On 1 March 2026, twenty Kāpiti Anglicans walked a Lenten pilgrimage from Kenakena through the Waikanae Estuary to Ōtaihanga Domain, reflecting on the deep roots of faith on the Kāpiti Coast. We remembered the witness of Te Āti Awa and the early church once built near Kenakena Pā, giving thanks for history, creation and shared fellowship on a beautiful autumn day.

Five weeks in September were set aside to gently celebrate creation at Hemi Tapu. From green-decorated worship spaces and home-made communion bread, to kids’ church exploring trees, birds and worms, and community activities like a coastal wander and local wine tasting, the Season of Creation was marked by joy, creativity, and connection. By focusing on celebration rather than crisis, the parish laid thoughtful groundwork for deeper engagement with creation care in the seasons ahead.

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.

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.

Waitakere Salvation Army shares with us what took place during their Eco Church launch service in September during Season of Creation and how the church is tackling the issue of food waste as their first Eco Church initiative.

Nestled in the hills of Dunedin, Opoho Presbyterian Church has become a beautiful example of how a faith community can embody Christian hope through practical action and environmental stewardship. With a strong commitment to creation care, the church is carving out a unique identity as a hub for sustainability and creation care in its community.

Imagine you’ve arrived late for church and as you gaze through the glass doors on your way in, you see a line of people, some wearing black beanies and balaclavas. Do you continue to enter? Yes, at Cityside you do. The congregation were not being held at gun point, they were just learning about load shifting electricity use.

For Puanga this year, St Peter’s Anglican Church Whanganui created a worship service for all ages which was reflective and interactive, weaving elements of Creation Care into the liturgical flow of the service. Our service used a liturgy to take us on a journey of reflection. We had space to remember those who had passed, and a space to offer thankfulness for the year gone. Instead of a sermon, we split into kēmu/mahi toi (games/art), confession and reflection stations.

Having joined in the Eco Church movement in 2023, St Mike’s are continuing to look for ways to support local whenua. As the recent Season of Creation kicked off, each member of the church whānau were invited to consider making a fresh pledge for creation: one act which they would personally commit to in response to the call to be kaitiaki of God’s world.

The annual Blessing of the Animals service at St. Peter's Anglican Church was delightfully chaotic. Human voices rose up in song alongside dog voices and cat voices.

Rachel Doragh, Eco Church kaihāpai at Tawa Anglicans created a beautiful altar panel art for Season of Creation 2023 using the theme of the year: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5: 24)”

“…by putting these images in front of us as we worship it will help us keep in mind that we are joining our voices in worship with those of all creation, and also to ponder on the image of the river and what justice and righteousness might look like for us in our world right now."