Archbishop Desmond Tutu is calling on people to care for the world in a short videocast for Advent.

The videocast has been put together by the Archbishop’s Council for the Church of England’s online advent calendar launched today.

In the videocast, Tutu says: “Care for the world, it is the only one we have.”

He is joined by International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander, who encourages people to use Fairtrade products this Christmas, while the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, calls on people to take a moment to slow down and reflect.

Lifestyle challenges and useful advice are put forward on the different days of the calendar by Church of England dioceses or agencies. On one day, they are invited by Fresh Expressions to discover the true meaning of carols in a Brighton beach hut. On other days, Birmingham encourages churches to send recycled presents and one historic church in Lincoln talks about installing solar panels.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, offers his reflections on a major climate change summit being held in Copenhagen in December, while on another day the Chief Rabbi encourages to have some ‘Sabbath moments’ during the season.

The calendar closes on Christmas Eve with a seasonal reflection from theologian Dr Paula Gooder.

The daily challenges will be sent out via Twitter, while the videocasts have also been made available on YouTube.

On the web: www.whywearewaiting.com