What a feast!

What happens when Belgians, French, Germans, Dutch, Swedish, Swiss, British, Italians, Portuguese, Spanish, Brazilians, Egyptians, Peruvians, Americans and Canadians get together?

A feast!

The European conference on Creation Care and the Gospel drew 80 delegates to Les Courmettes in September, the eighth regional conference organized through the Lausanne / World Evangelical Alliance Creation Care Network. The boundaries of Europe stretched a little with attendees from further afield but that’s global society! It was a feast of biblical teaching, up-to-date science and practical conversations on what we can do individually, nationally and regionally to bring creation care to the fore in our home communities. We were challenged on lifestyle choices and encouraged to keep the Sabbath – even activists need to remember to pause, recharge and re-centre in Christ.

The feast continued beyond the meetings themselves, with chef Shelley sourcing everything as locally, seasonally and sustainably as possible. This embodiment of the values under discussion, within the context of A Rocha France and the beauty of the surrounding nature, gave the week a wonderfully holistic connection between thinking and doing.

Attendees went home inspired to speak out for creation at home, in church and in the workplace, and to connect nationally and regionally. For example, four Swedish attendees are planning a creation care conference in the spring. The Dutch delegates are involved in ensuring creation care will be part of Mission-Net, a large European youth mission conference in December. Join us in praying that the connections made at the conference will endure and grow, and that caring for the places where we live becomes a hallmark of the Christian church in Europe.