LOCAL CHURCH ECO-TEAMS
SUMMARY
- Often nothing happens because no-one takes responsibility for it.
- This is a common scenario in relation to a local church’s involvement in creation care.
- Every local church needs an initiative group to lead its creation care mission.
- What you call this team matters little, but their role is vital.
- They perform a range of significant and timely tasks.
- Look for people in your midst with the necessary aptitude, giftings and skills.
- Whatever they do (and help others to do) is in partnership with God.
- Inspiring and equipping congregations for creation care is now urgent.
- There is no time like the present to form such a team!
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job.
Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.
The story may be confusing, but the message is clear: no one took responsibility, so nothing got accomplished.
It’s a story that plays out often in organisations, companies and groups —anywhere there is a culture that lacks accountability.
Unfortunately, in relation to the church’s God-given mission to care for the natural world that God has made (Genesis 2:15), this scenario occurs frequently.
Little is done because there is no specific individual or team taking responsibility for making it happen.
Any organisation, in order to advance and progress, needs strong, enthusiastic and gifted leaders who will dream, encourage, galvanise, and empower.
A local church is no different.
A local church is no different. God bestows his special gift of leadership on certain individuals and they are enabled to discern and cast vision, motivate, and direct people to harmoniously accomplish the purposes of God (see Luke 9:51, 22:25-26; Acts 7:10, 15:7-11; Romans 12:8; I Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:17).
That is why every local church needs an initiative group to head up its creation care mission.
What you call that team matters little.
“Green Team” has connotations, so you may prefer another name, such as “Eco-Leaders”, “Creation Care Leadership Team”, “Enviroforce” or whatever.
Their role is to inspire and equip the congregation to actively pursue and engage in creation care, both individually and collectively.
In short, they make creation care happen as an integral part of the life and witness of their faith community. It is a vital and timely function.
Significant Activities
Here are some of the significant things such a team may do:
- Research information on creation care: biblical insights, reasons, trends, projects, equipment, practical ideas, etc.
- Keep the congregation informed and inspired: newsletter inserts, a designated noticeboard, seminars, discussions, studies, promotions, presentations, etc.
- Provide counsel, advice and resources on creation care.
- Help the church decrease its carbon footprint and operate in an eco-friendly manner.
- Get the congregation involved in a practical creation care project (or projects).
- Advocate on issues affecting the environment – to local bodies, MPs, government.
Does your local church have such an initiative group?
Who in your midst might be gifted and prepared for such a role?
Such people may already be obvious. They’re already known for waving the creation care flag, as very eco-conscious or as environmental activists (in the best sense).
Alongside that, they have good organisational ability and people skills.
Get 3-4 of them together, establish a chain of accountability and modus operandi, and let them loose to “do their thing.”
Of course, whatever they undertake (and assist others to undertake) is done in partnership.
Partnership
God is committed to transforming the natural order, and invites our help in that endeavour.
John 9:4 is very instructive and encouraging in this regard.
Jesus said: “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” John 9:4
The key word here is the pronoun “we”.
The Lord does not hesitate to describe himself as specially designated to do a certain work, but he graciously conjoins his disciples and friends in it, saying “We must do”.
It is as though he says, “I have a designated work to do which must be done, but I cannot do it alone. We must do it, you and I together.”
Every achievement in the mission of creation care is due to the combination of divine impetus and human agency.
“We must do” is God’s constant appeal: “Come and let us work together, you and I.”
Is not this exceedingly tender and beautiful?
A note of urgency
The Lord also sounds a note of urgency.
The period for “doing” is apparently limited.
That is surely a message that has already been sounded in relation to saving our planet from ecological destruction.
Scripture says that no one but the Father knows when the Christ will come again (Mark 12:32), and until he does, we must continue to carry out God’s commission to care for the earth.
Even if the power by which God holds the whole world in existence were to be withdrawn next week, we still must give an account to Christ for our stewardship until that moment.
We want him to say to us, “Well done, good and faithful stewards” (cf. Matthew. 25:22).
Make it happen
Your church urgently needs a creation care initiative group to “make it happen.”
As Christians, we have the power of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling Spirit of Christ to give us hope and courage.
Confident in that power, cooperating with God, we may act with energy to make God’s good earth a fit dwelling place for all of God’s creatures, now and for the future.
Your church will be much more effective in carrying out that commission if it has a team in place to maintain focus and keep it on track.
Why not make it a priority to form such a team?