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Eco-Prayer Guidelines
Eco–Prayer Guidelines offers suggestions for eco-prayer and good will intentions. They describe eco-prayer principles and explain why praying and positive intentions are important. Their 9 principles are listed in the guidelines and more information on the definition of eco-theology. -
7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
Overwhelmed by the excess in her own life, Jen Hatmaker and her family set out on a project they called “Seven.” Highlighting seven areas of excess, they committed to living a little more simply every month. Originally published in 2011 and updated in 2017, 7 has been utilized for book studies in many Christian faith communities. For those overwhelmed with the task of implementing creation care in their own lives, Hatmaker’s memoir tells of her family’s practical and faith inspired experiment. More information about Hatmaker’s project can be found on her blog. -
10 Eco-Mission Projects
Evangelical Environmental Network MOMS has created a list of family oriented service projects that focus on the environment. These ideas not only offer ways to serve the community, but also take care of God’s earth in simple but effective ways. -
A Prayer for Labour Day
As Labor Day approaches, it is important to remember to relax and enjoy a day free of work. Godspace (https://godspacelight.com/about/) has offered a prayer to give thanks for the hard work of laborers and communities, and to reflect on gratitude, mercy, service, justice, and the beauty of creation through God’s work. This prayer is adapted from a prayer found on the Christ Church Ontario website. -
For Love of Lavender
For Love of Lavender is an account of how Christine Sine, creator of Godspace and writer for Evangelical Environmental Network MOMS, encountered God through the beauty, fragrance, and abundance of the lavender in her garden. Reflecting on her garden informs her of God's work and calls to mind numerous bible verses, including Proverbs 27:9: The heart is delighted by the fragrance of oil and sweet perfumes, and in just the same way, the soul is sweetened by the wise counsel of a friend. Christine also mentions how to use these lessons to teach children. -
Today is registration deadline for Columbus Diocese Creation Care Conference on Oct. 8
The Columbus Diocese is offering a day of reflection, inspiration, study, and sharing of resources to help Columbus area Catholic communities respond to Pope Francis’ environmental urgings in his recent encyclical, Laudato Si: Caring for Our Common Home. The conference: “Enlivened by Laudato Si’: We Care for our Common Home: Our practical response to care for God’s creation” will be held at the Martin De Porres Center in Columbus from 10am-2pm on Saturday, October 8.
The conference will feature creation care team building sessions, spirituality and worship, education, sustainability information for energy savings, and advocacy to care for creation and the poor. Dr. Greg Hitzhusen of the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State will deliver a keynote address. -
Science Mike to speak tonight at Broad Street Presbyterian
Event Announcement:
Columbus Broad Street Presbyterian Church and the Presbytery of Scioto Valley Commission for Nurture and Outreach will host Science Mike on Friday, October 14.
Mike McHargue is the host of two podcasts, Ask Science Mike and The Liturgists. Mike, an amazing and popular communicator, will be recording an episode of Ask Science Mike during his evening presentation at Broad Street PC.
Tickets are $15 and are available from: www.findinggodinthewaves.com/tour
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Columbus YMCA Youth Engage in 4-H Urban Gardening Program for Cultural Exchange with Youth in Accra, Ghana
This summer, dozens of Columbus North YMCA youth participated in 4-H urban gardening programs as part of an urban agriculture exchange program with 4-H and YMCA youth from Accra, Ghana. In response, in May of 2017, three Ghanaian youth and an advisor will travel to Columbus to share their urban agriculture experiences at the annual Ohio Future Farmers of America (FFA) conference at the Ohio State Fairgrounds. Please click the link below to read more: -
Profile: Rev. Pat Watkins
The Reverend Pat Watkins is a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. He is guiding a new, globally-focused United Methodist Ministry with God’s Renewed Creation, based at Global Ministries and also closely related to the Council of Bishops. While faith has traditionally looked at relationship with God and relationships with other people, he began to see a relationship between faith and the created order. Please click the link below to read more about Reverend Watkins: -
New Community Project Creative Arts Page
The New Community Project created a creative arts page to offer resources for justice, peace, and care for creation. In the caring for creation section, there are skits, checklists, and worship resources all centered around this topic. -
Earth Ministry Songs and Hymns
Earth Ministry has been a leader in engaging faith communities in environmental stewardship and advocacy. They have created a list of songs and hymns from various artist that are related to God's gift of creation. The list was compiled as a resource for creation-honoring worship services. -
The Regeneration Project
The Regeneration Project was created as the parent project of Interfaith Power&Light. It is meant to help deepen the connection between ecology and faith and to help people of faith recognize and fulfill their responsibility for the stewardship of creation. They do so through educational programs for clergy and congregations -
Skits & Readings - Creative Arts and Educational Resources
Worship resources on the themes of justice, peace, and care for creation curated by the New Community Project. This is a list of activities to engage and educate students on christian and sustainability teachings. -
Fasting for Climate Justice
Fasting for Climate Justice is a resource from Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM ) on the practice of fasting for climate action through two initiatives: meatless Fridays and monthly fasting. The GCCM encourages abstinence from meat on Fridays as a way to reduce one’s negative impact on global climate change. The GCCM also promotes fasting for the climate which takes place the first day of each month. -
A Buddhist Perspective on the Eco-Crisis from David Loy
This short video consists of David Loy discussing the Buddhist perspective on the Eco-crisis. He begins by describing anata, the belief that all things are constantly changing and there can be no such thing as a permanent self. He then talks about dukkha, which is the idea that human experience is short-lived and suffering results from excessive desire. These ideas come together to describe the Buddhist idea that there is no “self.” Loy maintains that, “our sense of self is usually haunted by a sense of lack.” This sense of lack and false sense of “self,” create issues for people that can be related to consumerism, the Eco-crisis, and more. -
The Worship of Nature
The Worship of Nature is a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier published in 1867. The poem describes nature and forests as a holy place and Whittier makes a comparison to it being an altar. He describes the winds as hymns of praise and the blue sky as the temples arch. -
Evangelical Environmental Network: Trump Budget would harm National Parks and the Protection of God’s Other Creatures
The president of the Evangelical Environmental Network, Rev. Mitch Hescox, made a statement saying that the budget proposed by the Trump administration is a “devils bargain,” which would harm national parks and the protection of God’s creatures.
“The Trump Administration’s budget, if implemented, would be an abdication of our stewardship of our public lands, which are entrusted to each generation to pass on to their children.” -
Becoming a CreatureKind Institution
“Having compassion for others begs the question of who ‘the others’ are. The animals whom we farm are sentient beings and individuals in their own right, even when they are crowded together in barren cages or windowless sheds. They are surely – in their billions – ‘others’ who deserve and desperately need our compassion. I wish CreatureKind great influence in bringing compassion to these fellow-beings of ours.”
– Joyce D’Silva, Ambassador Emeritus,
Compassion in World Farming
CreatureKind is a Christian animal welfare group that works to help institutions improve their practice as it impacts farmed animals, with benefits for humans, animals, and the environment. Becoming a CreatureKind institution means committing to a cycle of reviewing current sourcing, setting goals for improved practice, and acting on them, together with engaging your community about the program. The program have two major goals: reduce consumption of animal products and obtain remaining animal products from higher welfare. -
Environmental Theology in Sikhism
The Sikh scripture declares that the purpose of human beings is to achieve a blissful state and be in harmony with the earth and all creation. They believe that humans have drifted away from that ideal and that this crisis is in need of an immediate and urgent solution. The crisis requires going back to the basic question of the purpose of human beings in this universe and an understanding of ourselves and the Divine creation. -
CreatureKind Church Course
CreaturKind has created a 6-week course to help Christians think about what their faith means for animals. The course is free and is meant to assist churches in learning about animal welfare and how to care for animals faithfully. They aim to encourage Christians to consider what they believe about God’s creatures and how they might move toward living out those beliefs as members of the body of Christ. -
Sustainability Photo Contest
This RESTORExchange photo contest is being brought back from the pre-COVID era, and with an added collaboration with the Sustainability Institute. It's based around the question "What does sustainability look like?" This can include sustainability in environmental justice, technology, energy, lifestyle and wellbeing, society and culture, economy and politics, and any other context where you see sustainability in action. We want to see your perspectives and show all the different places that sustainability is practiced! Winning photos will be decided by a panel of judges (yet to be determined), and the top four photos will win a prize! First place will receive $400, second place will receive $300, third place will receive $200, and an honorable mention will receive $100. Submissions will be accepted through March 15, 2023. -
Marianist Environmental Education Center
"The Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC) is an environmental education community in the Catholic tradition. In Mary's hope-filled spirit, we preserve and act in communion with the land and educate other communities in sustainability through ecology-based simple living, social justice and spirituality." -
Advent Simplicity Challenge
"This Advent, commit to simplicity. In a season that can mistakenly be focused on gifts and consumption, explore ways to live simply as we hopefully prepare for the coming of Jesus and the restoration of the earth. This year, we’ll be mixing in new daily challenges, as well as accompanying PDFs for folks who prefer not to use the interactive calendar." -
Decolonizing Thanksgiving
"As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in the United States, it’s great to think about all the things we can be grateful for. It is good to have a time to pause and reflect, to participate in the seasonality of gratitude for the year’s bountiful harvest, and to gather with family and friends. (We’ll ignore the über-consumerism of the day following Thanksgiving…)
Many of us probably know by now, however, that the story many of us learned in school about the first Thanksgiving is rather inaccurate at best, and racist and paternalistic in many ways, with a focus on the Manifest Destiny idea of the divine mandate for Europeans to conquer the “New World” in the name of Christ and country.
A few questions come to mind (at least my mind), for those of us with European-American roots, such as:
Should we even celebrate Thanksgiving, since it’s so tainted with colonialism?
What might it look like to “decolonize” our own understandings and our culture?
How can we do this work in a way that encourages our own folks to partner, rather than making them (our White brethren) feel further ostracized, but while also speaking real truth?
What can we do this Thanksgiving to begin to reconcile relationships damaged in the colonial era, both human to human and human to this land?" -
MLK Day 2024
"ServeOhio Funds 19 Statewide Service Projects Taking Place in celebration of MLK Day
These grants support more than 1,300 volunteers engaging in local community service projects across fifteen Ohio cities
ServeOhio, the Governor-appointed commission on service and volunteerism, announces grant awards to support 19 local Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service projects throughout January totaling more than $25,000. Much like Dr. King’s legacy, these grants will help nonprofits across the state improve their communities through service and volunteer activities. The grants will fund service projects in fifteen Ohio cities led by more than 1,300 volunteers.
Each project commits to bringing volunteers together to create or improve community assets or infrastructure and supports local community engagement and impact. Additionally, every project includes an education component based on Dr. King’s message of peace, unity, and service to create long-term, sustainable change.
ServeOhio awards these grants with support from the American Electric Power Foundation. Each grant totals between $250 - $1,500."