We bring you news from our friends at Tearfund/Renew Our World! There is an exciting new resource, with our very own Revd Dr Dave Bookless as the lead author.

Note that they are looking for co-publishers in translating and publishing this for wider reach and use!

“We’re launching Making a World of Difference at COP. This is our resource for church leaders, giving a Christian understanding the climate crisis, the nature crisis, and the signs of the times. It’s short and accessible and we hope it helps equip church leaders in many places. The lead author is our Board member Revd Dr Dave Bookless, Director of Theology for A Rocha International and Catalyst for Creation Care for the Lausanne Movement, with contributions from over 20 others from around the world.

‘I love this booklet and warmly commend it for three reasons: first, it is short and very easy to read and get your head around; second, it keeps making you stop and think by asking searching questions again and again (ideal for church and student groups); and third, it combines great biblical teaching (that I wholly agree with!) with lively and inspiring examples from all round the world, to help you not just think again, but choose to go and do likewise.’

Chris Wright, Global Ambassador with the Langham Partnership

It will be available in English, and soon after in Croatian, French, Portuguese (with Brazilian and European versions), Spanish, and Thai, with a few more languages on the way after that. We’re looking for co-publishers interested in translating and publishing Making a World of Difference online, in print, or both, on a non-commercial basis. Please do get in touch if you might be interested. You can contact Ben Niblett at ben.niblett@tearfund.org”

David Gould is one of the original members of the Lausanne/WEA Creation Care network. With Bishop Efraim Tendero, David carried most of the burden of organizing our first regional conference of the series that became the Global Campaign for Creation Care and the Gospel. He was an OMF Advocate for Creation Care at the time, based in Singapore. He’s long since retired, but we have just learned he is still busy. David has written a 3-part booklet series on Why Care for Creation that is available for free download from the OMF website.

The booklets are targeted for churches in East Asia, but we think they will be usable almost anywhere. Here is the description:

In all of the apostle Paul’s letters, the power and scope of the good news of Jesus is immense and radical. It brings peace and reconciliation with God, and between Jew and Gentile, and as Paul wrote to the Colossians, Jesus’ blood was shed on the cross so that through him God would reconcile to himself all things. While in Romans 8, we see that God’s purpose is to redeem the whole of his creation, which is waiting ‘in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed’. (Romans 8:19).

These few examples demonstrate Paul’s gospel hope is much wider than simply personal salvation. And Christ calls us to participate in this work to restore the whole of his creation by living and proclaiming, embodying and becoming good news to the nations.

Inspired by this all-encompassing good news OMF seeks to share the good news of Jesus Christ in all its fullness. These booklets unpack what that looks like in one significant area: caring for God’s world.

But what does all this have to do with East Asia? Through our work in East Asia we also enjoy the incredible beauty and biodiversity of that part of God’s world, while seeing how extreme weather events, deforestation, pollution of rivers and oceans, and other environmental issues disproportionately affect the poorest and most vulnerable people in society. It’s a worldwide responsibility for the global Church, but, comes down to local churches caring for their local area. It’s an expression of love for the God who made the world, and for their neighbours, who depend on it.