Opening the Letter...

Explore God's Creation through a new NCC eco-theology education resource!

Educating congregants and opening their hearts to embrace God’s creation can be exciting and enriching. The National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs developed a four-week adult education curriculum entitled, Opening the Letter to aid religious educators in exploring with their congregants their responsibility as stewards of God’s creation. This resource will also help congregants strategically plan activities to nurture their “creation care” ministries. Each week builds on the past week’s lessons.

This resource also provides sermon starters for clergy to talk with their congregations about protecting the fragile creation.

Copies can be downloaded here.

This curriculum is based on an ecumenical statement on the environment entitled, God's Earth is Sacred: An Open Letter to Church and Society in the United States written by the leading Christian eco-theologians of our time who challenge us to reject teachings that suggest humans are "called" to exploit the Earth without care for how our behavior impacts the rest of God's creation. This curriculum is to be a "letter opener"--to unlock the lessons inside and to learn to become stewards of the earth. Click here to read an article about this historic letter.

"Opening the Letter: A Congregational Guide to God's Earth Is Sacred."
(Click here to Download this Free Resource)

The following sessions are included in the resource:

Week one: Opening Our Eyes to the Sacred

  • Participants reflect on their experiences with the Holy as understood through the things God has made.

Week two: Opening our Ears to Creation’s Groaning

  • Participants begin to understand the current expressions of creation's groaning to awaken a sense of expansive care and possibilities.

Week three: Opening our Hearts to God’s Call, Equipping Ourselves for Action

  • This session introduces guiding norms for living into our call to care for God's creation.

Week four: Open to God’s Renewing Work

  • This session invites participants to celebrate their new insights and commit to ongoing creation-care work.

Whether your group is discovering God’s creation for the first time, or looking to deepen its commitment to creation care, this resource will guide you to become better disciples for God’s creation.

Download your copy at www.nccecojustice.org/letterbounce.html