The climate crisis is a global issue that affects us all, and as followers of Jesus it's important that we do what we can to protect God's creation. It can seem like an overwhelming topic to talk about with children, but encouraging them to pray about this issue from an early age will help them to know God as Creator, value his creation, and understand their role in protecting the world around them. It will also teach them that prayer is powerful and can make a difference.
Explaining the climate crisis
With younger children, you can start by explaining that God created the world and all living things in it – plants, animals and humans. God has asked us, as humans, to look after his creation (Genesis 1:28), but we don't always take care of it in the ways that we should.
For older children, you can explain how burning fossil fuels is causing pollution and dangerous rises in temperatures. Plants and animals are struggling to adapt.
It's not just animals and plants that are being damaged by the climate crisis – it's also affecting humans, and people living in poverty are the ones struggling the most. For example, many people are no longer able to grow food because it no longer rains as much as it should; or, in other places, it rains too much, causing flooding.
It's important to keep hopeful in these conversations. Let children know that we have the power to change the situation, and that they themselves can make a real difference by praying about it and taking small steps to protect the environment.