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

Did you manage to catch the LWWCN webinars on ‘Engaging Churches with Creation Care’ led by Kuki Rokhum and ‘Urban Placemaking’ led by Chris Elisara with others? Many have commented how helpful both these webinars were in providing handles and perspective in dealing with very real issues!

We’ll be sure to share the Urban Placemaking recording once we have it, but in the meanwhile, here are a few nuggets from that conversation:

“Christian Placemaking is a faith-based, community-engaged, and sustainable process of creating spaces that embody the principles of creation care, social and environmental justice, and holistic well-being. It seeks to honor the inherent dignity of every person, empower communities through participatory involvement, and reflect the values of God’s Kingdom in the built environment.” Chris Elisara

Helpful books on a Christian understanding of place and particularly urban spaces:

• Philip Sheldrake: The Spiritual City: Theology, Spirituality, and the Urban
• Craig G. Bartholomew: Where Mortals Dwell: A Christian View of Place for Today
• Eric O. Jacobsen: The Space Between
• Timothy Gorringe: A Theology of the Built Environment
• Philip Bess: Till We Have Built Jerusalem

Please pray for the Lausanne 4 Congress and the Global Creation Care Forum (GCCF) taking place near Seoul, South Korea.

Lausanne 4 will run from 22^nd to 28^th September while GCCF is slated to take place from 28^th September to 2^nd October. Please pray for the safety of all our delegates, especially those from many countries who will be representing creation care, in addition to the necessary finance and visa matters.

Pray for Katharine Hayhoe and Ruth Padilla De Borst who will be speaking at a plenary session on the first night of the Lausanne Congress, that the state of God’s world and our calling to care for it might be at the heart of Lausanne’s deliberations.

Pray too for the afternoon sessions on ‘Creation Care & the Vulnerable’ where Jasmine Kwong and Dave Bookless will be ‘Content Specialists’, and for many good informal interactions throughout.

As for our GCCF, please pray for Jasmine, Dave and Ryoung Kim who are the main organisers, working with others to sort out visas, finances, programme, stories to be shared, online access and much more.

Save the Date! 

Time: 13.00 UTC (14.00 BST) | Date: 9 July 2024

Registration link: https://shorturl.at/HrFTb

Mark your calendars! The next LWCCN Webinar is here!

Join us in a couple of days for an inspiring webinar on Placemaking and Creation Care: A Christian Perspective, where we delve into the intersection of Christian faith, community, urban design, and creation care.

Dr. Chris Elisara, director of the WEA Sustainability Center, and friends will discuss the biblical foundations for Christian placemaking, offering toolsets and skillsets to help transform cities, towns, and neighborhoods into thriving places commensurate with God’s vision of shalom. Whether you’re a community leader, church member, or passionate creation care advocate, this webinar will help equip you to reimagine and work towards creating thriving cities, towns, and villages, which by definition are ecologically sustainable.

Register now to be part of this transformative conversation!

Save the Date! 

Time: 13.00 UTC (14.00 BST) | Date: 9 July 2024

Mark your calendars! The next LWCCN Webinar will be on 9^th July, on Creation Care in Cities. This is a vital subject, considering that more than 50% of the world’s population live in urban areas.

Dr Chris Elisara from WEA and others will be facilitating our conversation. Keep an eye for the Zoom link in next month’s Pollinator—we will also share the recording of our recent webinar on Churches and Creation Care, which had excellent contributions from India, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, and the UK.

More details coming soon!

Join us for our upcoming conversation on Creation Care & Churches! We are delighted to have Kuki Rokhum—A Rocha International Director of Church Engagement, to share her insight on this, alongside other voices from Peru, the UK, and the Philippines.

This quarterly webinar is part of a series exploring theological and practical aspects of creation care.

Time: 13.00 UTC (14.00 BST) | Date: 23 April 2024

Sign up here!