A curriculum for followers of Jesus who want to connect their faith with their place.

  • How does our faith heritage speak to issues like climate change and environmental injustice?
  • Where in our circle of influence is creation struggling? What can we do about it?
  • What spiritual practices might help us care for the earth?

Curriculum Structure and Format

Every Creature Singing is divided into three units of four sessions each. The links below are to the U.S. version. Mennonite Church Canada has also created a Canadian version. The U.S. participant material is free online below. To request the leader’s guide, email mccn@goshen.edu and tell us a sentence about why you are reading the curriculum. This helps us know who’s using our material and how. Thanks.

  • Introduction
  • Unit 1: Biblical and Theological Foundations         Eco-Lens Handout
    Session 1 Don’t Be Afraid
    Session 2 Jesus and Creation: In Search of a Whole Gospel
    Session 3 Biblical Views of Nature
    Session 4 The Human Calling
  • Unit 2: Pursuing Peace and Justice
    Session 5 Environmental Disasters, Ancient and Modern
    Session 6 Slow Violence and the Gospel of Peace
    Session 7 Hearing from the Global Community
    Session 8 Claiming Our Citizenship
  • Unit 3: Choosing a Simple Lifestyle
    Session 9 Rethinking the Market Economy
    Session 10 Simple Abundance
    Session 11 Creating Communities of Accountability
    Session 12 A Spirituality that Sustains 

Each session includes:

  • Knowing Your Faith: Suggested scripture passages, a reflective essay and discussion questions.
  • Knowing Your Place: Questions that focus on the group’s surrounding neighborhood
  • Practices: Spiritual and household habits for daily living.
  • Additional resources
  • Leaders Guide: Please scroll down and fill out our Leader’s Guide Request Form if you want one.

While we provide material for a quarter-long, one-hour Christian education, we hope people will creatively adapt this material to fit their time slot and group. Suggestions for other approaches are described in the introductory material.

History

In July 2013, Mennonite Creation Care Network proposed a resolution to the delegates gathered at Mennonite Church USA’s biennial convention. The resolution called all Mennonite congregations to study creation care within their own ecological and social contexts during the next two years. The resolution passed, and Every Creature Singing was created to aid congregations in fulfilling this commitment.
Read the resolution

While this curriculum was developed with the Mennonite Church USA in mind, we hope it can serve a broader community as well. If you are from another denomination, please be gracious in tolerating our references to Mennonites!