Using your voice for good
“Hi there, it’s Simon here. For this blog, I asked Lorraine — who is a vital part of our Creation Care and Justice team – to talk to us about a subject she is so passionate and well-equipped to talk to us about; creation care. My hope is that you’ll be inspired to use your voice for good, in whatever way that looks like for you. Speak soon, Simon.”
How often do you use your voice?
How many of you enjoy watching talent programmes on the television like ‘The Voice’ on a Saturday evening and feel envious of those brave individuals who have the confidence to stand on a stage in front of a crowd and sing solo?
I know that I have great admiration for anyone who can share their voice in that way, despite the jangling nerves they feel as a lone voice in the silence. Overcoming nervous tension and using your voice by sharing a message of hope in a joyful worship song or sadness in a ballad, has a great impact on an audience; evoking emotion and taking them on a journey. It must feel very powerful.
However there are many ways we can use our voices, even if not singing solo on a stage. Personally, I am confident about using my voice when speaking up about issues of justice, climate and human rights. I feel a sense of duty and that this is part of our mission as Christians.
And, by the way – using your voice for the climate does not have to mean glueing yourself to a motorway or causing inconvenience to the public.
Introducing Tearfund’s latest climate campaign
In the lead up to COP27 (the 27th United Nations climate change conference), the Christian charity Tearfund launched a campaign to send a coin to the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, to remind him that the climate finance bills are overdue. Tearfund is also reminding governments from wealthier nations that it is Time to Deliver on the $100 billion promised to climate vulnerable communities.
This video from Tearfund prompted me to add my voice to both of these campaigns without a moment of hesitance! Tearfund make it really easy too with templates to download, meaning writing to your MP does not have to involve hours of creative letter writing.
I even did something outside of my comfort zone for this cause, by posting a picture of myself with my signed letter, on social media! Sometimes we have to make sacrifices…
Whilst I try to be as climate conscious as possible in my day-to-day actions, using my voice for good has the opportunity to really increase my personal impact by influencing more powerful individuals to help alleviate the poverty caused by the climate crisis.
Kerith’s Climate and Environmental Declaration
Last week across our Kerith sites, we promoted these Tearfund campaigns as part of our Creation Care and Justice mission. It was great to see so many of us get involved by praying, donating and using our voices to sign petitions and send coins.
If you missed the opportunity last Sunday you can still get involved by signing the petition, praying for governments to keep their promises, donating to the campaign or getting involved in the Send a coin to the Prime Minister fun! Taking part in these campaigns fulfils part of the Kerith Climate and Environmental Declaration . The creation of this declaration was one of the first goals achieved by the Kerith Creation Care and Justice Team (CCJ) in 2022.
As part of this declaration, Kerith committed to share the creation care message to influence more positive national and international leadership action from Governments, businesses and other churches.
Have you considered joining the Creation Care and Justice (CCJ) Team?
The Kerith Creation Care and Justice team have one umbrella of mission with 2 strands:
to support our community as individuals to make lifestyle choices that care for all of creation
to support our organisation to provide worship, preaching and teaching opportunities, as well as transforming our buildings and events to be more sustainable as work towards an Eco Church Award.
Our CCJ team is made up of a few dedicated optimistic individuals – none of us experts in environmentalism – but all with a shared passion and voice to campaign for what is just.
We meet regularly to pray together and to develop the plan and seek the resources and energy to create the change required to alleviate the poverty caused by the climate crisis in low and middle income countries.
There are few who are not worried about the impacts of climate change. Many of us really want to do something meaningful to help protect God’s perfect creation but are not sure how…
Well the first step you can take is to join our team. There are plenty of small ways to serve as part of the team and we would love to chat to you about getting involved.