Earth For Lent: A Six Week Small Group Guide

Do you ever wish you could do more for the planet? If you are a Christian who is convinced that climate change is a real and urgent problem– but you’re not sure what to do about it– this workbook is for you! We’re going to spend six weeks together focusing on the Earth for Lent.

I'm Brit Bolerjack, and I'm a pastor who cares about the planet.

I've cared about climate change since about 2008 when I watched a documentary on global warming. In 2015, my husband and I renovated and moved into a 1973 Airstream International to reduce our carbon footprint and try "tiny living." Later, we decided to share a home with several friends to maintain a smaller carbon footprint and enjoy the benefits of community life.

In January 2018, I challenged myself to produce as little waste as possible for thirty days. I made my own orange juice and composted the peels (amazing!). I made my own almond milk and made crackers from the pulp (so tedious! I don’t recommend it). After my thirty days were over, I had produced about two pounds of waste– less than a full plastic bag from Walmart. And while it wasn't “zero,” it was far less than the 4.2 pounds of trash the average American produces every day. Many of these habits stuck, but many others didn't.

As people around me began to notice these efforts, many confessed to me: "I know I should be doing more for the planet, but I don't even know where to start." And sometimes I wasn’t sure either! I decided to dig deep to try and answer this question for people like myself– folks I have labeled "climate-convinced Christians." Climate-convinced Christians are people who already believe: (1) part of being Christian involves caring for God's creation, and (2) climate change is a real, human-influenced problem that we Christians should be doing something about.

I wanted to help climate-convinced Christians overcome their overwhelm and feel empowered to do more to reverse climate change. So, I set out to determine something: what is the one most important thing that climate-convinced Christians can do as our part to help save the planet? What is the most foundational idea or action? What I discovered surprised me!