Project Description
Become an Earthkeeping Church
The Bible calls us to care for Godβs world.
We invite churches across Canada, either in small towns or major cities, to contribute to a hope-filled world where communities flourish as people and nature thrive together.
In our latest “A Rocha and Churches in Canada” initiative, the Earthkeeping Church Program is one of the two pillars. Another pillar is the Resource Hub.
What is an Earthkeeping Church?
Earthkeeping Church can be churches of any denomination, located anywhere in Canada, from coast to coast to coast. Earthkeeping Churches participate in our “LEARN, ENGAGE, SUPPORT” approach with our Resource Hub for churches to LEARN more about creation care, a nationwide network of Earthkeeping Churches and programs to ENGAGE in environmental action in a local context, and opportunities to SUPPORT A Rochaβin various ways, such as financial gift, hosting an A Rocha local event, or partnering with us in regional initiatives.
Earthkeeping Church entails an exciting journey. Your church will be on the PATHWAY to GROW in earthkeeping. From “Fertile Soil” to “Mother Tree,” your church will be maturing in the understanding and practices of caring for God’s creation. We at A Rocha Canada are committed to journey alongside with your team, and work toward the transformative flourishing of both nature and people in your community, neighbourhood, city and beyond.
Our LEARN, ENGAGE, SUPPORT Approach
Learn
Learn more about why caring for creation is integral to discipleship.
Explore the earthkeeping opportunities in every aspect of life.
More on LEARNEngage
Take what youβve learned and put them into practice, with the aim of growing your creation care impact.
Take action! Form a team!
More on ENGAGESupport
Multiply your efforts by supporting others, local or abroad.
Partner with others that are working to care for Godβs world.
More on SUPPORTBeing an Earthkeeping Church: Highlights
In this partnership, the Earthkeeping Churches can help A Rocha Canadaβs work, for example, hosting events, promoting our story, praying for our team and projects, partnering with us in regional initiatives, and providing financial support. In return, you will have the exclusive access to the following:
- Consulting and coaching time with your Creation Care Team or point person.
- Your stories of creation care actions are featured on our website and communications.
- Join a network of churches and partnering organizations committed to caring for creation.
- Receive updates and exclusive access to resources, events and engagement opportunities to live out Godβs calling to care for creation in your church and community.
- Make a difference to Christian conservation efforts with A Rocha and other like-minded partners here in Canada and around the world.
Frequent Asked Questions
Step 1: Enter into a Consultation Dialogue with us
This crucial and required first step will:
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- Allow us to have a better understanding about
- your experience and aspiration in church-based creation care actions;
- your plan and hope for your church community in this engagement;
- the challenges and potential obstacles you might have.
- Give you sufficient space and time
- to ask questions
- to explore with us in the possibility and the pathway forward
- Allow us to provide further advices, guidance, and coaching for your journey ahead
- Allow us to have a better understanding about
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Hear from others who have contacted us and started their Consultation Dialogues with our team.
We invite you to enter into a Consultation Dialogue with us, by filling out this form [link to form]. We will respond to your request within one weeks.
Step 2: Talk to your church leadership and get approval from the church decision-making body
Since this is a mutual commitment between A Rocha Canada and your congregation or parish, we need approval from your decision-making body. This varies by denomination but it could be the Board of Elders or Parish Council – or it could be a pastor, minister, priest or other clergy. The Earthkeeping Church: Relationship and Commitments [doc link ??] document sets out the commitments to each other as we journey together to care for Godβs earth and is a useful document to share with the decision-making body.
Step 3: Appoint a contact person and, preferably, start to form an Earthkeeping Church team for your church
Everybody needs a team – don’t go at this alone. Find other earthkeeping champions in your church to form a team in consultation with your church leadership. It’s important for your long term success and sustainability that you have capacity at the grassroots and support from your church leaders.
The main contact person should be the best person for us to get in contact with at your church regarding Earthkeeping Church matters.
Step 4: Complete the Earthkeeping Church Registration
When your church is ready, please complete the Earthkeeping Church Partner Registration Form. We will contact you within one weeks to follow up.
Registration is a statement of intent – a declaration that your church community is concerned about the environment and wants to do something about it. It means your church is already on or is beginning the Earthkeeping Church journey.
Registration also means that your church wants to connect with other like-minded churches to share resources, stories and opportunities with each other and to inspire and spur each other on as fellow earthkeepers of this earth.
Registration gives you access to:
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- Recognition of the church’s environmental work by being able to call yourselves a part of the Earthkeeping Church network.
- Special initiatives and events organised exclusively for those registered Earthkeeping Churches.
- Support and mutual engagement through the Earthkeeping Church network.
- Consultation, coaching, and training exclusively for those registered Earthkeeping Churches.
It is free to register – but we do ask you and/or your church to consider giving to A Rocha Canada to support this nation-wide project for churches and our work across Canada.
We will:
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- Send you a welcome email to confirm that you are now a part of the Earthkeeping Church network.
- Add you to the mailing lists you subscribed to.
- Put your church on the Earthkeeping Church locations map [??].
- Introduce you to the Earthkeeping Church liaison person in your area (if we have appointed someone for your area).
- Send you an Earthkeeping Church sign [??] that you can put up at your church.
Next steps:
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- You can also download the Earthkeeping Church posters [??] to display them at your church to show that youβre a part of the Earthkeeping Church network. We will send you a separate Earthkeeping Church sign [??] in the mail.
- Talk to us! We would love to hear what you are currently doing or thinking of doing in your church.
- Share your story with us and send us photos to be featured on the A Rocha Canada website.
Want to explore more?
Thank you for your interest in the Earthkeeping Church Program at A Rocha Canada.
Contact us at programs.national@arocha.caΒ with any questions or to request more information.