Care for Creation
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In the Lord's prayer, we pray "may your kingdom come on earth as in heaven" - and through the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to restore and redeem our neighbourhoods, towns, cities and beyond. We want New Zealand to be the best place for young people to live, and in doing so, we are committed to being good stewards of our corner of the Pacific, and that living well here in Aotearoa doesn't come at a cost for the rest of the planet.
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#5 Mark of Mission
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Plastic Free July
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Plastic Free July is a campaign to encourage us to make some small changes to our plastic consumption. We'd love our churches to sign up for the challenge too, and think about how our care for creation is reflected in the items we purchase and throwaway. Some ideas include:
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Global Climate Strike
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What is the Global Climate Strike?
On Friday, September 2019, 170,000 New Zealand students lead public demonstrations in over 30 locations to highlight the urgency of climate change and show decision-makers the extent of public support for bold action. This was part of a global movement in 169 countries. Rangatahi/Youth in Aotearoa NZ and the Anglican Church are once again putting the pressure on Government, industries, companies, and individuals, to take notice of how today’s climate is affecting their rights to enjoy tomorrows future. Round two of the School Strike 4 Climate is planned and our rangatahi/youth are calling on us to stand with them by getting involved. Why strike for climate? One of the Anglican church’s five marks of mission is ‘To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth’. The school strikers' demands centre on governments doing everything in their power to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. They are calling on the government to declare a climate emergency, and asking for cross-party support for a Zero Carbon Act. They are also demanding the Government ceases all new exploration and extraction of fossil fuels and invests in building a renewable and regenerative economy. Climate Change is well embedded on the radar of the Anglican Church here in Aotearoa, NZ, & the Pacific. We are responsible to act on our promise ‘to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.’ For those joining in with the protests, they may be there to protest against new pipelines, against the oil companies and the politicians that put profit before protecting the planet,. We hope others will spend time putting insulation in the walls of their neighbour’s homes, planting native trees, or building bike paths. We hope everyone will take at least a few moments in a city park or a farm field, or in the bush, to simply soak in the beauty of the world it’s our privilege to protect. We have to believe that we can make a difference and not leave Climate Change on the shoulders of our rangatahi/youth alone. We have a shared responsibility for others and the world. It is an opportunity for all generations to stand together to limit the impact of how high the seas will rise, how far the deserts will spread, how fast the forests will burn. "For a time such as this", our choices today will determine the future for tens of thousands of years: The IPCC state that we only have a small remaining carbon budget for limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and we need to take action now.. |
Top tips for a good strike
What if I can’t join the strike?
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Thanks to the Advocacy team at Wellington Diocese, Global Climate Strike, the Anglican Social Justice Commission and Anglican Missions Board.
Resources
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There are a few different resources out there to help children and families engage with this fifth mark of mission
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