Resources

Some resources to help educate your congregation and youth groups on environmental issues

Liturgical Resources

Season of Creation is a season in the year when we focus on God the Creator and what we learn from the Bible about God’s call to care for Creation.  The Anglican Church of Southern Africa adopted the Season of Creation in 2012 and we produce yearly materials. SOC 1- 6 are thematic (themes such as water, climate change, land etc) and we are now producing A, B, and C to tie in the with the lectionary readings. 

Download Here

Previous Seasons of Creation Manuals

SOC 2023
SOC 2022
SOC 2021
SOC 2020
SOC Four

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on 5 June every year and is a global day for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment. First held in 1974, it has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on emerging environmental issues such as marine pollution, air pollution and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. World Environment Day has grown to become a global platform for public outreach, with participation from over 143 countries annually.

Click links below to download resources:

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Inspired by the first view of the ‘blue planet’ from space, it was first celebrated in 1970, and is now celebrated in more than 193 countries.

Click below to download the PDF manual resource:

World Water Day is an annual day always on 22 March that highlights the importance of freshwater. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The first World Water Day, designated by the United Nations, was in 1993. Each year many countries celebrate World Water Day. As Christians we celebrate the sacredness of water (for we were baptised by water) and the call to water justice.

Click the links below to download the PDF for the manual:

Youth & Children

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Care for Creation is a manual for youth leaders with interactive sessions looking at the theology and practical responses to caring for Creation.

Click below to download the PDF manual resource:

Ryan the Rhino is a manual for Sunday School teachers looking at the story of Creation and how we can practically make a difference in caring for creation.

Click the links below to download the PDF for the manual:

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World Environment Day material for youth. Some materials prepared for young people for World Environment Day services, with dramas and other activities.

Click links below to download resources:

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On the 22 March we celebrate World Water Day. Water is a precious resource that is sacred to our faith and essential to our wellbeing. Access to water is the right of everyone and so we need to care for it on behalf of all people. Click the links below to download the PDF’s for the programme:

Lent Programmes

What is Lent and why does it last forty days?

 
Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means “spring.” The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.
Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a “mini-Easter” and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection. Courtesy of http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/what-is-lent-and-why-does-it-last-forty-days

We at Green Anglicans have put some devotions and reflections together in helping you to focus on specific topics that are affecting environment during the Lenten period.

Sustainable Shift – A Carbon Fast for the Earth

For years, we’ve been fed this idea that humans are the problem, that just by existing, we’re harming the planet. Everywhere we turn, we’re told to do less, take less, be less. And sure, being mindful matters, but what if our real power isn’t in pulling back, but in stepping up?
 
What if we’re not here to shrink our existence, but to find our light and let it shine—brightly, boldly, and unapologetically? Maybe it’s time to rethink what it means to leave a footprint. It’s time to rewrite the story.
 
What Does It Mean to Maximize?
Maximizing our footprint isn’t about being reckless or consuming endlessly. It’s about showing up with intention. It’s about recognizing that we do have power—and using that power to create more good in the world.
 
Download the Lenten Calendar here:

THE 40 DAY CLEAN UP FAST FOR THE EARTH

This Lent we will do our part in helping to heal the Earth, and reduce the damage we are doing. Through reducing your personal use of single use plastic, inspiring and educating others, and getting involved in clean ups, we can make a difference

We will also learn about some of the important global changes taking place such as the UN Plastic Treaty 

Join the Forty day clean up – you can download the calendar here.

Download links for the fast 

‘THE YEAR OF THE TREE’ LENTEN JOURNEY FAST?

The Year of the Tree lenten journey stems from the launch of the Anglican Communion Forest which took place at the Lambeth Conference in 2022. We desire to see God’s creation restored and for the earth to be replenished as we face high levels of deforestation. As our role in safeguarding the environment it is also imperative that we see not only the benefits that trees give us but to connect our spirituality with them. This forty day lenten fast looks at various elements around trees, and hopefully helps you deepen your desire for Eco-system restoration. 

Download links for the fast 

WHAT IS THE “My Little Bit of Good” FAST?

Stemming from a quote from the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, “Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” We recognize that this lent we are all on our individual journeys, but as we perform our “little” actions where we are, when added together makes a significant impact. For this lenten journey we at small actions that we can perform in our everyday lives.

Download links for the fast 

WHAT IS A CARBON FAST?

What is a Carbon Fast for Lent? For Anglicans, Catholics and many others, Lent is the time when we remember the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, facing challenge and temptation. It is a time when we reflect on God’s purpose for our life. Many Anglicans take this opportunity to fast from coffee, alcohol or chocolates. But this year our challenge is deeper, to take a carbon fast – to reduce the actions which damage God’s Creation. To reduce our use of petrol, electricity, plastic, paper, water and toxins. We will take small steps for a more sustainable world, and by doing so rediscover a different relationship with God, with Creation and with one another. How do I take a carbon fast? From Ash Wednesday, 14 February, to 24th of March is a time of repentance, reflection and action. Each week has a theme with a prayer and actions for each day.

Download links for the fast 

Read articles related to the carbon fast here: 2015, 2016, 2017

Official Documents