After a decade of restoration work in Landsdowne Valley, South West Baptist has begun a fresh six-year planting partnership at Westmorland West – continuing its restoration story with new energy, new partnerships, and a hillside ready for renewal.

On a bright winter’s day, Cashmere Presbyterian Church began caring for a section of Ōhinetahi Bush Reserve on the Port Hills of Ōtautahi Christchurch. Supported by the Summit Road Society and the Student Volunteer Army, the church’s Eco Church team planted native trees and committed to ongoing stewardship — a shared act of faith, community, and environmental care.

What began as simple weeding and clearing has grown into something much deeper. On a warm Sunday morning in Whanganui, youth, families, and neighbours gathered for hands-on restoration—and found themselves building community, nurturing their faith, and practising kaitiakitanga together. Discover how a small gully regeneration project is transforming both the land and the people who care for it.

Around 20 people from eight local churches joined together in Napier to care for God’s creation through a beach clean-up. Volunteers collected everything from small plastics to large debris — even spotting a dotterel’s nest along the way. It was a warm day filled with teamwork, care, and connection, showing that local churches are ready to roll up their sleeves for the environment and the wellbeing of our shared home.

In October, young adults and youth ministry leaders from across Aotearoa gathered on Kamau Taurua / Quarantine Island for He Māhuri Tōtara, a weekend of reflection, learning, and connection with creation. Guided by mana whenua, we listened to stories held in the land, explored eco-theology, planted trees, and watched toroa soar over the harbour. It was a time alive with wairua — grounding, hopeful, and deeply moving.

At Praxis, caring for creation is becoming part of the organisation’s DNA. Through their ARO framework — Assess, Reduce, Offset — this national youth work NGO is learning what it means to turn toward creation as followers of Jesus, integrating care for the earth into everyday formation and practice. At our recent Eco Church Partners Kōrero, Praxis director Murray Shearer shared how this journey is shaping youth work, theology, and culture — helping young people reconnect with creation, each other, and the Creator.

Across September and October, Alexandra Corps joined churches across Aotearoa in celebrating the Season of Creation, reflecting on the theme Peace with Creation. The Corps community embraced practical care for the environment — from a Kids Church worm farm project to a community planting day at Eden Gardens — and joined fellow Eco Church, Alexandra, Clyde and Lauder Union Parish for outdoor worship in the gardens. Together, they expressed their ongoing commitment to caring for God’s creation.

During the Season of Creation, Taranaki Cathedral embraced the call to care for creation in creative and meaningful ways. From lamenting ecological loss to sharing a spring feast around a flower-lined table, the community discovered new expressions of hope, connection, and renewal.

During this year’s Season of Creation, All Saints’ Anglican Church in Dunedin demonstrated its ongoing commitment to caring for God’s earth through hands-on community action. Parish members joined with the Student Christian Movement to plant 145 native trees on a South Otago farm, helping regenerate native forest and restore riparian habitats. Later in the month, a smaller group took to Te Awa o Ōwheo (the Leith) for a local river clean-up, reflecting the parish’s deep connection to this waterway and its place in the church’s story. Together, these actions embodied All Saints’ vision of faith expressed through stewardship, community, and hope for creation’s renewal.

Lower Hutt Anglicans marked this year’s Season of Creation with a sustainable twist – replacing balloons and single-use decorations with community-made bunting crafted from repurposed fabric. Parishioners of all ages decorated pieces with images of faith, nature, and care for creation. The finished bunting now hangs in the church, a colourful symbol of creativity, sustainability, and shared responsibility for our common home.

At the Napier Repair Café, there’s a wonderful buzz as volunteers and visitors gather each month to bring broken items back to life – from bikes and jewellery to well-loved household treasures. For Maree Diamond, from the Catholic Parish of Napier’s Care of Creation group, being part of the team is a joyful way to care for creation and connect with her community. Now in its third year, the Café continues to grow as a place of sharing, learning, and restoration – a reminder that small acts of repair can make a big difference.

Earlier this year, St Paul’s held a service of lament for creation – a moving experience of prayers, song, and symbolic action. Together, the congregation expressed sorrow for ecological loss, gratitude for what remains, and hope for renewal. Placing leaves at the foot of trees became an act of surrender and prayer, reminding us that God receives our grief and restores our hope. Communal lament, as St Paul’s demonstrated, is not just possible – it is essential. It forms us spiritually, sustains our action, and reminds us that caring for creation is part of loving what God loves.