OMG Founders Speak at the 2011 UMC Mississippi Annual Conference

OMG founders Olivia and Carter were invited to speak at the UMC Mississippi Annual Conference this past weekend (June 11, 2011) in Jackson MS.  This was by far their largest audience and they came prepared to deliver their message to an estimated 2,700 attendees.

Last April they presented their presentation entitled “All God’s Critters Have A Place In The Choir” to the kind folks at the Caring For Creation Conference in Lake Junaluska NC where they met Bishop Hope Morgan Ward from Mississippi who invited the OMG founders to come and deliver their message of hope to their annual conference.

Olivia and Carter were so excited about the opportunity and practiced extra hard over the past few months.  Their presentation and message was designed to create awareness about how most churches/communities have lost focus of the fact that we are all stewards of God’s great planet and of all God’s creations.  All too often we hear about the need to reach out to more unchurched soles and to build an even larger facility etc., but rarely does one hear a message which reminds us of our responsibilities to what God has created for us.

Carter and Olivia cite passages from the book of Genesis which speak directly to these facts and help remind us all of our role as stewards.

Fact #1 God Created the Different Species of Plants and Animals

Genesis 1:11-12. God created plants.

Then God said, “let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.

Fact #2 God Blessed the Different Species of Plants and Animals

Genesis 1:22. God blessed [the birds and sea animals], and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number.”

Fact #3 God Protected the Different Species Genesis 6:19-21.

God said, “You are to bring into the ark two of every kind of living creature, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and them.” Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Fact # 4 God Made an Eternal Covenant with the Different Species of Plants and Animals

Genesis 9:8-9. Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you – the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you – every living Creature on the earth.”

We measure our stewardship by healthy ecosystems and sustainable, responsible consumption.  We need everyone to search the scriptures to better understand the heart of God in relation to God’s creation. The Bible says that God expects, even demands, that we be stewards of God’s creation. Scripture is indisputable.

Every time a species goes extinct, we are defaulting on the account that God has called us to manage. We are at the crossroads, able to choose to save or to destroy. It is our choice. The Bible is clear that creation expresses God’s wisdom and power. Christians are called to be stewards, to nurture, to protect, to preserve God’s creation.

“Let’s talk about Global Climate Change:” did you know that “it is estimated that more than 1/3rd of the Earth’s animal species and almost 20% of the plant species face extinction by 2050 if we maintain our current greenhouse gas trajectory?”

Isn’t it time we brought back all of God’s creatures and creations into our church?

Isn’t it time we made a concerted effort to acknowledge our responsibility to God as his stewards?

HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR GOD AND HIS CREATION?

1. Read the Bible (again if need be), study the signs. Learn the key points. Realize that how we care for creation must be raised to a moral issue, not simply viewed as an economic one.

2. Join together as a church family and stand up for God’s creation.

3. Ask family and friends to consider working with you on getting the message out.

4. Encourage your pastor and church leaders to study scripture to determine God’s will towards the environment.

5. Contact your elected officials. Let them know that you are a Christian who believes that the Bible is clear that we must protect the environment from greed and exploitation.

6. Vote your conscience and protect the environmental policies such as the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act.

7. Live like a shepherd, not like a wolf. Remember, recycling is an act of worship!

8. Join our OMG Members List on our website and make it a part of your week to read and learn about the many issues and how you can help

9. Remember to show your support to our many initiatives. OMG is involved in a vast array of conservational and environmental subjects and we need all the help we can get to ensure our success. You can provide us with a donation, as well as making us part of your regular giving so that we may continue making a difference.

And finally, pray… make sure you remember what God has created and that we (man), are not above any of his creations, but instead, are responsible for keeping his creations as they were intended.

We hope you agree with our message.  If your interested in having Olivia and Carter speak at your church, school, or event, please give us a call and we will gladly work with you to make that happen.  Spreading the word of God and reminding churches/communities about our responsibility is crucial to making a difference.

Thanks for caring 😉

BTW, after working so hard getting ready for this presentation, we told the kids they could have something special for all their efforts.  They immediately advised us that they wanted to go to an animal shelter to adopt an animal who needed a home.

Both of the kids have a soft spot for every type of creature and especially when they find one that needs a home.  We asked the folks at the hotel for the address for the nearest ‘no-kill’ animal shelter and headed straight over there between the Noon sound check and the 3:00PM presentation time.

The shelter had over 200 cats and dogs and they had such a hard time making their mind up.  Running out of time, the shelter agreed to allow us to come back after our presentation so the kids could have more time to find the right animal to take home.

After the presentation, the kids had us take them back to the shelter where they spent the next several hours getting to know all the animals.  Having my wife along was probably not the wisest move on my part because she is just as bad as the kids when it comes to wanting to take all the animals home.

Finally after hours of indecision, the kids (and their mom) made up their mind.  The kids picked out a cute little kitten and my wife picked out a 3-year old cat who was born at the shelter and has never lived in a normal household.

The shelter is normally closed on Sundays but since we were staying in a hotel for the last night, they agreed to allow us to come back in the morning to pick up our latest family members who are all doing well adjusting to their new surroundings.

Don’t ask how many pets we now have.  I am sure these will not be the last, but how can you say no to two amazing kids like Carter and Olivia who sincerely care so much 😉