Gathering

Creation Care and the Gospel Conference: Europe

10 - 14 Sep 2017 Nice, France

This conference is part of the ongoing Lausanne/WEA Creation Care and the Gospel Global Campaign. The description below is from the conference website where there is a link to register. 

Do you live in Europe? Want to learn about creation care as a gospel issue? Get together to address challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss and food security? Build a creation care movement in your country?

Europe today faces a range of environmentally-related challenges. It is crucial that Christians understand and act upon biblical teaching on our responsibility for God’s earth. Creation care is a gospel issue, and vital for the credibility of biblical Christian witness.

Join us at this European conference on Creation Care and the Gospel, the 8th in a series of regional conferences organised by the Lausanne Movement and the World Evangelical Alliance (in partnership with A Rocha International, Care of Creation and, in this case, the European Evangelical Alliance).

It will be held in English for main sessions and will focus on three major themes: ‘God’s Word’ (what the Bible has to tell us about caring for creation), ‘God’s World’ (up-to-date science and policy at a global and European level) and ‘God’s Work’ (how Christians can respond in practice and sharing from those who are doing so).

Here’s what you need to know:

Why? Europe’s environmentally-related challenges are many: mass migration from areas affected by conflict and climate change; the transition to a post-carbon economy; over-consumption, waste and health; sustainable energy supplies; the relationship between agriculture, fisheries, forestry and biodiversity protection. The EU is at the heart of global negotiations over trade, resource use, wildlife protection, environmental legislation and climate change.

Who should come? Conference participants are being invited from all countries in Europe: church leaders, theologians, scientists and anyone who cares for creation. We especially want to encourage young adults 18-35 as the new generation of Christian environmental leaders in Europe. We have kept costs as low as possible to enable all Europeans to attend.

What will we do? The conference will be a mix of plenary sessions (in English) and workshops (mainly in English but in other languages if there is demand). Plenary speakers include Chris Wright (International Ministries Director, Langham International) and Rosalee Velloso Ewell (Executive Director, Theological Commission for the World Evangelical Alliance). Each day there will be opportunity to pray, reflect and experience the beauty of God’s world on site.

When? The conference will open at 18:30 on Sunday, 10 September and end with lunch at 14:00 on Thursday, 14 September. Please arrive on Sunday between 15:00 and 18:00 to get settled.

Where and how to get there? A Rocha France will host us at Les Courmettes, their field study centre in the hills above Nice, France. The nearest town accessible by public transport is Vence – the conference team will organise shuttles between Vence and Les Courmettes on Sunday and Thursday afternoons only. More information on getting to Vence by bus from Nice or Nice Airport can be found here.