Unting Climate Conference 11th May 2024

[Secretary21]

Uniting Climate Conference - exciting speaker lineup revealed!

The Uniting Church’s commitment to the well-being of the environment arises out of its belief that God is the Creator of the world in which we live and move and have our being. This ‘groaning’ creation is God’s ‘good’ creation. (Fifteenth Assembly, 2018)

Dear friends,

As you know the Uniting Climate Conference Faith in a Better Future, is coming up on Saturday 11 May. It is jointly hosted by the Synod of NSW & ACT and Uniting.

The conference is an opportunity for our Uniting Church community to learn together, be encouraged and invigorated, and build common purpose in our climate action and care for creation.

We are really excited to now present our full conference lineup of speakers and workshops. You can find that here.

We’ll hear from our Moderator, Rev Faaimta Havea Hiliau, on why the Uniting Church cares about climate action. Miriam Lyons, Director of the Australian Energy Transformation Program at the Sunrise Project, will deliver our keynote address, ‘Uniting for Climate Justice’, and inspire us to make that vision a reality. Our young changemakers panel will speak of what drives them to act on climate and how we can help.

We have a fabulous line up of workshops that will inform and engage and prompt our thinking and action. Topics include issues facing rural and farming communities, how climate change magnifies social disadvantage, how to have effective climate conversations, the perspectives of Pasifika and First Nations peoples, the impacts of extreme weather on health, and more.

We’ve tried to make this conference easily accessible for all. If you can, please join us in person at the Centre for Ministry. But if you can’t, don’t worry. All keynote presentations will be livestreamed and there will be dedicated online workshops for our online participants. The links will be sent out to all who register before the conference. There is also no charge for the conference. It’s free!

So don’t miss out! You can register here right now.

Each of us may have different reasons, shaped by our faith, for caring about climate change and our planet. It may be out of concern for future generations, or impacts on the most vulnerable, here and in poorer nations. We may want to protect the natural world, or other species that also have a right to live. We might want to preserve our health and quality of life, or the economic and social wellbeing of our regional communities.

All these reasons matter. So, this conference will focus not just on the problems, but especially on solutions and action. We’ll hear about steps we need to take to ensure a safer climate future for all, and we’ll consider how we can best contribute to those steps happening, individually and together. This work will shape our Uniting Climate advocacy strategy in what is increasingly a critical time of decisions and a window of opportunity for a more sustainable world.

Please join us at the conference and share this information with others in your congregation, community and other networks.

For more information contact Jono Row (Church Collaboration Lead- Advocacy) on 0403 242 360 or [email protected]

Yours in active hope,

Uniting Advocacy team