Bringing climate awareness to life: Viewing of The Week at St Heliers Presbyterian Church

By Edina Kuki

At St Heliers Presbyterian Church to help enable our congregation’s Eco Church journey, an Environmental Justice team was formed and one of our first initiatives was hosting The Week, www.theweek.ooo, an impactful climate action group experience.

The Week offers a comprehensive look at the climate crisis, its impacts on our lives and our loved ones, presents possible individual and collective actions, and most importantly brings people together. It consists of three hour-long documentaries, designed to be viewed within the same week (hence the name). Each episode is then followed by a group conversation to debrief and process what’s been heard.

Altogether ten members of the congregation participated and we found that each episode served as a catalyst for deep, meaningful conversations. The intentional space created for reflection and conversation after each viewing was what made this experience truly unique and powerful for the participants.

Our approach as hosts was simple yet effective:

1. We decided on three consecutive days and aimed for a good-enough size group, to create an intimate setting that encouraged focus and reflection.

2. Following each viewing, we held open conversations where members could share their thoughts, concerns, and personal perspectives related to climate change and climate action.

3. We encouraged participants to connect the documentary's themes with personal experiences and our faith teachings on creation care.

What worked for us as a group:

• Welcoming and thanking our Lord's presence with us, not only because we are people of faith but also to allow ourselves to speak freely of any political aspect that is often mixed into the topic of climate change and attributed solutions.

• Sharing snacks and concluding with a common dinner on our third evening together. All participants actively worked to maximise this precious quality time together and create an atmosphere that would set this event up for success.

• Showing empathy and openness for different viewpoints and speaking from the heart throughout the event. We made it clear that our climate journeys and actions, respectively, do not need to match nor to compete.

The results were profound. Members who had been involved with other climate discussions and workshops expressed that the format of The Week allowed them to engage with the topic from a personal perspective in an intimate setting, which “brought the topic home”. Others expressed that they feel more informed about the climate crisis, and that much of the new findings, albeit of great concern, serve as crucial pieces of the journey to internalise the scale of planetary destruction, and nurture a new internal story that motivates one to take action. And those who had previously felt overwhelmed by the climate crisis found hope and connection in this short collective experience. 

This initiative has strengthened the bonds within our small group. The shared experience of learning and discussing such a crucial topic brought us closer together, fostering a sense of unity in our mission to care for God's creation. So when I reflect on this event both as a host and as a participant, I am excited to share our story and can wholeheartedly recommend hosting The Week to other congregations. 

I believe that engaging with The Week will support congregations in starting a climate conversation or reinvigorating their journey if they feel stagnant. It's an opportunity to educate, inspire, and mobilise both individuals and communities towards meaningful environmental action in the most respectful and inclusive way possible.

Together, as people of faith, we can make a significant impact in the stewardship of our planet.

Participants of The Week at St Heliers.

For more information and the easy steps on how to organise The Week in your congregation, visit www.theweek.ooo