Creation Care Badge

We celebrate the “Season of Creation” in the Episcopal Church from September 1st until October 4th, the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis was known for his love of animals, people, and God’s creation. Complete four of the seven Waypoints below to earn a Creation Care badge!

Turn: 

• You may have heard about global warming or climate change, a disruption in God’s creation caused by human impact. While the vast majority of negative impacts on the world’s climate and ecosystems are caused by large corporations, there are still changes that we, as individuals, can make that make a difference. 

• Talk to your family about practices that you might engage in to help reduce your climate impact, choose one, and turn towards something new! 

• You can research ideas here https://climatekids.nasa.gov/how-to-help/ or you can choose something from this list: 

  • Start composting (your town might offer opt-in composting services, you can DIY it, or subscribe to a private composting company in your area. Once you have figured out how you’re going to compost, you can start composting as a family!

  • Recycle smart: recycling is harder than it sounds! Do you know what the recycling rules are for where you live? Research what rules your town or municipality has for recycling, and teach your family! Make sure that you are recycling items correctly. When items are recycled correctly, it is more likely that they will actually get recycled safely! 

    • Go reusable: 

      • Redesign your lunchbox to use reusable materials. Consider a sandwich wrap (you can even make your own!), tupperware or silicone containers rather than plastic baggies, and more! 

      • Get metal or silicone reusable straws for your family; stash a set in the car or with a parent to have when you go out as a family; or keep in your backpack.

    • Share a photo or write a short paragraph to share how you’ve turned! 

Learn: 

• There is so much to learn about God’s creation, climate change, and care of creation! Pick a topic that you don’t know that much about, and research it. 

• Write a short paragraph on something you’ve learned that you didn’t know before. 

Pray: 

• In the Episcopal Church, we have a Baptismal Covenant—promises that we, or our parents and god-parents, made to God when we were baptized. Many parts of the Church, including the Diocese of Massachusetts, have adopted a sixth promise. We are asked, “Will you cherish the wondrous works of God, and protect the beauty and integrity of all creation?” to which we answer, “I will, with God’s help.”

• Think about this prayer—what do all the words in it mean? Ask an adult (or a dictionary!) for help if you don’t know what some of the words mean. Is it a prayer that speaks to you? If not, how would you write a promise like this?

• Write a prayer for God’s creation, and share it with your formation leader. Your prayer may end up as part of your church’s worship!  

Worship:

• Christians around the world celebrate September 1st through October 4th as a Season of Creation. The Episcopal Church joins our siblings in Christ around the world by celebrating Creation Care in our worship, especially on St. Francis Day, the Sunday closest to October 4th. 

• But honoring God’s creation in our worship doesn’t need to be limited to this short season or St. Francis Day--we live everyday in God’s creation, and we can celebrate it any day or time we like. Participate in your community’s worship celebrating Creation Care, on St. Francis Day or during another worship service you’ve talked with your formation minister or pastor about. You might be invited to read a lesson, share a prayer, or help with the offerings. If you have your own ideas of how you’d like to be involved, share them! 

• If you need help thinking of ways to be involved in your community’s worship, reach out to your formation leader for help. 

Bless: 

• God blesses us through the fruits of creation—sometimes literally! There is a new way to spread God’s love and good news in the Episcopal Church: a Good News Garden! The three steps of having a Good News Garden are to plant, pray, and proclaim. By sharing part of what you have grown, you can bless someone else. 

• If you already have a garden (herbs, food, or flowers), think about how you might share what you’ve grown, and who might need this gift. Share a picture of what you’ve shared. 

• If you don’t have a garden, plan what you might plant in spring. Work with your family, your neighbors, or your church to plan where and what you will plant. If you have other kids in your church working on this badge, work together to plan your garden with your formation minister and see what you can grow together! Make sure to share this plan with your formation leader. 

Go: 

• Plan a Creation Clean Up Day to go out and take care of God’s creation. God has invited us to be care-takers of God’s creation, and it is up to us to be God’s hands and feet in the world. Practice being God’s hands by picking up trash on a local trail, in a park, on a beach, or even on a sidewalk nearby. 

• Supplies: gloves (always wear rubber gloves when picking up trash!), trash bag, face mask

• Who could you invite to share in this creation care work with you? Your parents, siblings, neighbors, friends? This is an outdoor activity where physical distancing can be maintained yet you can work together with others! 

• Share a photo of yourself being God’s hands in the world or a photo of what you collected. 

Rest: 

• In Japanese culture, there is a practice called “forest bathing” (shinrin-yoku in Japanese). When forest bathing, you are not out on a hike, exercising, or going somewhere—you are experiencing the natural world through your five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste (though be careful with that last sense! Only taste something in the outdoors if you have a trusted source who can tell you it is safe). Forest bathing is a restful practice, meant to help connect us to the natural world. 

• Pick a spot to spend some time to rest and experience God’s creation. Leave your devices behind, tell a trusted adult where you’re going (or better yet, invite them to forest bathe with you!), and connect to God. 

• Read more about forest bathing here: https://www.kidsinparks.com/forest-bathing

• Share a photo or a short paragraph reflecting on your experience.