You are ready to take action on creation care and justice concerns in your church & community, but how do you get started? Become a Global Ministries EarthKeeper! More than just a training, this is an incubation for innovation experience with scripture, theology, justice, project planning, networking, and more.
Your next training opportunity is completely online in March 2024.
Apply Now and Don’t Miss it: https://umcmission.org/earthkeepers
(The Fall In-Person Training Dates and Locations to be announced soon)
Read more to find out what 57 new Global Ministries EarthKeepers launched in 2023 and find inspiration for your own project in 2024!
2023 was a big year for Global Ministries EarthKeepers:
Online Reunion
On January 6, 2023, we hosted a Zoom event called “Arise & Shine: An EarthKeepers Epiphany Gathering,” our first-ever reunion of all commissioned Global Ministries EarthKeepers from thirteen trainings over the last seven years. We heard from Global Ministries General Secretary, Roland Fernandes, enjoyed worship, heard about some amazing EarthKeepers projects, learned where the new Global Ministries EarthKeepers pins were crafted (Rev. Adam Burns’ EarthKeepers project at Church of the Reconciler in Birmingham, Alabama), and broke into small groups for a reunion with our training cohort to catch up with each other’s projects.
Trainings Online & In-Person
Our spring training was fully online and in October we offered in-person training at three locations simultaneously (Birmingham Alabama, Denver Colorado, and Hartford Connecticut). A total of 57 new EarthKeepers were commissioned in November and their projects descriptions can be found on the Global Ministries Creation Care Network at https://creationcare.umcmission.org (it’s free to join and learn!).
Here is a overview of what they are working on:
Wild Church
A new United Methodist Wild Church Network for training, resourcing, and launching new outdoors worshiping communities across the country.
Climate Change & Resilience
North Carolina – Heat Resilient Churches is a partnership of the two UM Annual Conferences and the Nicholas Institute at Duke University to help rural churches save lives. Development of churches into Heat Resiliency Centers equips and empowers them to become hubs of local mission work in our warming world.
Simsbury, CT – Stop the Spotted Lanternfly is an education and preparation program for churches and communities to be actively involved with eliminating this invasive species.
Anti-Racism
Brooklyn, NY – Sisters of Sabbath Rest in Eden brings knowledge, resources, connectivity, and sustainability to women of color. Retreats, reduction of waste, solar energy, sustainability, and more will be topics in this development of connection and community.
Atlanta, GA – Curriculum for churches to combat environmental racism based on history, current struggles, and possible action steps.
Food Security & Justice
Bethlehem, PA – Sustainability & Food Justice in the Hebrew Bible is a hands-on seminary course that partners students with community organizations as they learn, garden, and advocate for justice.
Rutherfordton, NC – Fellowship and Farm Fresh Food through existing relationships with faith groups works with minority farmers and churches to bring nutritious produce to underserved communities and even teach people how to cook delicious meals.
Bloomfield, CT – BLOOM (Be Loved, Organized, Organic Mission) is developing a local food system to address food nutrition and insecurity.
Tuskegee, AL – Improving food insecurity in the community through teaching better selecting, purchasing, and cooking practices.
Bowie, MD – Green Growers Project is all about organic gardening for health of people and ecosystems.
Huntsville, AL – Grace Garden is bringing new life to old land by educating, equipping, encouraging, and empowering church and community members to grow food on whatever size land they have.
Water
Lebanon, PA – Living Waters is a small group education series focused on our role in clean water. God’s use of water in scripture, scientific aspects of water, understanding one’s local water source, and strategies for water conservation are all part of this program.
Energy Efficiency
Holston Conference, GA, TN, VA – Energy efficiency upgrades for churches with financial need in disadvantaged communities.
Denver, CO – Transforming Energy Together will advance energy equity and environmental justice in underserved communities.
Sacred Ground (new uses for natural landscapes)
San Antonio, TX – Using a program from the National Wildlife Federation, Northern Hills UMC used gardening and native plants to preserve and restore the natural area of the church campus and built a half mile prayer walk with stations based on Jesus’ Beatitudes.
Sonoma County, CA – An audio tour of scenic vistas, parks, and trails including information on the impacts of climate change locally, pointing to faithful action, and guiding visitors in a mindful spiritual practice.
Auburn, WA – an intergenerational curriculum with experiential lessons on creation care, adaptable for small groups, retreats, individual use, and service projects.
Chattanooga, TN – Growing community with green infrastructure connects congregations and communities most affected by environmental injustices through tree planting, rain gardens, community gardens for food production, and outdoor gathering spaces.
Brecksville, OH – Chippewa Creek Champions will teach creation care in community for capturing and filtering polluted runoff before it reaches the waterways.
Spokane, WA – Re-Creating God’s Corner is a project of Manito UMC to redevelop their campus grassy lawn with native, drought-resistant and pollinator plants. This will protect the aquifer and reduce water waste.
Cape Elizabeth, ME – Walk of Wonder will connect people with God while using trails connected to the church and share a faith-based value of healing and protecting the natural world. Stations along the trail invite walkers to pause, focus on their senses, and notice the elements of the environment.
Waste Streams
New York City – EarthKeepers are improving church clothing projects by incorporating standards, technology, and metrics in light of the fashion industry overproducing garments. This new system will help churches match clothing to people across cities and regions.
Hallsville MO – helping to reduce household waste through purchasing habits, reducing and reusing, to keep more items out of the landfill.
New England – Green Church Initiative is a local church environmental ministry to reduce single use plastic and Styrofoam, increase use of eco-friendly products, and develop composting solutions for food waste.
United Methodist Connection Leadership
Oklahoma City, OK – The United Methodist Higher Education Climate Justice Network will help develop collaborations among UM schools for curriculum, research, and activities related to climate justice.
New England Annual Conference – Their new Climate Coordinator is developing a plan for creation care education, efforts in energy efficiencies, and legislative advocacy.
North Alabama Annual Conference – Developing Green Team leaders and educational initiatives for churches, districts, and more.
Pacific Northwest Annual Conference – Imagining a More Just Future is cultivating spaces to create and sustain environmental justice readiness by understanding the impacts and root causes of the climate crisis as well as appropriate responses.
South Central Jurisdiction – Connecting the creation justice movement across the SCJ with support groups for creation care, justice, and regeneration, leading to collaborative action.
Greenwood Village, CO – Hope United Methodist Church is starting a creation care ministry to impact congregation and community.
Your next training opportunity is completely online in March 2024
Apply Now and Don’t Miss it: https://umcmission.org/earthkeepers
(The Fall In-Person Training Dates and Locations to be announced soon)
Even greater inspiration can be found om the Global Ministries Creation Care Network at https://creationcare.umcmission.org (it’s free to join and learn!)