Creation Time

Time for Creation from 1^st September to 4^th October (the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi) is a special period in the liturgical calendars of a growing number of Churches in Europe.

In 1989 the Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios suggested that 1 September, the first day of the Orthodox Church’s year, should be observed as a day “of protection of the natural environment.” Ten years later the European Christian Environmental Network widened this proposal, urging churches to adopt a Time for Creation stretching from 1 September to the feast of St Francis on 4 October.

In this period we remember the gift of Creation and our relation to it. Celebration of this Time and its place in the cycle of Christian prayers and worship was commended by the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu 2007, which recommended that the period “be dedicated to prayer for the protection of Creation and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles that reverse our contribution to climate change”.

The ECEN has been active and instrumental in promoting and encouraging Christians to pray together in the spirit of ecumenical cooperation and to promote action to care for Creation since its inception.

In 2015 Pope Francis decided that 1st September be the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the Catholic Church.

All around Europe and increasingly in other parts of the world, Christians are writing liturgical material with a Creation theme. ECEN collects this material for use in Creation Time and throughout the year. It is now being made available on the website for you to browse and use in your church.

Available creation time materials:

Creation Time 2024

Season of Creation Celebration Guide 2024

GLAM: Tempo del Creato 2024 - Disuguaglianze, il sogno obbliga la persona a pensare

Creation Time 2023

Season of Creation Celebration Guide 2023

GLAM: Tempo del Creato 2023 - Conversion - abbracciare di cambimiento (Conversion - embracing change) 

Creation Time 2022

Season of Creation Celebration Guide 2022

FCEI-GLAM: Tempo del Creato 2022 – Empatia

MEÖT: The place on which you are standing is holy ground - Listen to the voice of creation. Materials for the celebration of Creation Time 2022. (In Hungarian) 

Eco-Congregation Scotland: Season of Creation 2022

Creation Time 2021

Season of Creation Celebration Guide 2021

(Forthcoming:)

• FR 
• ES 
• PT 
• IT 
• PL

ACK Deutschland: "Damit Ströme lebendigen Wassers fließen" - Ökumenischer Tag der Schöpfung 2021

FCEI-GLAM: 'Bodies: visible, invisible, in community, inhabited by the Spirit (in Italian)

OEKU: SchöpfungsZeit 2021 - Damit Ströme lebendigen Wassers fliessen

JPIT - Eco-Congregation Scotland: Season of Creation (Activities, Discussion Questions, Poems, Prayers, Reflections, Services)

MEÖT: Where do you live? - Renewing God's Oikos. Materials for the celebration of Creation Time 2021. (In Hungarian) 

Church and Environment Program (Belarus): Opening of ecological trail 'Kiselivici' and of the ecological path 'The Way of Silence

Creation Time 2020

Season of Creation Celebration Guide (2020)

• FR: Celebration Guide Jubilé pour la Terre
• DE: Handreichung Jubeljahr für die Erde

FCEI-GLAM: Tempo del creato 2020 'Acque marine, fonte di vita' (in Italian)

ACK Deutschland: "WEINklang" und Materialien für den Tag der Schöpfung 2020

OEKU: SchöpfungsZeit 2020 - Und siehe, es war sehr gut

MEÖT: Creative Uncertainty ("Teremtő bizonytalanság") - Materials for the celebration of Creation Time 2020 (in Hungarian)

Eco-Congregation Scotland: The Word for the World Today - Creation Time 2020

Thematic resources for Creation care from the Lausanne Movement Global classroom. Short videos 

Creation Time 2019

Season of Creation Celebration Guide

Invitation from Faith Leaders to celebrate 2019 Season of Creation

Season of Creation website in different languages:

• EN: SeasonofCreation.org
• ES: TiempodelaCreacion.org
• PT: TempodaCriacao.org
• IT: TempodelCreato.org
• FR: SaisondelaCreation.org
• PL:  CzasDlaStworzenia.org

Oeku: Fünf vor Zwölf für das Klima, Nationale Klimademo am 28. September, Pressemitteilung 

ACK: Ecumenical Day for Prayer for the Care of Creation 2019 - Order of Service

A Song for the Season of Creation - Sheet music, rehearsal files, and recordings

FCEI-GLAM: Dossier Tempo per il Creato 2019 

Eco-Congregation Scotland: Creation Time 2019

MEÖT: Thanksgiving and Responsibility ("Hála és felelősség") - Materials for the celebration of Creation Time 2019 (in Hungarian)

ARGE Schöpfungsverantwortung Time of Creation - Dossier for the Time of Creation 2019, Zeit der Schöfpung - Dossier für Schöpfungszeit 2019 (in German)

Creation Time 2018

Click here to see previous ECEN Creationtime collections