Stories

Ngā Kōrero

Contact us to add your story to the collaborative Eco Church NZ puna mātauranga / pool of knowledge.

The 40 Hour Challenge Good News Project: Inspiring young Christians through environmental action

On June 22, 2024, The 40 Hour Challenge Good News Project, brought together A Rocha, Eco Church and World Vision in a collaborative effort to regenerate native bush at Spencer Park in partnership with Christchurch City Council. This event aimed to engage local youth groups and inspire young Christians to take part in practical environmental action, creating a space where participants could hear the Good News and actively be the Good News through environmental restoration.

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Resource Recovery, Waste, Youth Iris Lee Resource Recovery, Waste, Youth Iris Lee

The Recycle a Device Project: Empowering Youth to Make a Difference with E-Waste

Church on Ingestre in Whanganui found out about the RAD initiative through their well-established partnership with Te Ora Hou Whanganui and saw it as a great opportunity to empower youth to be involved in a project with a great kaupapa. Working collaboratively with Te Ora Hou, they've created space at their church for RAD refurbishing workshops. At these workshops, young people learn to repair and refurbish devices, gaining valuable technical skills, with adults alongside providing encouragement and support.

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The Good News Project - Getting youth involved in practical conservation

Youth Groups from across Christchurch (including from many eco churches) came together as part of The Good News Project to spread joy, hope and mulch, and we couldn't be prouder! Over 100 young people joined the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust and Christchurch City Council to help to regenerate native bush at Te Ihutai. Check out this highlights video of the project!

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Our inaugural He Māhuri Tōtara programme for youth

Over the school holidays, we held our first He Māhuri Tōtara gathering in Ōtautahi Christchurch. What a week it was! with rangatahi from across the motu coming to explore caring for creation, leadership, Te Ao Māori and the Bible, and how those things are connected. He Māhuri Tōtara is a Christian environmental leadership development courses are for young people, young adults and youth leaders. The course explores the unique environmental challenges and opportunities of our world and the biblical imperative to care for creation.

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Kāpiti Anglicans’ creative self-assessment exercise

Kāpiti Anglicans did the Eco Church self-assessment exercise as part of a church service in October. The super-creative Rev Fee Thompson, the Assistant Vicar, designed and built these amazing boards as the basis for the exercise.

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Supporting children and youth in ecological discipleship

How do we strengthen and nourish our young people who care about the environment in their faith? A group of us gathered for this online kōrero organised by Eco Church NZ to hear from guest speakers - Elke Keeling, Natalie Duchesne and James Beck - and explore what they have found to be helpful and unhelpful. It was an inspiring session hearing about ideas and resources available to support ecological discipleship in our children and youth.

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Prayer, Advocacy, Global Campaigns, Youth Iris Lee Prayer, Advocacy, Global Campaigns, Youth Iris Lee

Karakia for our Climate

Karakia for our Climate (K4C) is a group of followers of Jesus, looking to empower the Church in supporting those who are lobbying for climate justice. In April, a day before the Schools Strike 4 Climate, Karakia for our Climate organised prayer vigils in Te Whanganui-a-tara Wellington, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Ōtepoti Dunedin, joining as partners in both prayer and action. They prayed about climate change: for courage, for hope, for creative solutions, for unity, for justice.

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Young people care for creation at youth camp

In January this year, members of the St. Barnabas Youth Group exercised their faith and kaitiakitanga as they helped eradicate wilding pines. The camp took place at Glenroy Lodge near Hororata last weekend, with a Caring for Creation theme. The young people rolled up their sleeves and got involved in removing wilding pines from an area near Porters Ski Field entrance.

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