Connect with God's creation over Lent

This new downloadable resource has a theme and suggested activities for each week of Lent.

Week 1: Bring nature into your home or garden.

Week 2: Connect with creation in a new way.

Week 3: Discover the great outdoors with company.

Week 4: Plan a Wild Time!

Week 5: Join us to protect and restore nature together.

Week 6: Be still in nature.

Easter Sunday: The Easter hope of reconciliation is good news for all.

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Go Green(er) for Lent

The Lenten 40-day period before Easter gives us the opportunity to reflect on the practice of fasting and commit to giving up something that brings a real benefit to nature and helps address climate change. Below are some changes you could make that will help the environment. Take time to pray, reflect and consider these options – pick one or two or however many you’d like (you never know the changes might just stick!)

• Go plastic free. Even if you can’t become totally plastic-free, make it your goal to at least reduce your use of plastic.
• Switch off from digital. Explore technology-free times or areas of the house, switching to ‘airplane mode’ for the first hour in the morning and the last hour at night, ‘switch off Sundays’, reaching for your Bible over your device(s) and writing a list of outdoor things that you enjoy. 
• Boycott fast fashion.
• Buy less or second hand.
• Buy local or in bulk.
• Become zero waste. Slowly try to reduce your waste a bit every week. Consider giving a home-made gift instead of buying a present, upcycling items or looking at your food shop and seeing what items you could buy differently, spending a bit more on loose fruit and veg for example.
• Spend more time in nature.
• Invite wildlife into your garden.
• Try a plant-based recipe or diet. Start by cooking yourself vegan or plant-based meals once a week and take it from there. As time goes on, cook more vegan/vegetarian meals and try to eliminate as many animal products from your diet as you can.
• Grow your own. Whether you have a garden or sunny windowsill, find out what you can sow and grow on a month-to-month basis.
• Change your method of transport. Choose one day a week to walk, cycle or take public transport to work where you are able to.
• Take a step to save energy in your home.
• Move your money. Could you divest from fossil fuels and support a bank which invests in renewables?
• Join the Eco Church community. Make a commitment to long term action on the environment in your local community through Eco Church or other greening schemes. If you’re already part of an Eco Church, find out how you can help your church achieve the next award level.

As we look towards Lent, Lord, open our eyes each day to see something new and wonderful in your world, so we may choose to be more considerate towards your creation during this time of reflection and beyond.