Register for Creation Care Ministry
What is Trinity’s Creation Care Ministry?
Trinity’s new Creation Care Ministry (CCM) is our parish’s response to a resolution passed by Massachusetts Diocesan Convention in 2020, in which our bishops declared that we are living in a state of climate emergency, and that Massachusetts Episcopalians are called to respond through “prayer, study, advocacy and action.” Building on the legacy of prior Trinity environmental ministries and the continuing commitment of many parishioners to creation care, CCM invites Trinity parishioners of all ages to consider joining our work in one of these four areas. We plan to organize and work in focused teams and in occasional “all in” gatherings that will include fellowship and worship. We’re just beginning. We hope you’ll consider being with us and contributing your time, energy, and ideas. We’re still in “draft” mode as we launch this fall for active ministry during this program year and beyond.
What is the potential work of each of the four teams?
We are organizing CCM into four teams to provide focus – otherwise the work can seem overwhelming. Here below are some “rough draft” ideas for the work we may be doing together. We envision collaborative overlap among these four teams as well as updates and resource sharing with the wider parish. Coming to know each other and serving together in joy and hope are central to our emerging sense of call. You needn’t have any credentials or prior experience to join any one of these four teams, aside from your willingness to work with us. All are welcome!
- Prayer Team
- Commitment to pray daily, alone or with others in the parish, for this fragile earth, “our island home” and for the ministries of the Study, Advocacy and Action teams.
- Create or support meditative walks, retreats or other worship opportunities
- Explore and support liturgical expressions of creation care for wider parish
- Review and share prayer resources; build ongoing and shareable compendium
- Study Team
- Study and share theological and scriptural foundations for Creation Care
- Study ongoing Creation Care ministries in the wider Episcopal Church and other churches/organizations and discern resources and best practices for our own use
- Share knowledge and resources (e.g. books, articles and podcasts) with Prayer, Action and Advocacy teams as opportunities arise – so we can all be better and more faithful stewards of the earth’s resources.
- Advocacy Team
- Explore ongoing legislative and public policy initiatives and manage potential parish engagement/support
- Review current Episcopal Church and Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) positions and share findings with wider parish to foster deeper engagement
- Mindful of the racial and social inequities heightened by climate change, collaborate strategically with other Trinity social justice teams
- Share findings with Prayer, Study and Action teams
- Action Team
- Discover and recommend Creation Care practices for use in our daily life and work.
- Encourage and support sustainable living through sharing resources with Prayer, Study and Advocacy Teams as well as the wider parish
- Support continuing work of facilities staff, vestry and wider community in discerning best practices for Creation Care of our own church property and assets.
What would my time commitment be?
Just now we are building lists of interested parishioners for each of the four CCM teams. With those lists, we will organize three one-hour sessions (Zoom-based) per team between now and the end of 2021. Pandemic conditions allowing, we will host an “all in” at-church gathering (including worship and a shared meal) as soon as we can in 2022.
What's the next step?
After you have signed on, by clicking the link near the top of this page, team facilitators will be in touch with you after October 17. We also welcome your questions. Please contact the Rev. Patrick Ward Here.
Thank you for your interest and for praying with us now:
Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth, you made us fellow workers in your creation: Give us wisdom and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(The Book of Common Prayer, p. 827)
