location on the audio tour includes information on local challenges related to climate change, a land acknowledgment, an invitation to a faithful action we all can take to preserve and restore fragile ecosystems, and…

Here is a list of other UMC, ecumenical and interfaith groups, and other non-profits that are doing similar work to our group. Also described here is some information about those groups and what resources and programs they offer. UM Connections The UM Creation Justice Movement connects and supports groups within the United Methodist Church and beyond for the work of creation care, justice, and regeneration. Their work includes a monthly newsletter, monthly tips and a monthly café (educational webinar &…

Listed here are some of the many books that have been published about climate justice and creation care. They have all been recommended by various members of our task force. We also have a page of educational opportunities such as book studies and webinars that are upcoming or still available to download or watch. Love in a Time of Climate Change: Honoring Creation, Establishing Justice Author: Sharon Delgado Publisher: Fortress Press Publication Date: July 2017; Revised: January 2026 This updated…

Here is a list of speakers who you might invite to participate in an event at your local church. Rev. Joan Pell, retired clergy and chair of this task force, is willing to come and preach or speak at your local church. Use the form on the Contact Us page to contact Joan. Rev. Sharon Delgado, member of this task force and author of several books, is available to preach, speak, or lead workshops on various topics. Contact Sharon on…

This is a page of advocacy resources to help you Living out our faith goes beyond individual actions, our own households, or our own churches. We are called to follow the example of Jesus and the prophets–to be courageous in proactively shaping our communities and our world to better align with our faith values. In the United States, we have a democratic system that requires active input from people of faith and good conscience. A healthy democracy requires people to…

You can find our advocacy alerts each month in our newsletters. In addition, some of the alerts can also be found on our advocacy opportunities page. Here are the links to some recent alerts from our newsletters: