The 2024 Christian World Service Christmas appeal takes up the theme of "climate hope" and centres on Pacific church communities working hard to adapt to severe impacts of climate change. 

Christian World Service has responded to urgent calls from its Pacific partners with a focus on climate resilience for disaster-affected communities in its 2024 Christmas Appeal "Give Climate hope this Christmas." 

The Tonga Community Development Trust (TCDT) is CWS' featured partner for the 2024 Appeal for its work with communities whose food security and livelihoods are at high risk of damage due to climate-change related disasters and sea water inundation.

Donations to the CWS Appeal will go towards a collection of CWS partners working in climate resilience fields, including small farmers learning agro-ecological methods in Sri Lanka, new chicken coops and fencing in Tonga, and partners working on community-led campaigns to protect natural resources and rights and training and support for women to set up new eco-friendly businesses.

2024 feature partner the Tonga Community Development Trust will receive support to fund its workshops for people at risk of climate disasters and training in sustainable farming, business skills and disaster preparedness. 

To help churches dive deeply into faithful responses to climate change, CWS has commissioned the Rev Dr Steve Taylor to develop Advent service outlines, preaching and teaching resources centred on climate resilience and care for Creation. These resources are designed for clergy and all who lead worship, Christian education or preaching in Aotearoa New Zealand congregations leading up to Christmas 2024. 

"Over five weeks the Gospel of Luke will come to life in conversation with restless seas, rain gauges, soil habitats, environmental good news, New Zealand sign action songs, ocean carols and oceanic wisdoms of restraint." said Dr Taylor introducing the resource.

Some of the CWS climate-focused Advent activities include:

• Lighting a climate-focused Advent candle array – placing Advent candles into a koru made of local plants, driftwood, flowers, shells and stones to remember Creation in worship
• Making rain gauges that can measure and track rainfall and help congregations to give thanks for God's gift of water
• Stories from the climate-connected development work of Pacific church communities

The CWS Advent 2024 Climate resilience worship and teaching resources are available through the links below.

Advent One - Climate hope as seas roar
Advent 1 worship and teaching resources
Advent 1 opening slide

  
Advent Two - Climate peace as earth moves
Advent 2 worship & teaching resources
Advent 2 opening slide 

Advent Three - Climate joy and just water
Advent 3 worship & teaching resources
Advent 3 opening slide 

 
Advent Four - Climate action songs
Advent 4 worship & teaching resources
Advent 4 opening slide 

Christmas Day- Wrapped in bands of love
Christmas Day worship & teaching resources
Christmas Day opening slide  

Please give generously to the Christian World Service 2024 Christmas Appeal. 

Christian World Service began in December 1945 when the National Council of Churches made its first Christmas Appeal for overseas relief in post-war Greece. CWS is the ecumenical justice, aid and development agency of its partner churches: The Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia, Methodist Church of New Zealand, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, Christian Churches New Zealand and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).