This is an INTEREST GROUP PRESENTATION ABSTRACT; the paper will be presented at the Jamaica Consultation on Creation Care and the Gospel in October, 2012.  Comments are welcomed!  View all abstracts.

———————————————————————————-

Context

1. The global village: growing urbanisation, the whole world as cities and urban hinterland, threats to conserved habitats and eco-systems;
2. Unsustainable ecological footprint; Living Planet Index;
3. Disconnects between urban living and hinterland/ wilderness; between people and places (migration, homelessness); and between rich and poor;
4. Threats to community and family life;
5. Competition between cities for talent; successful and failing cities;
6. Massive seasonal and permanent migration to the cities;
7. Direct ecological threats to cities (flooding, toxic waste, pollution, inadequate food and water supplies, disease etc).

 

Challenges & Opportunities

1. Incarnational church, modelling simple living and new expressions of community;
2. Sustainable resource use: food, air, water, energy, recycling/up-cycling, local sourcing of consumables; competition for limited resources;
3. Developing new solutions for producing food, water and energy, and conserving bio-diversity, within urban contexts;
4. Witness against idolatry in a culture of conformity;
5. Time priorities: mission only as short-term, occasional activity/ projects?
6. Church without walls, café church, mobile/ temporary church (using fallow land/ buildings on short leases); moving from Attractional Church to Missional Church;
7. Welcoming the stranger (migrant workers, students);

 

An Example: Singapore Rail Corridor Competition

A prize-winning entry for the Rail Corridor Competition: alternative, short-term uses for derelict land, to provide an urban farmers’ market and a meeting place to explore and share solutions for sustainable urban living. This example will be the main focus of the presentation, and will explore themes such as:

• Christians working together to develop and present radical proposals;
• Low-budget, short-term creative uses for derelict land;
• A place where existing initiatives in urban sustainability are encouraged and celebrated;
• A place to develop and advocate alternative solutions to problems of urban sustainability;
• Programs for schools and colleges;
• Involving migrant students and workers from abroad;
• Facilitating the transference and adaptation of these ideas and processes to other Asian cities.

 

David Gould : Creation Care Advocate : OMF International : Singapore