|
|
April News |
The UM Creation Justice Movement will be very present at General Conference this year in Charlotte. General Conference is the one-and-only body that can officially speak for The United Methodist Church. It is a once-every-four-years conference with delegates, both clergy and lay, coming from every annual conference throughout the connection around the world. It is imperative that the UM Creation Justice Movement make ourselves known at General Conference.
The timing is great as General Conference begins on April 23, the day after Earth Day. So on Earth Day itself we have planned a worship service, as well as a gathering of creation care advocates who will be in Charlotte. We have also submitted resolutions. In addition, we’ll participate in an action in Charlotte and will have a display complete with signs and banners in the Convention Center. You can read about these General Conference activities below and on our website for more detail. Whether you can attend in person or not, the articles below give you ways you can be involved.
Our goal is for far more of The United Methodist Church to take seriously our call to care for and heal God’s creation.
We want to see the church, especially its hierarchy, embrace creation justice as a priority ministry and mission of the UMC and to theologically include caring for God’s creation as a necessary part of what it means to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Please keep the conference itself and the UM Creation Justice Movement in your prayers specifically during the last week of April and the first week of May.
Rev. Pat Watkins United Methodist Missionary to the Earth |
Action Alerts |
Now Is Your Opportunity to Pass Legislation for Creation at Your Annual Conference Annual conference is your opportunity as a United Methodist to have a voice in passing legislation that has an impact on the entire church. |
|
Tell Congress: We Must Understand AI Climate Impacts. AI data centers can cause significant environmental impacts through their intensive resource consumption, carbon emissions, and electronic waste. That’s why climate leaders in the U.S. Congress introduced a bill to study AI’s environmental toll. Please use this button to send an email to your representatives urging them to co-sponsor the Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act of 2024. |
|
Tell your Senators to support healthy communities and vote against the CRA resolution that would repeal the EPA’s rule on particulate matter In February, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule to protect communities from harmful air pollution. Recently, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a resolution to repeal this regulation. As people of faith, we must raise our voices in support of strong environmental justice protections and ask our Senators to oppose any efforts to repeal this important EPA rulemaking. Contact the U.S. Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) |
|
Creation Justice News |
“How Shall We Live?” Eastertide Worship SeriesThe Worship Team from the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, in partnership with Discipleship Ministries has released a three week worship series for use in Eastertide 2024. Local worship teams are encouraged to adapt and use the materials in ways that fit their context. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Laura Baumgartner at pastorlaura@hallerlakeumc.org. |
|
|
Upcoming Events |
| April Bonus Movement CaféApril 4 1pm PT | 2pm MT | 3pm CT | 4pm ET
Coalition building for Climate Justice with UMCJM and Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) featuring Bridget Cabrera (MFSA Executive Director) and Takundanashe Chinogwenya (Drew Seminary, Lawyer, Activist) REGISTER | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Movement CaféApril 17
10am PT / 11am MT / 12pm CT / 1pm ET Hear from leaders from across the connection about Creation Justice related matters coming up at the UMC General Conference and ways you can be involved. REGISTER See recordings of past Cafés here |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Earth Day Vigil for CreationApril 22 If you are not attending in person but will like to join us online, we will be streaming the vigil. REGISTER |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
More EventsPeople of Faith Action at General Conference — April 23 @ 10:30am ET Culture of Preparedness Webinar: Part of the Creation Justice Ministries “Faithful Preparedness, Faithful Resilience” Webinar Series — April 25 @ 6:00pm ET
Faiths for Climate Justice 2024: Green Faith Mobilization — May 3–12
Fall EarthKeeper Training in St. Paul, MN and Baltimore/Washington DC — Oct 3–6 Information and application will be available here April 15 |
|
Featured StoriesGeneral Conference |
Donate to support our work at General Conference.
Please send checks to Caretakers of God's Creation, 3600 N Rockingham St, Arlington, VA 22213, USA. Mark: “General Conference” on the memo line. |
 | Earth Day Vigil for CreationApril 22 The day before General Conference begins in Charlotte, North Carolina, is Earth Day. We will gather at First UMC Charlotte and online for a special evening worship service featuring Dr. Musa Dube, scholar of African Eco-feminisms. REGISTER |
|  | Earth Day Worship Host HandbookUse this resource to host the Earth Day Vigil for Creation livestream from General Conference in Charlotte in your home church. You will have a chance to earn a $1,000 donation to your green team/creation care team!
LEARN MORE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Creation Justice at General Conference The General Conference of the UMC is now just a few months off. Each of us has ways we can prepare and contribute even if we are not a delegate and even if we are not planning to attend in person. READ MORE |
| General Conference Resolutions and Talking Points There are a number of important Creation Justice related petitions and resolutions before General Conference and we've created talking points in support of them. READ MORE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
For more information on our General Conference plans watch this Recording from March 20 Café and plan to attend future Movement Café conversations about General Conference on April 4 and April 17. Since General Conference doesn’t wrap up until May 3, we plan to hold our May newsletter until everything is over. In the meantime, check HERE for links to breaking news stories as things happen. |
Will you be in Charlotte, NC, for General Conference? Love Your Neighbor Coalition (LYNC) Volunteer Sarah Hassmer is coordinating a Shared Lodging list for LYNC volunteers going General Conference. If you are still searching for the right place, you can learn more and sign up using this online form.
Love Your Neighbor Coalition to Offer Hospitality, Human Rights Focus for General Conference |
|
News from Fossil Free UMC |
|
Methodist Federal for Social Action has published Plumblines fact sheets for several important issues before General Conference. The MFSA Plumbline on Divestment from Fossil Fuels is available now. Others will be coming shortly. |
| Updates from Just Creation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join a Movement Work TeamThe UM Creation Justice Movement has a variety of active groups that are working to advance particular areas of work within the church. If these interest you, or you have an idea for a new group, reach out to umcreationjustice@gmail.com to get connected.
|
|
Resources |
| Energy and Solar Projects |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Resources Earth & Soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate Chaos, new book from Leah Rampy.
Soul journey into grief and loss to also claim the beauty, joy, and possibilities available when we reconnect with Earth. A Minute for Mother Earth: Sign up for your church to receive free a 3–4 minute-long informative video for each Sunday. |
|
Stories From the Grassroots |
| Yankton First UMC’s Green Team Making a Difference The 2023 Dakotas Annual Conference members approved Legislative item 1.2: Resolution to create Green Teams for climate justice, energy conservation, and creation care. READ MORE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Creation Justice Tips |
 | Me Power and We Power
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” What Margaret Mead, the famous anthropologist, said played out in the story of Earth Day. One man, distressed over the environmental degradation he saw, initiated the first Earth Day, 53 years ago. He claimed his “Me Power.”
Another man, employing his organizing skills, joined him and made possible the expansion of Earth Day so that it now reaches billions of people in 192 countries. Together they turned the effort into “We Power.”
We too can change the world— with our individual and corporate actions. Let’s celebrate the possibilities, claim our power, and get to work!
Share these Tips with your family, friends, and congregation. Choose any or all. Forward them to someone you care about. Cut-and-paste to put them with your email signature, in your letters and emails, worship bulletins, newsletters, social media, or website. | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sample TipTreat your family to alternatives to the usual single-use plastic items in your home. Consider bamboo toothbrushes, shampoo bars, aluminum water bottles, reusable silicone baggies, for example. Or visit a refill store.
Move away from “throw-away.” |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
