Progressive Christian
Life on Campus
CLIMATE ACTION FALL 2024
ZOE's Fall 2024 Climate Action Initiative encourages affiliate ministries to hold studies, discussions, and campus events, in particular on Oct 4-5, St Francis' Day weekend, to mobilize students to cast their votes in November to fight catastrophic human-caused climate change. You can integrate your climate events with an effort to encourage students to vote - see our voting resources HERE. What does your ministry plan to do? Let us know so we can share it here:
Consider holding a Blessing of the Animals on Oct 4-5, integrating it with a focus on the climate emergency and on encouraging students to vote. You may need special permission to bring animals on campus: talk with your student affairs office about it. Alternatively, you can hold such an event on the sidewalk just outside a campus entrance. Bringing pets to campus is always a hit! Encourage students to pet the animals you bring to the event - you may end up with a long line of students eager to do so - they miss the pets they can't bring with them to the dorms! And as they pet your animals, you can recite this blessing: "God of all life, we invoke your blessing on the love between ____ (name of animal) and ____ (name of student). May you inspire us to act, and to vote, to protect all your precious creatures from human-caused climate change." Use the image above (Vote Climate Hope, from the United Church of Christ) or your own creative imagery on posters at your event. Hand out the NBC comparison of candidates for president (below) on the topic of climate change. Again, let us know if you hold such an event so we can share about it here and in our e-news.
Christian Association at U Penn is planning a finger-painting event on the quad - illustrating care for creation from a Christian perspective. Find out more from campus minister Megan LeCluyse!
RESOURCES
for group study and worship
Katharine Hayhoe is a Christian and a climate scientist. This VIDEO introduces her faith motivation for climate action. A great intro to a faith-based response to the crisis.
Young Evangelicals for Climate Action has extensive resources that can be adapted theologically - including Bible studies, prayers/worship, and public action ideas.
The Week is an educational resource on climate change, to introduce your group to the issue.
Climate Blessing - Interfaith Power and Light
Prof. Emma Bloomfield at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is a scholar focused on effective ways to communicate about climate change with Christians, particularly evangelicals. See her article about how to spread the climate message effectively in a faith context HERE.
