Creation-Care
Fellowship Church believes that the stewardship of God’s created world is an important Christian value.
Elders’ Position Statement on Creation Care
(approved by Elders 12/11/07)
Fellowship Church believes that God created all things for His glory. This includes human life, the heavens, the Earth, and all that fills them. We also believe that God has given to men and women the stewardship responsibility to preserve, protect and care for His creation in a way that shows deep respect and gratitude for this great gift He’s given us and for His glory that it displays. We therefore affirm the truths and values stated in the “The Biblical Basis of Creation Stewardship” position paper posted on our web site, as well as our responsibility as a church to integrate these into our overall plan for discipling our congregation in the core doctrines of creation and stewardship. We view “creation-care” as one of many important applications of these core doctrines and believe they are most effectively taught along with and in support of these doctrines, rather than as stand-alone series of their own. We charge all the pastors and leaders of our church to make this a part of their ongoing teaching plans for our church, and to model the value of “creation-care” in our own use of natural resources as a church.
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The leadership of FEFC affirmed our commitment to creation-care in 2003 after a group within the church taught an adult elective on the subject and produced a position paper titled The Biblical Basis for Creation Stewardship. You can click the link to view or download a pdf copy.
Since then, teaching and discussions on the subject have taken place in several community and small groups within our church. In addition, several practical steps have been taken to practice creation-care within the operations of the church. A small group of FEFC folks meets periodically to consider ways to move forward in this area of stewardship. If you would like to connect with this group, please contact Bill Park at 693.3586.
For additional information, click here to see other resources listed at the bottom of this page.
Why should I care about Creation?
Why should we as Christians care about God’s Creation? There are a variety of different reasons from a variety of different perspectives. We will list a few major ones, and then center in on one that takes a step beyond or perhaps, envelopes them all.
1. Immediately the fact that God finds His creation important jumps right out at us in Genesis 1:31 where He calls it all “very good”. Even after he destroyed almost all with a Great Flood, you can almost feel God’s care for his newly-started creation in the words of Genesis 9:9-17. According to Colossians 1:17, Jesus is still in the business of caring for His creation. Is it that valuable to you, too?
2. We as Christians represent and serve Him, and so have been assigned to be instrumental in the maintenance of creation. Genesis 2:15 indicates that Adam’s first job was to be the gardener … in the Garden of Eden! How much better can it get?!
3. We as Christians have received much, and so much is required. God has provided for our environment. Therefore we should be serious about good stewardship of what He has given. Philippians 2:3,4 tells us to look out for others’ interests even before our own. Can you apply this principle to our care for the environment?
4. The last major point is that creation is a place where we, and others, can worship the Creator. The Glory of God is sensed there. The grandeur of a giant oak tree, the intricate design of an insect’s wing, and the fascinating variety of colors and odors of a field of wild flowers all reflect the omniscience and glory of their Creator, the Lord God.
Try driving into the Smokies. Pull over and stop. Walk up a trail or into the woods. Take a deep breath of that clear, pure air. And then pause to ask God to speak to you. Open your Bible and read Isaiah 55:6-13. Feel God’s presence. Then slowly look up through the canopy into the heavens. Call upon Him again. Flip the pages of your Bible back to Psalms and read the passage of Psalm 19:1-6. It’s the closest thing to heaven, isn’t it?
People who would never be found setting foot in a church building are drawn to recognize God in nature. They may need our guidance to recognize who the God is that has given such beauty, but the evidence is overwhelming (Romans 1:20).
It can be seen that creation is a place of worship, and is a witness to God’s beauty and greatness. Therefore let us now consider the opportunity that we have to maintain it as a place that glorifies our Lord. There is really no greater thing that we can do than to glorify God. Just as we keep our church building and sanctuary clean, pleasant to look at, and enjoyable to be present in, we should do the same for our Lord’s provision of what is outside of that building: the air, the water, the soil, and the creatures great and small. What are you doing to take advantage of such a great opportunity?
Resources
Websites
Evangelical Environmental Network
Earthcare – Caring for God’s Creation
Books
Bouma-Prediger, Stephen. For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic 2001.
DeWitt, Calvin. Caring for Creation: Responsible Stewardship of God’s Handiwork. Baker Books, March 1998.
Schaeffer, Francis. Pollution and the Death of Man. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossways Books 1970.
Van Dyke, F., Mahan, D.C., Sheldon, J.K., and Brand, R. Redeeming Creation: The Biblical Basis for Environmental Stewardship. Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter Varsity Press 1996.
