UK Resources

Kingfisher's Fire: A Story of Hope for God's Earth
by Peter Harris
£7.99

Monarch Books: January 2008, paperback - 224 pages, ISBN 978 1 85424 848 0

“A Unique and Inspiring epic”- Prof. Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University

Over the last quarter century the Christian conservation organization A Rocha has been protecting and restoring threatened sites.  Their engagement with local communities, bringing new life to urban and rural areas, has made a profound impact on many lives and places around the world.  Peter Harris delightfully blends his personal story with that of A Rocha describing a passionately-held vision and how it has worked out in the life of his own family... more

'L' is for Lifestyle
by Ruth Valerio
£7.99

IVP: November 2008, paperback - 192 pages, ISBN 978 1 84474 343 8

Dave Bookless writes:

The new 2008 edition of Ruth Valerio’s ‘L is for Lifestyle’ is even better than the first one! This is essential reading for those beginning to get active in living lightly and justly in God’s world. Ruth has slightly expanded the book and updated all the website details... more

Planetwise, by Dave Bookless
£7.99

IVP: February 2008, paperback - 160 pages, ISBN 978 1 844 74 251 6

'I was in the act of throwing away my family's rubbish while holidaying on a beautiful island when I heard God speak: "How do you think I feel about what you are doing to my world?"'

Since that day, Dave Bookless has been on a mission: to share with others the compelling biblical case for caring for the planet God made for his glory and his people's enjoyment... more

Under the Bright Wings
by Peter Harris
£7.99

Regent College Publishing: 1993, paperback - 176 pages, ISBN 978 1 5738 3 1888

“We have been living on the edge of a small village in the South of Portugal for over nine years. Sometimes, in the stress of the irregular hours and the eccentric episodes that make up our lives here, we ask ourselves how it all began, simply to find a culprit…’... more

Hope for Planet Earth DVD - 2009 Resource Pack

• Do you need resources for Environment Sunday 2009 - June 7th

• Did you miss the ‘Hope for Planet Earth’ tour?

• Have you friends who have questions on Climate Change that you can’t answer?

If you can answer yes to any of these then the new ‘Hope for Planet Earth’ DVD is for you! ... more

Click to find out more about our Environment Resource Packs

Planetwise DVD & CD-ROM: Dare to Care for God's World - 2008 Resource Pack

Are you hard-pressed for time, but want to arrange a church service? Are you looking for home-group bible studies? Or maybe you want an inspiring audio-visual for outreach?

This pack contains all that you need, and much more. Developed to partner with the book 'Planetwise' by Dave Bookless, it’s been designed to help individuals, groups and churches better understand what the bible says about God’s world and develop practical ways to care for people and the planet... more

Click to find out more about our Environment Resource Packs

Future Shape?  

BMS World Mission, in conjunction with A Rocha UK and the Baptist Unions of Great Britain, Scotland and Wales, has released an excellent free resource about creation care and the environment. It features studies for groups and individuals, video comments from experts in the field and a meditation video featuring a song by Pete James.

Video contributors to FutureShape? include:

•  Dr Elaine Storkey, President of Tearfund, broadcaster and writer

•  Dr Vinoth Ramachandra, theologian, writer and a member of A Rocha International’s Council of Reference

•  Rev Dave Bookless, Founder of A Rocha UK

•  Sir John Houghton, Nobel Prize-winning Climatologist and member of A Rocha UK’s Council of Reference

•  Rev Prem Mitra, Chair of A Rocha India

Future Shape? can be downloaded or ordered as a free DVD from www.bmsworldmission.org/futureshape.

21M 

A Rocha UK’s partner organisation CMS has produced 21M - an eight-part DVD resource exploring the Five Marks of Mission for the 21st century. The Five Marks are an internationally recognised description of the elements of Christian mission involving evangelism, discipleship, relief and education, justice and creation-care

Using group activities and games, Bible studies, video interviews with current thinkers and practitioners (including Dave & Anne Bookless of A Rocha UK) and examples of mission in action from around the world 21M explores the Marks of Mission in some depth. The resource aims to inspire churches and groups to put the Marks of Mission into action. 21M is designed to be a flexible resource – structured to run as an eight-week course on mission, but elements could be used alone. The course is designed to be suitable for use by cell and home groups, youth groups (aged 14+), Lent groups, and whole churches. It consists of a DVD with film clips and a Leader’s Guide.

More information on the 21M DVD can be found at www.cms-uk.org/21M, where it can also be ordered for £4.95.

Caring for Creation
Bible Reading Fellowship: November 2005, paperback - £8.99,
ISBN 1 84101 439 7

In his foreword to the new A Rocha book Caring for Creation, John Stott writes, “Creation is a much-neglected biblical topic, and caring for creation an equally neglected biblical responsibility. So I am delighted with this symposium.” Caring for Creation meets a real need by combining twelve biblical reflections from various authors with stories from A Rocha’s work around the world. Whilst published in the UK and edited by British A Rocha supporter Sarah Tillett, the book has a truly international feel – with chapters from Vinoth Ramachandra, Eugene Peterson and James Houston and stories from nine different A Rocha projects. Other contributors include eminent scientists Sir Ghillean Prance, Professor RJ Berry, Sir John Houghton and A Rocha’s own Peter and Miranda Harris. It’s a great book to pass on to anybody who wants to explore the biblical basis for A Rocha’s work.

You can order now through Amazon.

Read an extract of the book

Cherishing The Earth
Monarch Publishing: February 2008, paperback - £8.99,
ISBN 9 78185 424 84 11

This is a book that lives up to its subtitle, 'How to care for God's creation'. Written by a husband and wife, a botanist and vicar, a founder of Sage (Oxford's Christian Environmental Group) and an A Rocha trustee, the book sets out the current environmental issues, and why and how we, as Christians, should be actively involved. Written in the first person, much of the book relies on examples drawn from the authors' own experiences, but also includes accounts from others involved in relevant fields. A readily accessible book that allows the reader to explore many issues without becoming mired in complexities.  In addition the book is supported by a website: http://www.hodsons.org/cherishingtheearth/ which gives more details of the book, including chapter updates and bible studies that can be undertaken.

You can order this book from A Rocha. Please post a cheque for £8.99 made payable to 'A Rocha UK' with a note clearly stating which items you wish to purchase and your address. Your cheque should be sent to: Sales, A Rocha UK, 18-19 Avenue Road, Southall UB1 3BL, UK.

God's green book
Seven Bible studies about the environment, Charlotte Sleigh & Bryony Webb
SPCK Publishing: January 2010, paperback - £8.99,
ISBN 9780281062065

The Bible is bursting with teaching about nature: how God created it, how humans fit into it, and how it is part of his big story of justice, love and redemption. But what does the Bible have to say about the environmental issues that face us? These seven Bible studies explore such questions as: How well rooted are you in God’s creation?; Can you take your ethics to the shops?; Does what you eat really make a difference?; Is an environmentally friendly lifestyle just too painful to contemplate?

"A wonderful resource for small groups - I hope to use this in my local church and I wholeheartedly recommend it to you too." The Rev’d Dave Bookless, Co-founder of A Rocha UK

You can order now through SPCK

Jesus and the Earth, James Jones
SPCK Publishing: November 2003, paperback - £6.99,
ISBN 0 28105 623 4

It's not everyday that a Bishop admits to a new conversion experience! In this remarkable little book, James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool and a member of A Rocha UK's Council of Reference writes about his "ecological conversion" as a result of re-reading the Gospels. He examines in detail the seven occasions when Jesus speaks of himself as the Son of Man (literally "son of one made from the soil") at the same time as speaking of the earth. Whilst admitting that more theological research still needs to be done, Bishop James nevertheless provides much food for thought. Statements such as "Creation does not exist for the human family but for Christ … it is a blasphemy to usurp Christ's place" (p.17) carry real weight when we apply them to our use of natural resources, and our production of waste. As a prominent evangelical, Bishop James states firmly that God's Kingdom is about far more than "saving souls" (p.34) and includes a "peace on earth" that has profound ecological dimensions. There is much more in this book to provoke thought and action – read it and be converted!

You can order now through Amazon

You can also download A Rocha UK’s 2004 ‘Jesus and the Earth’ Environment Resource Pack, which is designed to accompany this book.

Sharing God's Planet.
Church House Publishing : Jan 2005, paperback - £5.99,
ISBN 9 78071 514 06 80

This is a short (58pp) but pithy Church of England report. It is in four parts: first, a summary of human impacts on the environment, well-informed and wide-ranging but inevitably sketchy. The sobering conclusion is that a ‘tipping point’, when the spheres of weather, water, air and biodiversity fall rapidly out of balance is probably imminent – stemming from humans failing to know their true place within creation.

The second section, of theological reflection drawing as much from the mystics as from biblical material, explores four principles: God’s covenant with creation, creation as sacrament, the role of humanity, and the Sabbath feast of ‘enoughness’. Whilst this section contains some real nuggets, its brevity is frustrating and leaves too many important gaps.

The final two sections are of suggested practical responses, and contact details for environmental organisations (the material on A Rocha is terribly out of date, but corrected on an erratum slip).

Central to the book’s philosophy is that, ‘the very first question is not about doing, but about being ...’ (p.29). We need to stop seeing the world as ours to use and abuse, and recognise we share God’s planet with many others. There needs to be a change of heart, a new relationship with God’s earth – and A Rocha is a great way of getting involved practically. As Archbishop Rowan Williams says in his foreword, ‘Receive the world that God has given. Go for a walk. Get wet. Dig the earth.

You can now order through Amazon