Restoring Church and Creation Together
The church in Aotearoa is at a crossroads. Many congregations are aging, and younger generations are disengaging. While leaders strategise about church models, discipleship, and community engagement, a crucial piece is often missing - we have forgotten about creation care.
Rev. Amilie Paynter
The biblical story is not just about saving souls; it is about restoring all things. Yet, too often, the church has separated faith from the physical world. Creation care is treated as a side issue rather than an integral part of Christian life. As a result, we miss a vital way to demonstrate the Gospel in tangible ways and have lost our connection with a wider community that is deeply concerned about our climate crisis.
At The River Ōpāwaho, where I serve as a pastor, we have experienced firsthand how engaging with creation care can revitalise our mission. What began as a simple desire to care for our local river has become a way to connect with our neighbours, deepen discipleship, and embody the Good News beyond our church walls.
What if the future of the church isn’t just about better strategies but about demonstrating the Gospel through faithful, embodied care for God’s good creation?
The Biblical Call to Care for Creation
The story of Scripture is one of creation, fall, redemption, and renewal - not just for humanity, but for all things. The Bible begins with creation and ends with a renewed creation where heaven and earth are fully reconciled (Revelation 21). Colossians 1:19-20 reminds us that Jesus came to reconcile all things.
From the very beginning, God entrusted humanity with the care of creation. In Genesis 1:26-28, humans are given dominion over the earth - not as exploiters, but as stewards called to reflect God's loving care for the world. Psalm 8 reinforces this, declaring that God has made us rulers over the works of his hands. Biblical dominion is never about domination; it is about serving and nurturing.
Yet, somewhere along the way, we lost this vision. Much of modern Christianity has embraced a privatised faith - one that is primarily concerned with me and my soul going to heaven. In this version of the gospel, the material world is incidental, temporary, or even irrelevant.
But this is not the Gospel of Jesus. When Jesus walked out of the tomb, he was not escaping the world - he was renewing it from within. If we take the resurrection seriously, then we must think about its implications for the whole cosmos - not just for humans. The Church has been empowered by the Spirit to model and implement the implications of Christ’s resurrection. That is why creation care is not an optional extra; it is an essential part of anticipating and embodying the future restoration of all things.
The Power of Embodied Mission
At The River Ōpāwaho, caring for our local river has become a natural way to embody the Gospel while engaging with the wider community. Instead of trying to convince people to come into our church building, we have met them on riverbanks, at working bees, and in community gardens. Through this, relationships have formed, and barriers to faith have been lowered - simply because we are living out the Good News in a tangible way.
This is not unique to us. Across Aotearoa, churches in A Rocha’s Eco Church network are discovering that creation care is an incredible missional opportunity. Here’s why:
The church is often seen as irrelevant or disconnected from real-world concerns. But when the church is visibly doing good for the world, people take notice. I have lost count of the number of people who have approached us while working at the river, asking who we are and why we care so much. When we tell them we’re a church, they are often surprised and intrigued. This has led to countless conversations about faith, community, and Jesus.
Faith formation doesn’t just happen in church services. Many of the deepest theological conversations I’ve had weren’t after a sermon, but while planting trees, restoring waterways, or working alongside someone as we pull weeds. Practical action makes discipleship real.
Many churches are struggling to connect with their communities. But when we engage in creation care, opportunities arise naturally. At The River Ōpāwaho, caring for the whenua has helped us build relationships with people who would never walk through a church door. As relationships develop, we’ve been able to do something that the Church is amazing at - serving those experiencing sickness, financial stress, and loneliness.
Now, we need to be very careful with our motivations. Creation care isn’t just a trendy strategy for church growth. We do it because it is core to our calling as image-bearers of God. It just so happens that when we take seriously the call to care for creation, many of the missional outcomes we hope and pray for begin to happen almost naturally.
Maybe we should make the last mark of mission the first?
A Vision for the Church in Aotearoa
If we want to reach the next generation, we need to show them a faith that is real, practical, and deeply engaged with the pressing issues of our time. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation are not just political issues - they are Christian issues. They are discipleship issues.
Imagine a church where creation care is not just an optional add-on, but a central expression of its mission. Imagine communities coming together to restore their local environments, and deepen relationships while creating new opportunities to embody and share the Gospel. Imagine churches being known not just for what they believe, but for how they live out their faith in the world.
At Eco Church, we believe this vision is not only possible but it's already happening.
James Beck
James Beck is the Environment Advisor at the Wilberforce Foundation, where he works to support and resource Christian organisations in integrating care for creation into their mission and practice. He also serves as the Leader of the Eco Church Network for A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand, helping churches across the country to integrate care of creation into every aspect of what it means to do and be the Church. James is also the Associate Pastor at The River Ōpāwaho. James is passionate about equipping individuals and churches to live out their Christian faith in ways that reflect the holistic nature of the good news.