Planning for Earth Month: Resources for Congregations

April is Earth Month, and for congregations, it can be a great time to further discern how to best answer our first calling as Christians: the caretaking of God’s creation. Form a plan for making the most of April. Check out this suggested activities:

1. An Art Contest for Children and Youth! To give our children and youth a voice this election season, while also reminding adults of their responsibility for the next generation when they vote, the UCC is conducting a Vote for Climate Hope Art Contest. Until April 16^th, art submissions will be accepted. An online award ceremony for finalists will be held on May 4^th. Participating churches should register now to receive important information and updates.
2. Join the UCC Earth Day Summit Featuring Bill McKibben! This online event will take place on Saturday, April 20th at 1 PM ET. In addition to a keynote delivered by McKibben, this two and a half hour summit will feature a panel of award-winning grassroots activists in a David-versus-Goliath struggle against one of the world’s largest producers of plastics. Register now!
3. Celebrate Earth Sunday! Many churches celebrate God’s creation on the Sunday closest to Earth Day. For this occasion, the UCC partnered the ecumenical organization Creation Justice Ministries to produce an Earth Sunday resource on plastics entitled “Plastic Jesus: Real Faith in a Synthetic World.” Watch a webinar introducing the resource.
4. Use Earth Month as a Launching Pad! Over the course of the year, the following four activities will form the 2024 Creation Justice Church Challenge: the Vote for Climate Hope Art Contest, the Freedom from Plastics Earth Sunday, the Church Appliance and Equipment Electrification Checklist, and the Vote for Climate Hope Pledge Card Campaign. A congregation that has participated in all of these activities will have demonstrated that it is truly living out a creation justice ethic. If a participating congregation is not already a Creation Justice Church, they are strongly encouraged to apply after having completed all four activities.

Other Suggestions for Earth Month

Have a BYOM (Bring Your Own Mug) Sunday! “Green” your coffee hour and shift away from disposable cups. You can support the climate justice ministries of the UCC by purchasing Climate Hope Mugs.

Participate in Faith Climate Action Week with Interfaith Power & Light! From April 19th to the 28th, congregations are invited to focus on this year’s theme, “Common Ground: Cultivating Connections between Food, Faith, and Climate.” Get an organizer kit!

Register Your Congregation to Be a Host Site for the Faith Climate Forum

Blessed Tomorrow will be hosting a faith climate forum on April 16th, and they are looking for host sites that will live stream the event. Each site that has at least 15 people registered will receive $450 to support refreshments and childcare or travel support. Learn more and register!