More churches take on “creation care”
VANCOUVER, BC—Christian environmental activist Marrku Kostamo concedes the number of churches currently engaged in caring for God’s creation across the country is “patchy” at best. But he also sees those numbers growing.
“There are places where people aren’t open to it. But I would say there’s an increasing openness to this in all kinds of denominations,” he says. “It’s new for some people who haven’t even thought about it, so it’s understandable that it would take some time.”
Kostamo is president of A Rocha Canada, a Vancouver-based ministry dedicated to scientific research, environmental education, and community-based conservation projects.
On April 27—five days after Earth Day—it held its third annual Good Seed Sunday, when churches are asked to devote their worship services to celebrating God as Creator and the goodness of His creation. About 500 churches took part, up from about 300 last year.
But the real challenge is for these churches to then put their words into action, and take some practical steps on behalf of the environment.
“Some of it’s internal, like transitioning from Styrofoam cups to real coffee cups,” says Kostamo. “Some of it’s outreach-oriented like initiating a community garden. So you could be caring for creation, and at the same time provide food for low-income families.”
Other projects could include partnering with local governments and other organizations to care for a local stream or park, and encouraging others to “go green.”
“For churches where this is a growth edge in thinking about Christian mission, Good Seed Sunday provides sort of a soft entry and a good place to begin,” Kostamo says.
In his 13 years with A Rocha, Kostamo says he has seen “a real shift” globally—which he attributes to a moving of the Holy Spirit—as the Church becomes more conscious of its responsibility to be good stewards of the world around them.
“We come from the perspective that we were created to be in relationship with God, with each other, and with creation, and that the biblical story is about how these relationships were broken and are being restored through Christ,” he says. “And I think that lands well with the majority of the Christian community.”
One change Kostamo says they will “definitely” make to next year’s Good Seed Sunday will be to start promoting it in October so churches can get it on their calendars a lot sooner. This year’s drive began in January.
Dear Readers:
ChristianWeek relies on your generous support. please take a minute and donate to help give voice to stories that inform, encourage and inspire.
Donations of $20 or more will receive a charitable receipt.Thank you, from Christianweek.
About the author