Faith in action: St Stephen’s journey of caring for creation
At St Stephen’s Uniting Church, caring for creation is woven into worship and practical decisions that strengthen both environmental and financial sustainability
September 14, 2026
By Emily Murray, Environmental Sustainability Specialist, Queensland Synod
At St Stephen’s Uniting Church in Toowoomba, care for creation is not a standalone project but an expression of faith lived out in practical, communal ways.
Under the leadership of Minister Rev Dylan Miegel, St Stephen’s has implemented a range of sustainability initiatives that have reduced its environmental footprint while strengthening long-term financial resilience. Chief among them is the installation of solar panels on the church hall.
Since the system was installed, St Stephen’s has effectively eliminated its electricity bills, despite running large spaces, air conditioning and multiple office tenants throughout the week. Previously, power costs were around $1,000 a month. A battery system, already purchased and awaiting installation, will further support evening use, including the congregation’s Winter Shelter program for people experiencing homelessness.
The solar installation followed an intentional, collaborative process involving conversations at presbytery, church council discernment and congregational approval. When the proposal was presented, it received unanimous support.
“That happened because we brought people along,” Dylan says. “Some people are motivated by environmental concerns, some by finances – but when both are addressed together, people can feel confident about the decision. It’s good stewardship on both fronts.”
While the decision was locally owned, Dylan says broader Uniting Church commitments helped prompt the conversation. Reading the Queensland Synod’s A Flourishing Creation Action and Advocacy Plan and the Assembly’s emissions reduction commitments led him to consider what these might mean at congregational level.
“I saw those documents and thought, ‘We actually need to do something about this,’” he says.
“In earlier Christian eras, the relationship between humanity and nature was often seen as – us on one side, with the earth here to serve us. Today, we understand ourselves as an integral part of creation.”
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
Alongside large-scale energy upgrades, St Stephen’s has tackled smaller everyday practices. The congregation has moved away from disposable plastic communion cups introduced during COVID, replacing them with a compostable alternative.
“I didn’t know compostable communion cups existed until I saw the Caring for Creation through Communion Guide,” Dylan says. “The fact these were already being used elsewhere made it easy to suggest trialling them.”
The sturdy, affordable cups have removed more than 1,300 plastic cups from landfill each year. After worship, Dylan collects them and composts them – sometimes with help from inquisitive chickens at his family home.
“These are small actions,” Dylan says, “but they help people realise that even the ordinary practices of worship have an impact on creation.”
For Dylan, these practical changes are grounded in an evolving theology that is deeply relational.
“In earlier Christian eras, the relationship between humanity and nature was often seen as – us on one side, with the earth here to serve us,” he says. “Today, we understand ourselves as an integral part of creation.”
This understanding shapes worship at St Stephen’s through prayer, preaching and participation in the Season of Creation during September. Environmental themes are not treated simply as political issues, but as expressions of discipleship.
“Caring for creation is part of the ongoing ministry of God’s re-creation,” Dylan says. “It’s just as important as caring for the poor or welcoming the vulnerable. It’s another way of living faithfully.”
Care for land and community also comes together in the church grounds. Adjacent to a youth justice facility serving primarily First Nations young people, St Stephen’s gardens have become a shared outdoor space. Young people have contributed artwork and helped with gardening, including planting native species to support local biodiversity.
At St Stephen’s, sustainability is not an add-on. It is a lived theology – expressed through solar panels on the roof, compost behind the scenes, gardens at the front gate, and a congregation learning to see itself as part of God’s beloved creation.
More news from the Assembly
700 Fijian voices unite for climate justice in Fremantle
More than 700 members of the Uniting Church’s Fijian National Conference have joined their voices in a powerful call for climate justice from Fremantle. At the conclusion of the four-day conference, delegates unfurled a huge“Climate Justice Now” banner, standing in solidarity with Pacific churches and communities and calling on Australia to listen to Pacific leadership…
Faith, culture and hope fill Fremantle with the Fijian National Conference
Fijian communities from across the Uniting Church gathered in Fremantle/Walyalup for the 2026 Uniting Church in Australia Fijian National Conference, celebrating faith, culture, fellowship and hope. The Conference opened on Thursday evening with a Welcome to Country from Rev Mitchell Garlett of UAICC WA, followed by worship led by Rev William Lucas. Rev Dr Paul…
Waves of Hope: weaving new stories across Oceania
President Rev Charissa Suli has joined theologians, church leaders and practitioners from across Oceania in Fiji for the Association of Practical Theology in Oceania (APTO) Conference last week. Gathered around the theme “Waves of Hope: Storied Theology for the Whole of Life,” the Presidnet delivered an international keynote, “Building Community; Creating a New Story in…
Held Together begins with listening
Held Together begins with listening President Rev Charissa Suli and leaders of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress gathered on Ngarrindjeri Country to commission an artwork that will speak to the heart of the upcoming conference.“May it be a blessing. May it tell a story. May it build relationship. And may it help…
Call for nominations for President-elect and 18th Assembly representatives
The Uniting Church in Australia is beginning an important process of discernment to identify the next President-elect of the Assembly. Ahead of the 18th Assembly, the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC), Presbyteries and Synods have the privilege and opportunity to identify people who may be nominated for election as President-elect (Reg. 3.6.4.1). Nominations…
Celebrations and stories of healing in Alice Springs
Stories of Healing: Alice Springs marks 100 years of Adelaide House and 70 years of the John Flynn Memorial ChurchIn the red centre of Australia, members of the Uniting Church community gathered on 12–13 September to honour two milestones of faith, care and resilience: the centenary of Adelaide House and 70 years of the John…
Pacific women call for climate action that begins with their communities
Pacific women call for climate action that begins with their communities From Tuvalu, Pacific women are calling on world leaders to listen deeply, strengthen community leadership and pursue climate action grounded in local experience and wisdom.For the women who gathered in Tuvalu this September, climate justice reaches into the everyday work of keeping communities safe.…
Bearing witness to Palestinian Christian voices
Bearing witness to Palestinian Christian voicesAs World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel takes place this week, the Uniting Church is invited to listen, pray and stand in solidarity with communities longing for peace and justice. In July this year, the Uniting Church hosted two Palestinian Christians as part of the “Bearing Witness: Palestinian…