The 4^th Lausanne Congress and the Global Creation Care Forum (GCCF) were both important for the future of creation care globally. Don’t miss this update from those who were there! 

Leaders from around the world will share their reflections on both these events. We will also introduce the statement/invitation ‘Good News for all the Earth’—there will be time for questions!

Time: 11.00 am – 12.00pm UTC, repeated 7.00pm – 8.00pm UTC | Date: 12 December 2024

The webinar will be on Zoom and is free entry.

Sign up here: https://buytickets.at/lwccn/1451019, choosing which timing you prefer!

Please note that there is an optional donation to cover LWCCN’s costs.

If you haven’t yet seen it, this short video below from GCCF is well worth a view!

Do give her session on Faith and the Future of Creation a listen! She insightfully outlines the integration of faith and climate science in this talk, explores the biblical concept of ‘dominion’, examines today’s pressing climate challenges, and a offers theological framing for our practical action in response.

We highly recommend setting aside a few minutes—only 19!—to listen to her talk!

In this issue, we feature two thought-provoking pieces on COP29:

1. The first, by climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe. Katharine provides a summary of the outcomes and gaps at COP 29. She critically examines the balance between the bold pledges for coal phaseouts, and the frustrating lack of progress on fossil fuel commitments.

2. Then, news from Jocabed Solano, a theologian and activist, from the indigenous Gunadale natio in Panama. You would be familiar with Jocabed—we published her interview in relation to COP16 in our previous issue! She has shared this statement from the World Council of Churches on COP29.

Jocabed pictured here with Samuel Chiu (part of A Rocha Canada) at COP 29.

This book is available at
https://www.amazon.com/Connected-Water-Robert-D-Sluka/dp/B0DGF74MT2

Bob writes,

Early memories of family vacations to Daytona Beach and the Florida Keys sparked a desire to learn more and experience the vast and wonderful deeds of God in the ocean. I didn’t have the language to describe these events spiritually or even an understanding of how the ocean could relate to my faith. That came much later as our family embarked on an adventure that would take us to various parts of the Caribbean, the Great Barrier Reef, a remote island in the Maldives, India, Southeast
Asia, Kenya, and the beaches of the UK and southern Europe.

While this is the story of my experiences and only a subset of them, the subject of the book is the ocean. I hope that you get to know her more through my interactions with the communities, species, and habitats in various locations. I also hope to trace some of the changes in my thinking through time and take you on a journey to understanding a way of thinking about the ocean and its relationship with God including our part in that. I hope that you will increase your love for the ocean, God, each other, and yourself in a way that will cause you to actively participate in ocean conservation.

The emphasis is on the experiences, the places, sometimes the people, and the learning rather than an exact, full, and detailed account. My hope is that you will enjoy a trip to far-off places and a desire will grow to get to know better the one who made the oceans and all that is in them. This is my attempt to express in words my thanks to God, to tell of His wonderful deeds in the ocean.

The Whole Easter Story: Why the Cross is Good News for All Creation by A Rocha International’s Jo Swinney is a 40-day Lent devotional exploring how the cross transforms not only our own individual connection with Jesus, but also our relationships with each other and our world.  

Published by BRF, all royalties go to A Rocha’s conservation work around the world. Listen to some commendation of her writing:

Narrated with honesty, warmth and the insightful perspective of a storyteller – and accompanied by Jo’s warmly sensitive sketches of particular species – the Whole Easter Story helps us see afresh the immense power and wisdom of the cross for the salvation of the whole world. Thoroughly recommended! 

Professor Paul S Williams—Chief Executive, Bible Society  

This is a truly enjoyable devotional book, providing an excellent guide as we journey through our relationship with God, others and God’s wider creation, as well as God’s own relationship with his creation. Refreshingly honest, laugh out loud, attentive to all of God’s creation – your heart and soul will be fed. 

Jo Herbert-James—Head of Engagement, A Rocha UK

But not only that! Consider participating also in the…

Lent book club

You are warmly invited to join a six-week virtual book club based on The Whole Easter Story. Hosted by Jo Swinney and Jo Herbert-James, the club will run on Wednesdays from 5 March to 9 April 2025, 8 to 9pm GMT.  

Do find out more and book your place HERE. 

We would like to draw your attention to an A Rocha-hosted conversation by Dr Rodel Lasco, A Rocha International Trustee and Director of the Oscar M Lopez Center. Rodel is a member of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), an expert on biodiversity, and a pastor.

“Our planetary life support systems are starting to fray under the weight of human activities. Come and hear Rodel’s appraisal of the current state of biodiversity globally, how we can respond with hopeful action, and the exciting plans for A Rocha’s growing presence in South East Asia.”

Time: 13.00 – 14.00 UTC | Date: 11 November 2024

Tickets (free! with an optional donation to A Rocha) are available here.

This news is hot off the press!

The 4^th Lausanne Congress and the Global Creation Care Forum (GCCF) were both important for the future of creation care globally. Don’t miss this update from those who were there! 

Leaders from around the world will share their reflections on both these events. We will also introduce the statement/invitation ‘Good News for all the Earth’—there will be time for questions!

Time: 11.00 am – 12.00pm UTC, repeated 7.00pm – 8.00pm UTC | Date: 12 December 2024

The webinar will be on Zoom and is free entry.

Sign up here: https://buytickets.at/lwccn/1451019, choosing which timing you prefer!

Please note that there is an optional donation to cover LWCCN’s costs.

If you haven’t yet seen it, this short video from GCCF is well worth a view!

By the time you get this issue of The Pollinator, COP16 in Cali, Colombia will have concluded. But what is ‘the other COP’ and why does it matter to us as Christians … and to everyone else?

Firstly, to clear up any confusion, COP is UN jargon and simply means ‘Conference of Parties’ so there are numerous different COPs, not just the better-known Climate ones. COP16 is the 16^th global gathering on biodiversity. Some foundational questions:

Why does biodiversity matter?The Nature Conservancy, with Prof Katharine Hayhoe as Chief Sicentist, states: “Biodiversity is the bedrock of life on Earth, underpinning our global economy, combating climate change, and sustaining the food systems that nourish the world. Yet, we are witnessing an unprecedented crisis: habitats are vanishing, and up to a million species face extinction, threatening the lives and livelihoods of the billions of people who depend on them.”

Why was COP16 so important?COP15 in 2022 saw the Kunming-Montreal Protocol at which governments committed to stopping biodiversity loss globally by 2030. This agreement is as important for biodiversity as the 2015 Paris Agreement was for climate. Yet, most of the detail was left to be sorted later, and by the start of COP16 only 23 out of 196 countries had submitted comprehensive plans. COP16’s theme was ‘Peace with Nature’ calling for a new relationship between humanity and the earth. A Rocha states: “This aligns with A Rocha’s vision of a world where nature flourishes as people live equitably and sustainably.”
Key issues include:

• Protecting 30% of the earth for nature by 2030
• Financing of nature conservation. Only 2 countries had met their targets prior to COP16.
• Putting indigenous communities at the heart of conservation. Indigenous people are 5% of the global population yet it’s calculated they protect 80% of biodiversity (FAO report).
• Reforming how business uses nature (tackling biopiracy and harmful subsidies, getting businesses to disclose their impact on nature).

What’s this got to do with Christian faith? A Rocha’s statement says: “For Christians, caring for the earth is rooted in God’s concern for life in all its variety. This theme is woven throughout the Bible, … and we are accountable for our use or abuse of the earth and its creatures”. COP16 has seen greater Christian engagement than previous biodiversity COPs and amongst LWCCN members, Juliana Morillo from Colombia has been part of the host team, Jocabed Solano represented the World Council of Churches, and A Rocha’s delegation has included Sarah French (A Rocha International), Seth Appiah-Kubi and Daryl Bosu (A Rocha Ghana), Avinash Krishnan (A Rocha India), María de los Ángeles La Torre Cuadros (A Rocha Peru) and Cyrie Sendashonga (Rwanda, consultant).

For more see A Rocha’s summary and Jocabed’s interview.

Please continue to pray with us that conversations at COP16 will turn into firm commitments from governments, businesses and that we will indeed see ‘Peace with Nature’, shalom in our common home.

How exciting and impactful would it be if our current generation of church leaders taught and trained from both books of revelation God has given us? 

The Wilderness Ministry Institute desires to address just that! They are dedicated to supporting churches all over the world who desire to explore this ancient approach (as mentioned in the article) to teaching and mentoring.

Wilderness specific skills training is only a small part of what WMI offers, but it is an important skill set for building relationships and equipping others with an understanding of and vision for creation care.  

If this approach to youth ministry is something you would like to explore further in your church and community, WMI would love to hear from you! They invite you to participate in one of their training courses around the world, or maybe start with an online ‘Foundations of wilderness ministry’ in Spanish or English.  

Please check them out here:

• Website: www.wildernessministry.org
• Social Media @wildernessministry – Instagram – Facebook
• Teachable online classroom: https://wildernessministryinstitute.teachable.com/courses/
• Contact: https://wildernessministry.org/contact-us/

WUF12’s Faith Pavilion is the latest development of a decade-long engagement and trust building between UN-Habitat and religious organizations spearheaded by the WEA. The pavilion provides a space and a platform for faith organizations, leaders, and practitioners to explicitly engage in dialogue about urban development from a religious perspective, learn from the global community of urban experts, practitioners, and agencies, as well as find ways to collaborate in designing, building, and funding sustainable urban development for the common good. 

With sessions on housing, resilience, creation care, social cohesion, and so on, the pavilion will showcase impactful, faith-based initiatives and foster cross-sector collaboration for the sustainable, inclusive, and just cities we need.  

Learn more here.

Looking ahead, we plan on hosting Faith Pavilions at all future WUF’s (every two years) and hosting a UN-Habitat Faith-Based Urban Thinkers Campus in the in-between years. If this is an area of interest, do consider submitting a presentation for the forthcoming Faith-Based Urban Thinkers Campus in 2025 (dates and submission details TBD) and/or participating in the Faith Pavilion at WUF13.  

For more information contact Chris Elisara at celisara@worldea.org.