Earth Day 2025

As part of our Beyond Consumerism project, we’re excited to bring you this worship and reflection resource for Earth Day 2025, focusing on the theme of food and production impact. With the earth under increasing strain from industrial agriculture, climate change, and plastic pollution, this timely resource invites churches and individuals to explore how faith calls us to care for creation.

Rich in biblical insight, practical worship ideas, outdoor and intergenerational activities, and prayers for confession and restoration, this downloadable PDF is ideal for use in rural churches, on farms, or in any setting where people want to reflect theologically and practically on the land we share.

Let’s use Earth Day—22 April—as an opportunity to reconnect with God’s gift of the earth and commit to more sustainable ways of living and worshipping.

Includes: worship outlines, soil exploration activity, litany, hymn suggestions, and a prayer of confession.

🌍 New Resource for Earth Day 2025: Reflecting on Food & Production Impact 🌾

As part of our Beyond Consumerism project, we’re excited to bring you this worship and reflection resource for Earth Day 2025, focusing on the theme of food and production impact. With the earth under increasing strain from industrial agriculture, climate change, and plastic pollution, this timely resource invites churches and individuals to explore how faith calls us to care for creation.

Rich in biblical insight, practical worship ideas, outdoor and intergenerational activities, and prayers for confession and restoration, this downloadable PDF is ideal for use in rural churches, on farms, or in any setting where people want to reflect theologically and practically on the land we share.

Let’s use Earth Day—22 April—as an opportunity to reconnect with God’s gift of the earth and commit to more sustainable ways of living and worshipping.

Includes: worship outlines, soil exploration activity, litany, hymn suggestions, and a prayer of confession.

Download your copy here

 

St Francis Day resource

We’re delighted to bring you a new resource from The Arthur Rank Centre – St Francis Day

ARC Beyond Consumerism St Francis Day A4 2024

Looking for a way to engage your congregation with issues of animal welfare and creation care?

Our Beyond Consumerism resource for St Francis’ Day (4th October 2024) is designed to help churches reflect on our relationship with animals and the environment, promoting a thoughtful balance between consumption and stewardship.

This flexible resource offers ideas for holding animal-themed worship events or services, providing a space to give thanks for animals and reflect on our responsibilities towards them. From planning a pet-friendly event to using discovery points and prayer stations, there’s plenty of inspiration for creative, missional engagement with your community.

Perfect for churches in rural areas, or any community with a passion for animals, this resource includes worship materials, prayers, fascinating facts about animal welfare, and music suggestions. Whether you choose to organise a special service or adapt the ideas into your regular Sunday worship, this is an excellent opportunity to build connections and encourage care for God’s creation.

Download the Beyond Consumerism resource now and plan an event that honours St Francis’ love for all creatures!

World Environment Day

It is imperative that we care for our world. The challenges are rising.

We hope that this new resource will be helpful to you in bringing the urgent need to care for the environment before church congregations.

Featuring helpful articles, prayers, liturgy, music suggestions and craft activities, Revd Helen Bent has once again brought a thoughtful and accessible resource before us.

Download now in preparation for the day.

Please let us know when you use this, and send us pictures or news articles for us to feature on the web site, in our newsletter and in social media – thank you.

 

ARC World Environment Day A4 2024

World Environment Day – Additional Resources from Transforming Worship

Please find below a link to download a bonus resource for worship with music, liturgy, further reading and additional links & resources for use on World Environment Day.

 

Our thanks to Transforming Worship for this very helpful resource.

 

Transforming Worship Environment Additional Resources Sheet

 

Plough Sunday at St Winwaloe

St Winwaloe Church, near Launceston, Cornwall, held a Plough Sunday service this month. The service was conducted by Caroline Stone, Local Worship Leader to bless the plough and pray for a fruitful harvest season.

The church used resources from The Arthur Rank Centre, which provides resources, support, training, and advocates for rural churches. The Plough Sunday service is the first agricultural festival of the year and is traditionally held on the first Sunday of January.

The service was attended by local parishioners, who were delighted to be part of the tradition, and all keen and willing to be involved as together they explored the significance of the Plough Sunday service.

The church has a long history and is dedicated to St Winwaloe, a Breton saint who is said to have lived in the 6th century. It is the smallest parish church in Cornwall, at 12 feet wide and 40 feet long, and continues to provide a rich ministry to the local community.

Read more of the church’s history and heritage here.

Plough Sunday 2024

We are delighted as ever to bring you a helpful Plough Sunday resource for services in January 2024. Traditionally it would have taken place on the very first Sunday of the year, but perhaps you might like to develop the service for a different Sunday in the month.

Although Plough Sunday traditionally coincides with Epiphany, in a group of churches – i.e. Anglican multi-benefice or Methodist circuit – more could be made of it to create a bigger event.

The New Year Resolutions provide opportunities and challenges to involve families and the local school.

The resource includes a ready worked service with a New Year Pledge, based on the Methodist Covenant service.

Please do let us know if you are using this resource, and remember to send us any pictures or media coverage etc so that we can share this among rural communities far and wide.

Every blessing to you.

Plough Sunday 2024 Hi-Res

Advent 2023 – Beyond Consumerism

Our Beyond Consumerism Advent resource provides an opportunity to ‘do December differently’.

It embraces the radical challenges of Advent in the light of the cost of living crisis but also the world problems of consumerism, fair trade and climate change.

Why not try the Advent calendar to make space each day to engage with advent themes while earthing them in real life, or use the cries of the prophets to put a different emphasis on the lighting of the Advent wreath.

Download it here – ARC Beyond Consumerism Advent – 2023

With every blessing for this Advent Season.

Rev’d Matt Jeffrey

CEO

 

Rural Ministry Course reflections

Having recently returned from the October 2023 Rural Ministry Course, we felt it good to provide a reflection on just how well it went…

Read on, and find a link to bookings for the 2 courses in 2024…

 

“A well put together and worthwhile course. Just what I needed at this point in my ministry. Thank you.” – Oct 23 participant.

When you’re new in leadership within the context of rural mission & ministry the role can feel slightly overwhelming and leave you unsure of where to start. Gathering with others in similar situations to take time out to pray, eat, learn & journey together can really help.

Participants received thought-provoking, practical, & encouraging input from experienced practitioners around the topics of rural contexts, mission, faith-rooted community organising, agriculture, leadership, inter-generational wild worship & evangelism – all whilst forming a supportive, ecumenical community that even continues beyond the course.

Our most recent gathering took place in October, with twenty three rural leaders from five different denominations. We left filled with hope and encouragement for the journey ahead and are looking forward to reconnecting online next term.

 

“Really helpful – practical, inspiring & encouraging!”- Oct 23 RMC participant.

The course is designed for lay & ordained leaders new to a rural context, entering a rural appointment for the first time, or in need of a ‘rural refresher’.

1-2nd May, 2024 at Yarnfield, Staffs.
2-3rd Oct, 2024 at King’s Park, Northampton.

Spaces are limited and can get booked up quickly. Come & join us for a future course : Click here for more information and to make your booking.

New Harvest resource for 2023

We are delighted to offer a new Harvest resource for this year.

Once again, this has been carefully curated by Revd Helen Bent, and we are grateful for the input and creativity in bringing this to you.

We always love to hear where the resources are used, so please do let us know, and even send in your pictures for our Social Media, or tag us in your own articles.

Every blessing to you as you prepare and gather together.

Revd Matt Jeffrey

Arthur Rank Centre CEO

Click here to download ARC Harvest 2023