As president of the National Association of Evangelicals, I conduct a monthly survey of evangelical leaders on current topics. The question for March was “What do you personally do to take care of God’s creation?” Almost every response demonstrated a personal commitment to environmental stewardship.
1. Recycle
Recycling paper, plastics, glass, and cans was virtually universal. It has become the norm in American society. Beyond the usual, some evangelical leaders are reusing sump water for irrigation, collecting rain water for home use, and composting.
2. Reduce use of energy for transportation
The predictable reductions include consolidating trips, driving fuel-efficient vehicles, and checking tire pressure. Others involve walking to work, driving a motor scooter, taking public transportation, and downsizing to one family car.
3. Encouraging others to take care of the environment
Pastors preach on creation care stewardship from Genesis and provide study material for small groups. Denominational leaders publish articles in their magazines and provide resources to their congregations. Many are very deliberate about teaching their children to take care of God’s creation.
4. Pick up after others
Since Bible-believing Christians care about the misbehavior of others, some denominational executives and organizational heads pick up their neighborhood litter and look for other ways to mitigate the actions of those who aren’t caring for creation.
5. Conserve water and electricity
There’s a long list of conservation strategies, like using programmable thermostats and efficient shower heads, planting a home vegetable garden, adding insulation to homes and church buildings, signing up for peak-hour electricity curtailment programs, and opting for solar and wind power.
