From August 29th to 31st, I had the pleasure of visiting Dunedin with Kristel van Houte, National Director of A Rocha Aotearoa, hosted by Selwyn Yeoman, convenor of A Rocha’s Dunedin local group. Our hope was to deepen connections with local churches working in the creation care space, and  to experience the creative ways they are embracing creation care as part of their mission.

Connecting with Churches

We visited Opoho Presbyterian Church, Flagstaff Community Church, St. Michael and All Angels, Knox Church, and Dunedin Central Baptist Church. Each stop offered a glimpse into how these congregations are embracing their call to care for creation as a core part of their mission. Opoho Presbyterian Church, for instance, has become a hub of Christian hope and environmental action. Find out more about their journey in this story. Similarly, Flagstaff Community Church has made significant strides with its native regeneration project, which you can read more about in this story.

Gathering at Leith Valley Church

One of the most inspiring parts of our trip was the Eco Church event held at Leith Valley Church. Over 40 people gathered to hear from Selwyn, Kristel, and myself as we discussed how creation care can empower local churches in their mission. During the event, we discussed the idea that if we were to fully embrace our biblical mandate to care for creation and treat it as the first mark of mission, the other marks—evangelism, discipleship, loving service, and transforming unjust systems—would follow naturally. I believe that Creation care –  when taken seriously – opens the door to transforming how we approach the Church’s broader mission.

We also had an insightful conversation around the “7 Shifts” proposed in this article, sparking deep reflection on how we, as faith communities, can adjust our perspectives and actions to better address the environmental challenges of our time.

Looking Ahead
Our time in Dunedin was a beautiful reminder of how churches can lead the way in integrating faith and care for creation. The visit gave us fresh inspiration to keep moving forward in our shared journey of Christian environmental stewardship.

As we continue the Eco Church journey, there’s an opportunity for all of us to get involved. Whether you’re part of an Eco Church or looking to take your first steps in integrating care for creation into your mission, now is the time to act. We encourage you to explore how your church can engage in this kaupapa. Consider starting a conversation in your community about how you can be better kaitiaki (stewards) of God’s good creation, or hosting a creation care event, or maybe even join the Eco Church network.

If you’d like to learn more about how your church can get involved, check out this page and get in touch with our team to explore next steps. Let’s do our little bit to make God’s world a little bit better.