July 23, 2024
Erika Thogersen, Constituency Relations and Education Coordinator for MCC Saskatchewan, adapted and led 4 sessions of climate conversation with the youth group from Osler Mennonite Church.
“The most positive outcome was getting the kids past dreading the climate disaster and thinking about it creatively. I felt like the kids moved from talking about their fears to talking about all kinds of inventions and ideas to solve the problem”.
Over four Sundays last year, I was asked to guide the youth of Osler Mennonite Church through the Faithful Climate Conversations after they had been voicing their concerns about whether their church was acting enough in response to climate change.
It was my first time facilitating the Faithful Climate Conversations for youth, and I looked forward to their energy, creativity, and perspectives but was unsure how accessible the format would feel for them. Each session was only an hour. I created a PowerPoint to provide a visual component, and I adjusted my language to make the content more age appropriate. I started with Creation, Climate and You and then built on that conversation with portions of From Concern to Action and Build a Better Future.
Overall, it felt like a valuable experience and a privilege to include the voices of younger generations in these conversations. The back-and-forth style is well suited for any group, particularly those with shorter attention spans, as is the language of hope and community.
Adding to this sentiment, youth pastor Luke Bushman says “the most positive outcome was getting the kids past dreading the climate disaster and thinking about it creatively. I felt like the kids moved from talking about their fears to talking about all kinds of inventions and ideas to solve the problem”. Would recommend!
Tags: Faithful Climate Conversations, FCC