Creation Justice Ministries

There is less than one month remaining to apply for theEco-Preacher Cohort, a program facilitated in partnership with and ! This cohort offers monthly Zoom sessions to help preachers understand climate change and other environmental justice issues more deeply as spiritual crises that require creative, faith-rooted action. Apply by August 12 at creationjustice.org/ecopreacher

Last week was the Feast Day of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha.
As the first Native American saint, her story is both inspiring and complex, intertwined with the painful history of colonization. St. Kateri is respected among Catholics and indigenous Mohawks, who see her sainthood as a unique bridge between two cultures, potentially fostering unity.
Despite immense hardships, Kateri's deep spirituality and connection to the God's creation offers an example for all Christians. She carved crosses in trees, prayed in the forest, and found God in Creation.

To read more about Saint Kateri Tekekwitha, visit creationjustice.org/blog.

Thriving Earth project: The Capacity Collaborative. This project helps rural communities in the Southeast United States combat a variety of natural issues such as water and air pollution. Your church can be part of a similar initiative! To learn how you or your congregation can participate in Thriving Earth, email [email protected].

To read more about The Capacity Collaborative, visit thrivingearthexchange/blog.

Swipe to learn more about a Thriving Earth Exchange project! This project is a two-phase initiative to assess and improve the safety of drinking water in Navajo communities. Visit creationjustice.org/thrivingearth for more information!

On Tuesday, Biden announced a rule that, if passed, will institute heat protections for workers exposed to extreme heat. Swipe to learn about the rule and how it will impact over 36 million workers.

“Today, I say goodbye as the Co-Executive Director at Creation Justice Ministries. As God is doing a new thing in my life, God is doing a new thing at CJM.

Thank you for supporting the organization during my tenure. I am grateful for your presence and engagement to protect, restore, and rightly share God’s creation. I know with the Holy Spirit that we will have the strength to continue this work.

Scroll to see some of my memories over the last 3 years at Creation Justice Ministries.”

- Karyn Bigelow

Application for our Eco-Preacher cohort is open until August 12 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in this collaborative opportunity to explore preaching in a climate-changed world.

Thriving Earth is a program designed to support community science within communities. To find Thriving Exchange programming near you, visit thrivingearthexchange.org/map

Creation Justice Ministries is once again hosting a Summer Reads series! Join us for a webinar series that weaves together the themes of birth, death, and resurrection. Through engaging conversations between authors of pivotal books, each session will offer a spiritual lens to view the profound challenges and opportunities presented by climate change. Visit creationjustice.org/summerreads for more information and to register!

As the beginning of our Eco-Preacher cohort draws nearer, we are proud to introduce our 2024 Eco-Preacher facilitators! We have an amazing team working behind this cohort. Swipe to learn more about Derrick and Nicole!

With the year now halfway completed, we are excited to bring you July's 52 Ways to Care for Creation! This month, focus on small ways, such as advocating on social media or meditating outside, to care for God's sacred earth.

Members from twelve different churches in Northern New England gathered together at the Schoodic Institute in Winter Harbor, Maine for “Claiming Your Call for a Climate Changed World. This three day retreat, co-hosted by Creation Justice Ministries, the BTS Center, and Anabaptist Climate Collaborative, combined science, indigenous wisdom, and theology to help the churches discern the ways that they might have a positive impact on their watersheds. Each church left with a “radical intent” to be a part of the healing and restoration that their communities need now and will need in this climate changed reality.

Keep an eye out for the latest episode of The Green Lectionary Podcast! Featuring special guests Karyn Bigelow and Avery Davis Lamb, the text from this episode is Job 38:1-11. Watch for this episode everywhere you stream podcasts!

Happy Juneteenth! Today, Creation Justice Ministries commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when African-Americans in Texas finally gained their freedom two years after the Emanicipation Declaration was signed. Sometimes called "Freedom Day" or "Emancipation Day," we take this time to reflect on history and celebrate Black freedom.

If you are located in the US, chances are you have experienced extreme heat this week. Hundreds of millions of Americans are at risk due to this human-caused crisis. Swipe to learn what "extreme heat" is, who is impacted, and download helpful resources.

🌿 Pastoral Care Climate Retreat 🌿

From the refreshing coastal breeze to the vibrant life all around, the Duke Marine Lab felt like entering a garden of tranquility and learning. 🌊🌱

Jerusha Neal posed the critical question regarding the climate crisis: “What does one preach in the face of the unthinkable?”

The retreat brought together seasoned climate advocates and newcomers eager to address creation justice. Through deep discussions, learning, worship and community, we found hope and ways to combat climate despair. 🌍💔

We learned about the impacts of climate change, the role of churches in disaster response, and the importance of storytelling and community support. 🌪️💬

Participants shared their thoughts: 🗣️ "When I found out the retreat was going to be here I was more excited to come!” 🗣️ “Being here has renewed my hope.
Sometimes I feel like a voice crying out in the wilderness about creation care. I was on the edge of being apathetic. This has encouraged me that other people care.” 🗣️ “You all have tied the threads together that I could not put in place. And given me more reading and digging.”

Grateful for the partnership between Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment, Divinity School, School of Nursing, the Duke Climate Commitment, and Fuqua School of Business, and the insights from amazing speakers. 🏫✨
Leaving with renewed hope and a reminder that God’s Spirit is at work in the world, offering shalom to all creation. ✨🌍

Read this article, co-authored by Creation Justice Ministries' co-executive director, Avery Davis Lamb, to find out how faith leaders are working to protect The Blake Plateau!

Opinion: Georgia faith leaders are working to protect Blake Plateau The Blake Plateau is a truly remarkable and irreplaceable ecosystem.

Last week, June 2-June 8, was Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW)! The Biden Administration announced two final management plans and one new marine sanctuary. Swipe to read a CHOW recap and find out what the Biden Administration is doing for our oceans.

In our changing world, congregations and leaders can provide vital voices of truth and possibility amidst climate challenges. If you are a faith leader interested in exploring your role in our climate-changing world, the 10-month Eco-Preacher cohort is the perfect program. Learn more and apply at creation justice.org/ecopreacher.

Thriving Earth Exchange connects communities with scientists and technical experts and supports them as they work together to tackle local challenges related to natural hazards, natural resources and climate change. Visit creationjustice.org/thrivingearth for more information about how to work with Thriving Earth Exchange to design and implement a 6 to 18-month community science project!

Happy Ocean Month! For years, Creation Justice Ministries has been creating and compiling ocean-related resources. Swipe on this post and visit creationjustice.org/ocean for ocean resources ranging from news articles to photographs.

Join Creation Justice Ministries in celebrating World Ocean Day! Swipe to learn about the theme for this day and access more free resources about God's beautiful marine creation.

Happy World Ocean Day! Join Creation Justice Ministries in taking today to reflect on God's beautiful marine creation. Swipe to learn about this year's World Ocean Day theme and find resources to learn about and celebrate the ocean.

Join Creation Justice Ministries on June 27 for our third webinar in the Faithful Preparedness: Faithful Resilience series! Register for "Democracy as Climate Resilience" through the link creationjustice.org/democracyresilience!

Join The BTS Center, Creation Justice Ministries, and Damascus Project for a Summer Fiction Book Club! Each month, we’ll read a novel with themes around climate change and then gather for a lively session with a guest conversationalist. Read the book ahead of time and then join us for discussion. You can come to one, two, or all three sessions! For more information on the books and sessions and to register, visit thebtscenter.org.

Apply now for the Certificate in Climate Justice and Faith! This is a virtual course built on cohort-based learning among communities of faith. Participants are encouraged to be part of the change they want to see in their communities! Share with other individuals and organizations you want to work with so that you can build local momentum while meeting people from across the globe!
https://bit.ly/24_25CCJFApp - DUE: JUNE 17th!

🌍✨ Embracing faith and environmental stewardship! As our climate-changed and changing world continues to demand courage, imagination, and resourcefulness, congregations and their leaders have a unique opportunity to offer prophetic voices of possibility. Following on from a successful EcoPreacher Cohort in 2022-2023, and with the desire to support, educate, and engage preachers in the integration of climate consciousness into their preaching, Creation Justice Ministries has partnered with The BTS Center and Lexington Theological Seminary to offer this year-long cohort of learning, companionship, and exploration that will begin in September 2024.
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This cohort will offer monthly sessions to help preachers understand climate change and other environmental justice issues more deeply as spiritual crises that require creative, faith-rooted action. For more information, head to creation justice.org/ecopreacher.

Urge Congress to protect The Blake Plateau! In order to safeguard the Plateau, sign on to encourage President Biden to designate the plateau as a national monument. Sign on and learn more at bit.ly/CJMBlake!

The ocean has always been a source of awe and imagination. The ocean has mesmerized artists, scared sailors, enchanted onlookers, and inspired theologians. Join us this month in exploring all things ocean, from book recommendations, and advocacy to theological reflection.

“The waves broke and spread their waters swiftly over the shore. One after another they massed themselves and fell; the spray tossed itself back with the energy of their fall. The waves were steeped deep-blue save for a pattern of diamond-pointed light on their backs which rippled as the backs of great horses ripple with muscles as they move. The waves fell; withdrew and fell again, like the thud of a great beast stamping.”
― Virginia Woolf, The Waves

Take action now! Join us in exploring the 52 ways to care for creation this month. Head to creationjustice.org for more resources!