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

Please register for free to attend on 5^th June 2025 … and please let your friends know!

https://lausanne.org/gathering/creation-care-in-the-workplace-a-lausanne-wea-creation-care-network-webinar

• Option 1: 12:00 UTC / 13:00 BST
• Option 2: 20:0O UTC / 21:00 BST

We will be joined by speakers from Lausanne’s Business as Mission (BAM) Network and from LICC (London Institute for Contemporary Christianity). What does it mean to be witnesses of Jesus as Lord of all creation in the world of business, industry, and commerce? How should our faith shape the way we engage with ecological values at work? What challenges might we face, and are there ethical boundaries we should not cross? Most importantly, how can we support and pray for fellow believers who serve in positions of influence in the workplace? Join us as we explore these important questions and more.

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

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

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)

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!

We began the year with an excellent first LWCCN webinar, bringing together participants across the globe for a meaningful time of discussion and regional sharing. More than 100 people registered across two time zones, and while attendance was slightly lower, we had representation from all the global regions, and rich conversations in the regional breakout groups.

We are glad to share with you both the recording of the webinar and the PowerPoint slides for this.

Note: The webinar recording combines highlights from both time slots on Feb 26.

Do note the future dates and other events lined up over the year—we are encouraged by your participation and prayer!

The recording may also be found on LWCCN’s brand-new YouTube channel! Subscribe to @LausanneWEACreationCareNetwork to stay informed and empowered to care for creation.

In the Cover Article for our last issue of the Pollinator, Lausanne Catalyst Dave Bookless discussed the ‘Korean Invitation’—an initiative that emerged from the Global Creation Care Forum held in South Korea. Further, recordings for two webinars held on the matter were shared.

We apologise for omitting the passcode for these in the previous issue. Here they are:

Webinar 1 (featuring Jasmine Kwong, Kuki Rokhum, Richard Sempala, Rei Crizaldo, Caroline Pomeroy, Ryoung Kim, Julio Reis, Juliana Morillo & Dave Bookless) 

Passcode: f9%E331*

Webinar 2 (featuring Laura Yoder, Jeong Jee-Hye, Samuel Chiu, Maria Alejandra Andrade, Edgar Pollard, Jocabed Solano Miselis, Matheus Ortega, Michael Jemphrey, Juliana Morillo & Dave Bookless)

Passcode: hiV.S7A!

We encourage you to give these a listen, and warmly welcome your participation and support for the ‘Korean Invitation’. To that end, we welcome you to read the Invitation both carefully and prayerfully and, if possible, to sign it using this form.

2025’s First LWCCN Webinar: What’s going on in Creation Care 2025: Global & Regional

Wednesday 26th February, 11:00 or 19:00 GMT

Book your ticket: https://buytickets.at/lwccn/1551485, choosing which timing you prefer!

What’s going on with Creation Care in 2025? When are the key meetings and what will they be looking at? Do you have a sense of anxiety and fear due to global events or can you find reasons for hope? How about in your region?

This webinar will both give an overview of key global moments and meetings, and also break into regional rooms to share what’s happening (or you want to happen) in your own region. At our Global Creation Care Forum there was a strong desire for more regional networking, so here’s your chance to get that started! 

Please note, the webinar is free. You can either accept or decline the invitation to contribute towards LWCCN costs.

Mark these dates! The LWCCN Webinars for the rest of 2025

29^th May Thursday, 11:00 & 19:00 UTC– Creation care in the Workplace

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

HAPPENING SOON!! Mark your calendars!

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!

(Editor’s Note: We sincerely apologise for how belatedly you are receiving this news!)

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!

LWCCN (the Lausanne / World Evangelical Alliance Creation Care Network) which sends out The Pollinator, came into existence after the 3^rd Lausanne Congress in Cape Town in 2010. That Congress produced ‘The Cape Town Commitment’ including the now famous words, “Creation care is a Gospel issue within the Lordship of Jesus Christ”. In turn, that led to a global gathering in Jamaica in 2012, the ‘Jamaica Call to Action’ and twelve regional conferences (2014-2022) covering every part of the world looking at ‘Creation Care and the Gospel.’

So, there has been much anticipation about two recent major global gatherings in South Korea. The 4^th Lausanne Congress, 22^nd-28^th September, was vast, with over 5,200 in-person delegates from 200+ countries joined by thousands more online. The hospitality of the Korean church was wonderful: we were greeted and served by over a thousand cheerful volunteers who had used their holiday to help. There were many good things that emerged, yet from a creation care perspective Lausanne 4 was a mixed bag. Positives included a superb plenary talk by Katharine Hayhoe and four afternoon ‘GAP’ sessions on ‘Creation Care and the Vulnerable’ where there were many new faces and a real buzz. However, sadly, there was a lot of disposable plastic, much of the programme focused on a narrow definition of mission and it felt as if creation care was seen as simply one of many special interest groups rather than core to discipleship and mission. We clearly still have much work to do within Lausanne!

The three Lausanne Creation Care Catalysts: Dave Bookless, Benita Simon, Jasmine Kwong

The second gathering was the GCCF – Global Creation Care Forum – held in the beautiful, forested hills of the Somang Retreat Centre in Gonjiam, with more than a 100 people from over 40 countries. GCCF was planned as a kind of ‘Jamaica 2’, in reviewing how the creation care movement has grown, listening to global voices, and discerning next steps. Most sessions were interactive, with stories, table-discussions and resource-sharing, but we also had input on theology and science, time in regional and thematic groups, and intense discussions throughout mealtimes and often late into the night. There was lament and mourning over the state of our world and the paralysis of many of our leaders. There was also laughter and joy, as friendships were deepened, connections were fostered and plans discussed. We are developing a document, called ‘The Gonjiam Invitation: Good News for all the Earth’ with two sections: the first giving a solid biblical basis for the Gospel as God’s good news for all the earth and creation care as core to mission, and the second spelling out the concrete actions that need to be taken at every level from the personal to the planetary. Once this is complete, we’ll share it through The Pollinator and invite you to sign it as well as share it with others. We will also share more reports, videos, resources and stories from the GCCF over the coming months! This short video gives you a taste!

The Global Creation Care Forum in Gonjiam included people from over 40 countries

Overall, my sense after Lausanne 4 and the GCCF is that creation care is an unstoppable force! As I was writing this, waiting between flights in Hong Kong, a complete stranger sat next to me, saw I was writing about creation care and excitedly asked if she could join the movement! From every part of the world Christians are being challenged by the ecological chaos around us to turn to God and the bible for wisdom, and the Holy Spirit is calling more and more individuals and organisations to transform their priorities in caring for God’s world.

Dave Bookless, Lausanne Catalyst for Creation Care