Webinar: What Does it Mean to be an Earthkeeping Church? Refugia as a Vision for Creation Care

June 25 @ 9:30 am - 10:45 am PDT

| Free

This Month’s Church Earthkeepers: Let’s Learn Webinar

What Does it Mean to be an Earthkeeping Church? Refugia as a Vision for Creation Care

The biblical story invites all Christ followers to care for God’s world as a part of discipleship. However, every church body faces opportunities and limitations unique to its situation. What does it look like to integrate earthkeeping into the diverse contexts of typical congregational life, whether urban or rural, large or small? How do we imagine our corporate life together might embody God’s invitation to care for creation?

In this webinar, Debra and Ron Rienstra will use the ecological concept of “refugia” to inspire our imaginations for how local churches can become places of flourishing and vitality for all God’s creatures.

Join us as we learn from an array of real world examples and explore together the potential for this vivid imagery to invigorate our shared calling to live in ways that allow both our human and non-human neighbours to thrive.

Note: The event will be recorded. Please register here or at the button below to receive the link to the recording after the event has ended.

About Our Speakers

Dr. Debra Rienstra is a professor of English at Calvin University, where she has taught since 1996, specializing in creative nonfiction, early British literature, and environmental literature. Her most recent book is Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth (Fortress 2022), a book that combines theology, nature writing, and biological principles to consider how Christians must adapt our faith and practice for a climate-altered planet.

They are together working on a book, Refugia Church: Seeking Deeper Purpose, Courageous Action, and the Healing of the Earth, due in the spring of 2027, casting a vision for gospel communities in the anthropocene.

Rev. Dr. Ron Rienstra is Director of Worship Life and Professor of Preaching & Worship Arts at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, and Director of Church Partnerships for A Rocha USA. He is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America (RCA), and coauthor (with Debra) of Worship Words: Disciplining Language for Faithful Ministry. Together they have three grown children, a multiplicity of living-room instruments, and a tame back yard they are slowly rewilding.

More about the Monthly Church Earthkeepers Meet-Up:

Are you mobilizing your church to care for creation? Do you wish more people shared your interest? Then join like-minded folks for the Church Earthkeepers virtual event series with a renewed rhythm. This is part of our brand new church engagement program, Becoming an Earthkeeping Church. You can find out more at the newly designed program webpage: Igniting Creation Care in Churches.

Not able to make the meetup but keen to find out more? Wherever you’re at, we’re here to walk with you. To arrange a conversation with our team, reach us here.