Care for Creation
The Bible was written in a pre-industrial time prior to the use of fossil fuels, so it does not talk about greenhouse gases, global warming, or renewable energy sources. Though we know today that the earth is in very real danger of becoming uninhabitable, our faith ancestors knew this truth in a different way. As agricultural people who had an intimate relationship with the earth, they understood deeply the meaning conveyed in the creation stories in Genesis 1 and 2, which lift up how good the created order is, and saw the human role as that of taking care of God’s gift.

How, then, do we share a gospel of hope when we watch growing numbers of species become extinct and the continued use of fossil fuels threaten everyone’s ability to live abundant lives? In this unit, participants will see that creation care is not just a political issue, it is a faith issue. Caring for creation offers us a way of following Jesus—the one who taught us that God’s love is more powerful even than death—and we will receive a word of hope as we live out our calling as disciples. The four dimensions of this practice that are discussed include: appreciate God’s creation, till, share the planet, and restore creation.

Adult Leader's Guide
This leader’s guide uses the Adult Reflection Guide to lead a small group study on the practice. This guide contains a summary of the practice and the four (or six) sessions, background information on the Bible study for the session, and any preparation the leader may need to do ahead of the session. There are different options of activities and discussions to choose from throughout the session. Participants are asked to read through the Adult Reflection Guide, if possible, before each session. There are other great resources for adults in the Congregational Guide.

Featured in the Adult Leader’s Guide:

• Appreciate God’s Abundance (Genesis 1:1–2:3; Psalm 104; Matthew 6:28–29)
• Till (Genesis 2:4b–25)
• Share the Planet (Leviticus 23:22; Ruth 2; Matthew 25:14–30; 1 Corinthians 12:14–26)
• Restore Creation (Isaiah 43:1–2; Revelation 21–22)

In addition to the material in the Adult Leader’s Guide and the Adult Reflection Guide, there are also free videos that leaders can use as conversation starters for the unit and each session. Visit our YouTube Channel, bit.ly/FMYouTubeGFR, to see the playlist for this unit.

Series Description
Follow Me: Biblical Practices for Faithful Living is a twenty-seven-unit curriculum based on practices Jesus did and taught us to do as faithful followers. Written for people of all ages who wish to live out their faith, this new curriculum examines where these practices are found in the Bible and how they have been used in Christian faith then and now.

To learn more about the curriculum and view a sample of each component, visit our Follow Me webpage or watch the Follow Me trailer on our YouTube channel.