The Michigan Conference’s Environmental Justice Task Force invites you to celebrate the gift of creation and care for its future by participating in the Earth Day of Action on April 26.
JAMES DEATON
Content Editor
“We affirm our sacred calling to be responsible stewards and to lovingly tend all that God has wrought. We recognize the inherent worth of God’s creation, celebrate earth’s abundance and diversity, and, along with the entirety of the cosmos, give praise to its Creator.”
This statement is included in the revised Social Principles, adopted by The United Methodist Church at last year’s historic General Conference. These affirming words are a “call to faithfulness and to social engagement and intended to be instructive and persuasive in the best of the prophetic spirit.”
Michigan United Methodists are taking this call to heart, and you’re invited to participate.
On April 26, 2025, the Saturday following Earth Day, join Michigan United Methodists all over the state for a transformative Earth Day of Action, uniting individuals, small groups, and congregations in a powerful expression of celebration and care for our planet and fragile home. Register now to participate.
The suggested start time is 10 am Eastern / 9 am Central. This free event will begin with a pre-recorded worship service created by the Michigan Conference’s Environmental Justice Task Force. The video will be made available on the event web page. Click here or the button below.
You can gather with friends or family or watch it by yourself. If 10 am on Saturday, April 26, doesn’t work for you, plan for a day that is convenient.
After worshiping together, you’ll be free to put into action the call to be “responsible stewards and to lovingly tend” to God’s good creation. To get ready, plan for one thing you can do in your local context to make a difference in caring better for our planet. You will find a few starter ideas below, but let the Holy Spirit guide you in choosing an act of service that is perfect for you.
Whether you join a prayer vigil in your local community, volunteer with an environmental justice organization, or commit to learning about a specific aspect of creation care, we will sow the seeds of change and nurture a planet that thrives for generations to come.
As we begin Lent, consider how you can use your planning for the Earth Day of Action as a Lenten practice of education and preparation. What environmental concerns are in your area, and how could you make a difference? Are there organizations or EngageMI Ministry Partners related to environmental justice that you’d like to collaborate with? Think about how you might offer intergenerational activities — engage all ages in this day of advocacy.
To give you additional inspiration, each Friday’s MIFaith e-newsletter throughout Lent will publish a reflection on a specific topic of environmental justice, so watch for those each Friday.
Then, on Saturday, April 26, you can implement the plan you made during Lent to celebrate the resurrection life found in Jesus Christ. This year, Easter is on Sunday, April 20.
Earth Day is a worldwide event held annually on April 22. It was founded in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. Learn more about Earth Day’s history here. To ensure greater participation, the Michigan Conference’s Earth Day of Action will be held the weekend following Earth Day.
Earth Day of Action was the idea of the Michigan Conference’s Environmental Justice Task Force, sponsored by the Board of Justice. Last year, Audra and Jacob Stone launched this grassroots movement. They plan to resource congregations by helping them strategize how they can do more in their communities regarding creation care and environmental advocacy. Click to read more about the creation of the task force.
Leaders from the Environmental Justice Task Force will attend Advocacy Day 2025 on March 12, during the 2 pm afternoon session led by the Board of Justice. If you want to learn how to advocate for environmental justice issues at the local, state, and national levels, join them in Lansing. Click to learn more.
Audra and Jacob are coordinating the Earth Day of Action on April 26 and are excited to bring United Methodists from all over Michigan together to do something positive and healing.
“We invite everyone,” they noted, “to come together for an Earth Day of Action. We will celebrate creation, mourn the harm done by the climate crisis, and act for restorative justice in our communities. Our day will begin with a short, pre-recorded worship gathering that will send us into service and action. We hope this gathering will inspire us to celebrate the gift of creation and take steps to care for its future.”
The Stones invite individuals and churches to register so that the task force can stay connected and inform you about future events related to environmental justice. Click here to register for the Earth Day of Action on April 26.
Once you register, start spreading the word and reach out to those who might be interested. Review the list of suggested acts of service below. On Earth Day of Action, we invite you to post photos of your activities on Facebook and Instagram and include the #EarthDayUMC25 hashtag so we can all follow along and see what amazing things we are doing together.
Questions? Interested in participating in the worship service that will be pre-recorded? Get in touch with Audra and Jacob via this email address: environmentaljusticemiumc@gmail.com.
Ideas for Your Earth Day of Action
Prayers
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- Plan an ecumenical or interfaith prayer vigil or other prayerful activity for creation.
Presence
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- Sign up for a class or hike to learn more about creation.
- Read a book on climate change or creation care individually or as part of a book study.
- Commit to take the Ecology and Christ class through Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Gifts
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- Donate to an organization doing creation care work in your community.
Service
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- Volunteer with a local land conservancy, community garden, or environmental justice organization.
- Assemble disaster kits for UMCOR or Midwest Mission to be used in disaster response, or partner with After the Storm, the Michigan Conference’s long-term disaster nonprofit.
- Participate in a beach, river, park, or highway clean-up.
- Work on your church’s gardens and consider planting native species and pollinator-friendly plants.
- Purchase native plant seeds to sow in the spring.
Witness
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- Write letters to representatives for state appropriations for After the Storm or related to another creation care issue.
- Calculate your water or carbon footprint (and your church’s). Here’s one sample calculator.
Last Updated on March 17, 2025