“‘Creation care?’ Isn’t that just about planting trees and picking up litter? What’s that got to do with multiplying transformational Christian leaders and churches?”
That might well have been my response a few years ago because throughout most of my 18 years of ministry in Japan, almost 5 years in Singapore, and my early years in ministry in the UK, I didn’t give much thought to caring about the environment. I assumed that was someone else’s job while I invested in leaders who would bring God’s transformational work to a needy world.
The thing is, I didn’t stop to consider and connect the dots to understand what transformation includes. Scripture says God was pleased through Christ to “reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven” (Colossians 1:20), a transformation that includes the restoration of all our relationships—with God, ourselves, others, and, yes, the natural world of creation.
Creation as a context for deeper discipleship
I began to realize that my picture of discipleship and Christ’s desire to be Lord of all was too small. Yes, I had heard Christ wants to be Lord of my time, talent, and treasure, but what about my travel, my tastes, and my technology? I began to see the natural world as a context for showing me where I had idols in my life.
My idols led me to ignore how my consumer choices, such as my use of plastic, affected those around the world. People who have done the least to cause environmental degradation are the ones who most often suffer from the consequences, such as living amongst trash and burning piles of plastic, plastic from packages I might have bought for myself or even my ministry.
The importance of creation for the church
Important as reducing our use of plastic is, being aware of creation is more than recycling. An awareness of creation opens up new doors as we think strategically about the future of the church. A 2021 survey of 10,000 young people across the globe revealed that 75% said that they think the future is frightening in terms of the climate.1 What response is the evangelical church offering of Christ-centered hope and Christ-motivated love-in-action? A 2020 survey in the UK indicates that 9 out of 10 Christian young people are concerned about the environment but only 1 out of 10 think the church is doing enough.2
These are the future leaders of the church—if they want to continue to be involved in it.
An invitation
God is inviting us to go deeper in our personal discipleship and in our ministry as church leaders. What are we noticing about the needs around us, from the increasing climate-related crises to the lack of hope many young people are experiencing? Bringing an awareness of creation—both its impact on humankind and our impact on it—is an invitation where God asks us to look at how deep our discipleship is and how sustainable our strategic plans are.
- Are we looking not just 5 years ahead, but 55?
- In what ways can we imagine a different future, a more just future for all people around the globe, a future where people and planet can both thrive?
No simple answers, but actions that lead towards solutions
There are no simple answers, but there are actions that lead towards solutions. I am keeping this in mind as I begin coaching ministry leaders around creation awareness. I propose letting the Holy Spirit guide us through our curiosity as we ask questions and notice what is happening around us and within us:
- What connections do we see to what we already care about and what is appropriate and sustainable, both for us and for the planet?
- What could be some small courageous step to take, and how might God’s grace allow us even to fail and try some other approach?
- As we ask these types of questions, how might such a process lead us to encounter Christ more deeply and live for Him more fully?
Crisis? Opportunity!
Maybe we have heard how the word “crisis” also means “opportunity.” The climate crisis is perhaps the church’s greatest opportunity to hear God’s invitation to be part of bringing healing to all our relationships—our relationship with God, ourselves, others, and the created world. In the face of environmental problems that seem impossible, the words of Ken Wendling, the founder of what has become A3, ring in my ears:
“Impossible? I love the word impossible!”
I invite you to dream with me what God might do with this incredible, “impossible” opportunity for the church. Please email me to explore together how a greater awareness of creation might enhance the transformation you hope to see in your ministry context. I’d love to hear your answers to the questions I’ve asked above.
Hilary Lynch has served with A3 since 1989. She and her husband, Stu, work in partnership with ReachGlobal (EFCA) in Birmingham, UK, where they serve locally restarting a church in a multi-faith community with many Asian people. Regionally she offers resources and coaching for ministry leaders curious how to care well for people and our environment. She is getting her doctorate in Practical Theology and in her free time she is learning how to garden and hoping she won’t kill her houseplants. Email her at
More Information
- Photos courtesy Getty Images
- Inset: Hilary & Stu Lynch with family (2022) photo courtesy Hilary Lynch
- kiki kanji courtesy Takeshi Takazawa and Hearken Creative Services
- Hickman, C., Marks, E., Pihkala, P., Clayton, S., Lewandowski, R. E., Mayall, E. E., Wray, B., Mellor, C. and van Susteren, L. (2021) ‘Climate Anxiety in Children and Young People and Their Beliefs About Government Responses to Climate Change: A Global Survey.’, Lancet Planet Health, 5 (12), pp. e863-e873. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00278-3.
- Youthscape Centre for Research and Tearfund, 2020. Burning Down the House: How the Church Could Lose Young People Over Climate Inaction . Available at: https://www.youthscape.co.uk/research/published-research/burning-down-the-house [Accessed 30 Mar. 2023].
