The Great Glen Green Welly Garden Show
Our new holiday club resource might seem like a bit of a tongue twister, but the message of the club couldn’t be clearer: Jesus saves! GGGWGS looks at the big message of the Bible through the lens of gardens: Creation, Fall, Salvation and Restoration. We are so excited about the resource we’ve created and are praying that the gospel message will go out to holiday clubs “not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5)
Well of course you’re excited about it, Cheri, you’re on the GGGWGS team! Why should I be interested? Well, the 2020 Scottish Children’s Parliament gathered over 11,000 responses from children aged 10-12 and identified 100 key issues. One of the four “Big Problems” facing children in Scotland today was Climate Change, SU Scotland upped its efforts to be an environmentally conscious organisation, including the resources we produce. And GGGWGS was produced with this value, to offer a holiday club material that encouraged leaders to be conscientious about their carbon footprint. Throughout the material there are activities, tips and guidance about how to run a low-waste, environmentally friendly club.
Creation care is also a lens through which we explore the gospel message in GGGWGS. Before sin entered our world, we were in perfect relationship with God, each other, and our environment, as Adam and Eve were placed as caretakers and stewards of God’s creation. And GGGWGS celebrates that perfect shalom harmony and wholeness. But we know that sin spoils these relationships, including how we interact with Creation and our world! By bringing creation care and environmental issues to the centre of the conversation about sin, we are really seeking to build a gospel bridge with children and young people. Using an issue they are familiar with and care about to effectively communicate gospel truths. Truths we all need to be reminded of!
When it comes to creation care and a Christian approach to environmental issues, a verse that has impressed itself on me is James 4:17: “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.” Although many won’t consider environmentalism a centrepiece of their Christian faith, I think we can all agree that there are significant steps and actions we can all take to better care for God’s world. And if we know these are the right things to do, but don’t do them out of laziness or apathy, it is still sin for us! Let it be said of SU Scotland that we act with the greatest Christian integrity on every level, including our stewardship of God’s creation. I pray that GGGWGS is a resource that encourages this response around Scotland!
Find out more about The Great Glen Green Well Garden Show here!
