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South Eastern Baptist Association
 

Baptist Union Environment Network

BUEN logo

The Baptist Union Environment Network - ‘BUEN’, meaning good in Spanish aims to raise awareness and respond to the environmental crisis.  They are building a network of environmental partners across Regional Association life who can journey alongside churches to enable them to

  • recognise the goodness of God’s creation
  • share in God’s mission to care for it and respond to the climate and environmental crisis in practical ways
  • work for justice for creation and people impacted by environmental change
BUEN is seeking to enable the Baptists Together family to be a prophetic movement in facing the climate and environmental crisis shaped by our shared values;
  • Seeking to be a movement of Spirit led communities - hearing the cry of creation, recognising God’s call to caring for creation as an integral part of missional discipleship
  • Feel like One Team - draw together different regional and world voices across the generations, listening to our failures, needs, fears and dreams, inspiring one another to a common desire to live in harmony with creation as disciples of Jesus
  • Embracing Adventure - individually, locally, regionally and nationally, transition to a zero net carbon network by 2035
  • Inspiring Others - seek to influence wider society to be part of a movement capturing God’s creative intent for human beings to care for creation
  • Share a hunger for God’s coming kingdom - through prayer and action, in the face of the climate crisis, seek justice for the Earth, enabling the flourishing of all living things and its peoples

Creation

If we believe that the world is God’s creation then we should be those who delight in and worship God for the wonders of His creation – and to some extent that’s the easy bit.

We should also examine and change our values, choices and life-style decisions.  We should be those who live lightly in this world, showing love for our neighbours, love for His creation, love for future generations and most of all, love for God and gratitude for all He has provided us with.

We're called to be stewards of His Creation. We are not the owners and we cannot go on abusing His world and using up its resources.

This is not about loving creation rather than people. We are not Pantheists. For example, animals are not more important than people. Caring for maltreated donkeys is not more important that caring for refugees. We are supposed to love people and use things. Today too many love things and use people. God is a God of relationship and if we are to be like Him then we have to learn that relationships are always more important than things, than stuff. Galations 5.6b "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

Care & 5 Rs
Shop local Recycle
Fair Trade Reuse
Creation Care Repair
Upcycle Repurpose
  Refrain from buying in the first place!


Jesus is coming – plant a tree: This is about caring for his world. But it is also about the long-term, about knowing there is a job to be done for the sake of the next generation. The man who plants a tree may never get to see its fullness – but those who come after will. What are we leaving for our children?

Monty Don – tree planted 20 years ago now his favourite – Chinese proverb “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; the second best time is today."
“He that plants trees loves others besides himself.” Thomas Fuller

If any churches would like to know more about the Baptist Union Environment Network (BUEN) please don't hesitate to get in touch with Revd Stuart Davison, the BUEN rep for SEBA - click here to email him.
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