We are thrilled to welcome Christie Goode to the A Rocha team as she takes up the role of Vice President of Advancement. Christie has been a friend of A Rocha since 2001 when she took a class at Regent College with Peter and Miranda Harris, founders of A Rocha International. She brings over 10 years of experience in fundraising, mixed with a personal interest in food systems, and a healthy dose of creation-care theology gained at Regent College.
Leah Kostamo, A Rocha’s Communications Director, asked Christie to share more about of her story and hopes for her work with A Rocha.
Leah: Tell us a bit about your history with A Rocha
Christie: When I started as a student at Regent College in 2001, the very first course I took was a summer class with Peter and Miranda Harris—founders of A Rocha International—about mission. On the last day of class we had a picnic on the lawn, and I remember sitting there with Peter and chatting about how A Rocha was growing – God seemed to be “on the move” in this area of creation care.
(Peter kept interrupting the conversation, quite graciously, to point out and name birds. Some of them were so far away I could barely see the speck in the sky, but he knew what they were.)
In the years following, I took lots of classes with Loren and Mary-Ruth Wilkinson at Regent College and so enjoyed the same sort of earthkeeping teaching that so many A Rocha staff have benefitted from. Living in South Surrey near the A Rocha Centre has also meant our lives have been regularly interwoven with ARC, including being part of the Community Shared Agriculture project and enjoying the of A Rocha’s gardens.
And, of course, we’re donors.
Leah: What draws you to A Rocha’s work?
Christie: I don’t really consider myself an environmentalist. I’m aware of the issues but I’m not an expert. I can’t keep a plant alive to save my life. And I can’t name many birds or trees. (Yet!)
But what draws me to A Rocha are two main threads:
First, hospitality.
I think hospitality is a core expression of God’s generosity, of God’s stance of welcome toward us all. My heart has been longing to invest in hospitality, to get better at it, and A Rocha’s culture is saturated with it. Everything at A Rocha happens with a spirit of hospitality.
Second is humanity.
I am increasingly convinced that we cannot rest into our humanity—we cannot feel truly whole—unless we are connected to our calling as stewards of creation. I think consumer culture de-humanizes us. But connecting with nature re-humanizes us.
What would happen if more and more people in our society had opportunities and encouragement to connect with creation? To know their place, to care for it and in turn be cared for by it? It seems like that would make for a pretty vibrant society. That’s a pretty great vision to work on (and doesn’t even take into account how good it would be for the planet itself!).
Leah: What are you passionate about?
Christie: Oh gosh, lots of things! But mostly, it’s just God. I want to learn to listen and hear God’s whisper, to squint and see the speck of his presence, flying far off in the distance. I love to listen to people and see and hear God’s presence in their lives. He’s so good and beautiful.
Leah: What is your vision for philanthropy?
Christie: That sounds a bit lofty, actually. To me, giving financially is just one more way to experience God. Practicing generosity – whether through service or hospitality or giving or even just smiling at someone – it all aligns us with God’s way of being in the world. But it always costs something, it takes something from us, even if just time or effort or attention.
But giving financially is a particularly potent practice, because giving away money reveals our fears of not having enough for ourselves. It strips our faith pretty quickly to reveal that our fears are actually much stronger than we’re willing to admit.
Regularly giving creates space to see God provide for us, so that we can then provide for others. It opens space in our lives to experience God.
So I don’t think I have a vision for philanthropy in the general sense. I think the world is changed one person at a time, one situation at a time. Every gift (and decision not to give) is contextualized on our journeys with God and with each other. We all have different financial situations and different calls to give. I’ve been through many different seasons in my own giving, so I know it’s a journey.
But it is a marvelous way to experience God, and to participate in God’s good work in the world.
