Thursday 5^th June 2025 12:00-13:15 and 20:00-21:15 GMT

What does it mean to witness to Jesus as Lord of creation in business, industry and commerce? Are there distinctive ecological values Christians should bring to work? Are there no-go areas for Christians? How can we support and pray for Christians in positions of workplace influence?

Come to hear and discuss all these questions and more!

This webinar is a partnership between LWCCN (the Lausanne / WEA Creation Care Network), Lausanne’s BAM Network (Business as Mission), Lausanne’s Workplace Ministry and LICC (the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity).

Please register here: Lausanne.zoom.us/meeting/register/kCGRxlzGQ3Sk58-85wJHZA

Mark these future dates for our upcoming webinars!

4^th September Thursday, 11:00 & 19:00 UTC – Children & Young People in Creation Care

4^th December Thursday, 11:00 & 19:00 UTC – Creation & the Arts

In our Cover Article for this issue, Dr. Miriam Moreno cited the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Network.

She further writes:

“The LAC Network is a living testimony not only of a young continent, but of young people committed to caring for the continent and its great environmental diversity. Despite the challenges and anxieties that young people face, they have been able to raise their voices and let their creativity and commitments flow. Increasingly, these young people are becoming instrumental in mobilising their congregations to become what we at Tearfund call ‘Churches as centres of transformation’.

For young people from seven Latin American countries (Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador), the LAC Youth Network has become an inspiring space where their faith, academic training and vocation of service converge. The Network not only allows them to participate in projects they are passionate about, but also provides them with an environment in which their Christian identity is affirmed through a sense of belonging, and through a strong missionary component.

The main achievements and challenges resulting from the Network’s initiatives include: a) raising awareness of the importance of caring for creation, b) empowerment of young people, c) income generation and improvements in the local economy, d) development of skills and capacities of young people and church and community leaders. This, among other things, shows that by connecting young people from different countries, the Network fosters the exchange of experiences, resources and strategies to address the complex environmental challenges of our peoples.”

You can read more here: www.tearfund.org.au/stories/youth-against-plastic-in-latin-america

Hello dear readers! We bring you some Earth Day News!

An Invitation to Wonder was screened at the end of April. You can watch the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/639344584. Please lend your support to this beautiful project – now available to watch online for a small sum!

An Invitation to Wonder: Waubesa Wetlands. Embark on a journey into Waubesa Wetlands as Calvin DeWitt, a wetland scientist and Nelson Institute faculty emeritus, shares the knowledge and wisdom he has found from living on the marsh for over 50 years. Taking these lessons, his grandson, a 20-year-old filmmaker, sets out to gain a deeper understanding of the marsh and his grandfather’s unique connection with it.

Finally, most joyous news from Ezechiel Busime (Director of Mission and Development at MVC) on how the Ministère de la Vie Chrétienne (MVC), through its community development department and its association: Young Climate stewards (JIC) celebrated Earth Day.

They planted 525 trees of Congolese origin including: Meosophis and the Savonnier at the mountain overlooking the city of Uvira. This area suffers the adverse effects of climate change. We are glad to share with you these pictures of their reforestation activities, and hope this both encourages and inspires you to tend the spaces and places you are in!

On the heels of the webinar, we bring you further news that:

LWCCN is excited to be a part of the Christian Climate Observers Program (CCOP) at the UN Climate Change Conference – COP 30 in Belém, Brazil, 10th – 21st of November 2025.

CCOP is training the next generation of UN climate observers from a Christian and missional perspective before and during the conference. Participants will share CCOP credentials and gain access to the COP 29 conference grounds where you will be able to attend meetings, briefings, workshops and any events open to those with official observer status.

Learn more and apply by 18th July

Dates: Choose one; same program:

•     9th – 17th November (or)
•     14th – 22nd November

Location: Belém, Brazil

Application deadline: 18th July, 2025

Room & Board: lodging and breakfast provided at “CCOP Base Camp, site to be announced.

Cost: $1,000 USD [to be finalized]; participants are responsible for their own roundtrip travel. We have some scholarships available for those who require financial assistance in order to attend, particularly students and those from the Global South. We are still working to make the fee lower than the above mentioned figure as much as possible, through our ongoing efforts of lodging selection and fundraising. We will announce the actual amount of the fee at the final stage of the application process when you confirm your participation at CCOP-2025, sometime in mid to late September.

A Reflection Thought-Piece by Ryoung Kim, Director of AroSoop

Greetings from Korea. It’s hard to believe that seven months have already passed since the Global Christian Creation Forum (GCCF) took place here. The memories remain vivid. In the Korean Invitation, we reaffirmed the church’s role in the age of climate crisis and emphasized the need to include “Creation Care” as a formal subject in theological education. As a practical response, a unique collaboration emerged between Asia United Theological University (Asian Center for Theological Studies and Mission, ACTS) and AroSoop, a Christian ecological conservation network.

AroSoop was established in the wake of GCCF as a Christian ecological movement rooted in permaculture, dedicated to the stewardship of God’s creation. As the organization’s founder and the operator of an ecological farm, I have often said, “Caring for creation is not optional—it’s an expression of a redeemed life.” I believe this is not merely an environmental cause, but a holistic discipleship that connects belief and daily practice.

One of AroSoop’s founding members, Professor Myungseok Lee (Practical Theology), shared our vision and launched a new course titled Creation Care and Ethics in the postgraduate program for international students at ACTS, using Dr. Dave Bookless’s book Planetwise as the primary textbook, beginning in the spring semester of 2025. On April 9, he brought his students to visit my farm, where they toured the ecological farming site and joined in some light farm work alongside peers from India and Pakistan. It was a hands-on opportunity to experience ecological theology and Creation Care in practice.

I served as a guest lecturer that day, sharing my personal journey toward creation stewardship and presenting a holistic vision that integrates ecological agriculture, faith, community, and mission. We reflected together on God’s purpose for land and life.

Though the session felt somewhat unstructured, I hoped it would offer students a glimpse into what Creation Care can look like in real life. Later, as I read their reflection papers, I felt assured that the session had been a meaningful beginning. One student wrote, “Hearing that soil is not just crushed rock, but a living organism, completely changed how I see the world.” Another shared, “Learning about permaculture gave me confidence that even small spaces can be used to practice ecological care.” Their insights also helped me better understand my own role and calling as a servant-leader.

This experience offered international theology students in Korea a concrete vision of how faith and the environment are connected, and how they might integrate Creation Care into their future ministries. One student remarked, “Even in our communities, we could create small gardens or partner with local farms to practice Creation Care.” Many began imagining how these ideas could be applied in their churches and mission fields back home.

This collaboration between AroSoop and the seminary is not just about raising ecological awareness in the Korean church. It also shows the potential for building a platform to equip the next generation of Christian leaders—those who will serve around the world—to embrace and share the values of Creation Care. I am grateful to present this initiative as a concrete example of the GCCF declaration moving from words to action in education and practice.

Student Reflections on Ryoung Kim’s Ecological Farming (Summarized by AI)

1. The Power of Hands-On Learning
   Visiting the organic farm provided a tangible experience of ecological ethics and creation care, helping us internalize what we had learned in the classroom. (Kozou)
2. Engaging the Senses
   The sounds of running water, bird songs, and the scent of plants deepened our appreciation for the beauty and value of the natural environment. (Kozou, Esther)
3. Integrating Faith and Farming
   Ryoung Kim’s farming is not just a livelihood—it’s an act of faith and mission, which challenged and reshaped our understanding of agriculture. (Kozou, Esther)
4. Permaculture and Community-Based Farming
   Permaculture offers a sustainable and community-centered approach to farming, one that could be practiced even in church or campus settings. (Esther)
5. A New Perspective on Weeds
   Ryoung Kim explained that what might appear as weeds are often planted intentionally to support the soil’s respiration and biodiversity. This challenged our conventional views. (Joshua)
   (There may have been a misunderstanding—I think my sowing of wheat for compost was mistaken for planting weeds…)
6. Working with Nature, Not Against It
   Avoiding plastic greenhouses and letting the land rest during winter reflects a farming practice in harmony with natural rhythms, conserving resources and honoring creation. (Joshua)
7. The Possibilities of Small Gardens
   Even in a busy life, it is possible to grow food and practice ecological awareness in small spaces at home. (Joshua)
8. Simple Technology Guided by Faith
   Kim uses basic technologies like gravity-fed irrigation and water temperature control to support ecological farming, all rooted in faith and intention. (Common to all students)
9. Organic Farming Amid Social and Mental Crisis
   We learned that the marginalization of organic farming and the struggles of farmers reflect deeper social and psychological crises—not just economic issues. (Kozou, Esther)
10. Soil Is Alive
    “The soil is not just dust—it’s alive.” This statement profoundly shifted how we understand our relationship with nature and challenged us to rethink our view of soil, farming, and the environment. (Joshua, Esther)

Our Next LWCCN Webinar for 2025: Creation Care in the Workplace

Happening Wednesday 29^th May, 11:00 or 19:00 UTC

If you are caring for creation in a ‘secular’ workplace and are interested in being interviewed or to join a panel discussion, please contact dave.bookless@arocha.org.

Registration details for this webinar will be in next month’s Pollinator. 

Mark these future dates for our upcoming webinars!

4^th September Thursday,11:00 & 19:00 UTC – Children & Young People in Creation Care

4^th December Thursday, 11:00 & 19:00 UTC – Creation & the Arts

Registration is open for the 9^th Micah Global Consultation, to be held in Cape Town South Africa from 29 September till 2 October 2025.

Micah Global is a world-wide network of Christians active in relief, development, creation care and advocacy. The overall theme will be ‘Walking Together in Hope’, looking at worrying developments in many parts of the world and how we respond with justice, integrity and compassion.

Creation Care will be one of four major streams within the consultation, and we’d love to have LWCCN members take part, although we have no finance to support your attendance. You can apply at https://micahglobal.org/networks/events/170276

Did you know?

On April 22nd, 2025, Earth Day will turn 55, with 192 countries and over one billion people around the globe expected to participate. This demonstrates how the diverse Earth Day movement remains as dedicated today as it was back in 1970 to bringing everyone together for a better future. (Find out more facts, here!)

So as Earth Day 2025 beckons, here are some opportunities to attend to various creation care activities!

This year, earthday.org is organising their flagship event ‘Earth Action Day’—a coordinated global event that draws together leaders (whether government or church!), policymakers and the wider community to discuss and implement meaningful solutions for the sake of our shared planet.

The theme for Earth Day 2025, “Our Power, Our Planet,” underscores the vital role communities play in transitioning to renewable energy and sustainable practices. While Earth Day officially falls on April 22nd—which is close to Easter Sunday this year—churches, faith groups, and other communities are encouraged to plan these Earth Day events at any time throughout April.

Earthday.org offers a litany of resources, activities, and opportunities for you to get involved! Here are (just a few!) ways by which you can get involved:

1. Host an Earth Action Day Forum: Bring together church leaders and local officials alike to discuss integrating renewable energy within your community. You can register your event on the Earth Day Map, along with any other Earth Day activities you host!
2. Make a Commitment: Encourage your church or faith group to expand its use of renewable energy this year.
3. Incorporate the Theme: Use ‘Our Power, Our Planet’ theme in your Earth Day initiatives.

How can earthday.org support you in these efforts?

• Virtual consultations and event planning support.
• Assistance in recruiting elected officials for forums.
• Publicity for your event through local and national media, including inclusion on the Earth Day Global Event Map.
• Access to resources such as the theme fact sheet, pamphlets, and organising toolkits.
• Event planning checklists like the Forum Checklist.

If you are interested in participating or have any questions, reach out to earthday.org’s Faith Outreach Associate at raskin@earthday.org or bunch@earthday.org

One of our readers, David Melville, has shared a recent BBC broadcast on pollination that’s remarkably fascinating:
Listen Here

We hope you find this an enjoyable listen – perhaps especially noteworthy for our readers in the northern hemisphere, where Spring is fast approaching!

If you’ve visited the LWCCN website lately you’ll have noticed that it’s out-of-date and rather clunky.

The good news is we’ve got a new clean and modern website in development and hope to launch it during this next month, so watch this space!