By J. P. Smith, DSC Earth Care Chair
While enjoying some late summer respite from the demands of your routine life, you may have found yourself at a quiet, cool, green spot on a meandering creek. The place the dentist suggests you recall as he starts the drill. But this is a safe place with trees and boulders that encourage the creek to meander like your thoughts. Sometimes rushing with splashing waters, sometimes causing an eddy around tree roots, but most of the creek moves slowly, predictably. One might imagine what it would be like as a trout in the creek. We would explore our watery realm to discover: the exciting rapids; the eddies where fellow trout find cover and ample food; the sullen current where trout search the bottom for enough to get by.
After summer vacation and we return to our Fall routine, we make choices similar to the trout we may have daydreamed about. We can spend our time in the slow, comfortable current or we can move into the rewarding, highly oxygenated rapids of creation care.
For the first time in the West, Global Ministries is offering that experience, by becoming an EarthKeeper. Travel cost is the responsibility of the trainees, but the training, facility, and meal costs are covered by Global Ministries.
The deadline for your application is October 11, but the training takes place on November 1-4 at the beautiful Wasatch Retreat Center training site in Salt Lake City (click here to find out more about the retreat center).
Who should attend the Earth Keepers training?
United Methodists who:
- Feel a deep sense of God’s call to care for the environment, recognize the urgency of the environmental crisis, and are ready to take bold action;
- Need to strengthen their organizing skills and deepen their theological resources to support the development or growth of an environmental project or initiative in their churches and/or communities;
- Want to join a broader community of United Methodists who are engaged in environmental ministries;
- Have some previous experience with environmental issues and/or ministry.
May you discern your kind of trout is to be one full of oxygen and excitement this November. We all can contribute to the effort to protect God’s gift of the Earth, as well as all the trout upon it.
- Recommended reading: https://um-insight.net/in-the-church/umc-global-nature/recommended-reading-and-watching-umc-earthkeepers/
- More about Earthkeepers: https://www.umcmission.org/Learn-About-Us/Events/earthkeepers-training-2018
Questions about this event may be directed to Rev. Jenny Phillips, Creation Care Program Manager at jphillips@umcmission.org.
Click here to access the Desert Southwest Conference Facebook group for Earth Care.
