Model for Faith community Teach-In on Climate and Justice

Hour 1: Introduction

Welcome from Faith community leader

Personal reflection –15 min

It might be nice to begin with an experiential component that connects people to nature in the place that they are located. This can include listening to birds (or laying eyes on a bug or a squirrel or some other form of nonhuman life), touching grass or dirt on the ground, taking some deep breaths outside, looking up at the clouds or moon or stars. It can also include some awareness of the changing history of how people relate to nature/place for basic needs, back to traditional Indigenous and pre-industrial, into the awareness of where power, water, food come from today. Drawing directly from nature and re-grounding in place is powerful. One gift of faith is to take the conversation to another level through connections/experiences that change mindset.

Some reflection on climate impacts people have experienced directly or indirectly (including experiences of friends or relatives or news stories that have affected them) can be a good way to make the discussion more tangible. Here in NYC for example, over 20 people died in the recent storm, including drowning in basement apartments. Climate change is happening right now and looking at the specifics can drive home the justice components. Also telling stories of how one comes to awareness of this problem is proven to be the best way to communicate about it.

Introductory video from Solve Climate 2030 and Center for Earth Ethics (5 min)

Speakers (5 min each):

What is going on with the climate? – local scientist or climate activist

What does justice have to do with climate? – faith community member or activist

Earth ethics in the tradition of our faith – faith community member or leader

General discussion and Q/A 

Hour 2: Concurrent breakout sessions

Could be panel discussions or facilitated discussions with one or more speakers/resource people

Option 1: Climate change and its consequences

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What is happening with the climate? How are you seeing manifestations of the changing climate in your life and in the life of your community? What are the consequences of climate change for those in your community and other communities (including in other nations) who have less wealth and fewer options than you do? How has injustice lead to climate change?

Option 2: Spiritual and ethical aspects of the climate crisis

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Consider basic concepts like karma, tikkun olam, compassion, inter-relatedness, resurrection, as appropriate to your faith tradition

Sacred texts and teachings, hymns, poems and other writings: pick one from your tradition, read it together, pause in silence to take it in, and use it to reflect on climate change.

Ritual and ceremony: pick one from your tradition and either reflect on how it might help your faith community to process climate or actually do some version of it with climate in mind (this can be communion, call to prayer, ritual handwashing, meditation, blessing of food, passing of the peace)

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Option 3: What can our faith community do collectively?

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How does climate change fit with the social justice mission of your faith community? Brainstorm about the reach and assets of your faith community, including buildings, land, programs, gatherings. How can they help move towards solutions and how quickly can you make the changes to do so?

Option 4: What can we do as individuals? 

Share your story. How did you become aware of the climate issue? What are you doing personally and collectively to reduce your climate impact? How have you been successful and less than successful in engaging others in the climate issue? What do you commit to doing as part of the solution?

Hour 3: Group discussion 

Solutions and Actions

Brief reports (5 min each) from breakout groups

Discussion – what should we be doing as a community and as individuals?  Next steps?