A Review of EcoFaith Summit 2019
The whole day went supremely well. This is now our 8th or ninth annual spring event (our third Summit), a kind of crescendo from all our previous gatherings. Dave Carlson's keynote was marvelous, the breakout sessions were vigorous in participation and substance, and the liturgy for Earthkeeping with Diane Jacobson's preaching and outstanding musical leadership sent people out with inspiration and encouragement. Pr. Jake Dyrhaug composed a powerful blues song just for this occasion , "What in the world is Goin' On?" which he performed as a sing-along at the beginning of the day. The hospitality team of people from Lord of Life, Lutheran Church of the Cross, and Bethlehem, Brainerd, did a superb job of hosting the event. Everyone on the leadership team stepped forward to lead the breakout sessions and help in many other ways.
Twenty-eight congregations from all five conferences of our synod participated, many of them coming in teams. They were joined by guests from the Minneapolis Area Synod, the St. Paul Area Synod, the Southwestern Minnesota Synod, the Northwestern Minnesota Synod, the Nature Conservancy, Citizens Climate Lobby, Interfaith Power and Light, MN Citizen's Environmental Quality Advisory Board, plus members from United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Roman Catholic, and Unitarian-Universalist congregations. Our guests were impressed, sensing the leading role that the Northeastern Minnesota Synod is taking in living out the Gospel for the whole creation.
Thank you again for your support, and for your message to the 110 people gathered for the EcoFaith Summit on Saturday! We look forward with hope to how the Spirit is stirring among us in its work of "renewing the face of the earth".
Blessings,
Kristin Foster
Leadership Team Co-chair with David Carlson
NE MN Synod EcoFaith Network
The whole day went supremely well. This is now our 8th or ninth annual spring event (our third Summit), a kind of crescendo from all our previous gatherings. Dave Carlson's keynote was marvelous, the breakout sessions were vigorous in participation and substance, and the liturgy for Earthkeeping with Diane Jacobson's preaching and outstanding musical leadership sent people out with inspiration and encouragement. Pr. Jake Dyrhaug composed a powerful blues song just for this occasion , "What in the world is Goin' On?" which he performed as a sing-along at the beginning of the day. The hospitality team of people from Lord of Life, Lutheran Church of the Cross, and Bethlehem, Brainerd, did a superb job of hosting the event. Everyone on the leadership team stepped forward to lead the breakout sessions and help in many other ways.
Twenty-eight congregations from all five conferences of our synod participated, many of them coming in teams. They were joined by guests from the Minneapolis Area Synod, the St. Paul Area Synod, the Southwestern Minnesota Synod, the Northwestern Minnesota Synod, the Nature Conservancy, Citizens Climate Lobby, Interfaith Power and Light, MN Citizen's Environmental Quality Advisory Board, plus members from United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Roman Catholic, and Unitarian-Universalist congregations. Our guests were impressed, sensing the leading role that the Northeastern Minnesota Synod is taking in living out the Gospel for the whole creation.
Thank you again for your support, and for your message to the 110 people gathered for the EcoFaith Summit on Saturday! We look forward with hope to how the Spirit is stirring among us in its work of "renewing the face of the earth".
Blessings,
Kristin Foster
Leadership Team Co-chair with David Carlson
NE MN Synod EcoFaith Network
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To learn more about the EcoFaith Network, including creation care resources, mini-grant opportunities, speaker’s bureau, and more see: http://www.nemnsynod.org/eco-faith.html or “Like” the EcoFaith Network Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/nemnecofaithnetwork/
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Caring for creation is important to everything we do as church. We don’t need to tell you that our earth is in a growing crisis that is already endangering human beings, as well as plant and animal life, and the soil and water that sustains life itself. Climate change and ecosystem degradation is accelerating. We know that we are called to be stewards of God’s wondrous, intricately interdependent creation. The question is not whether to be those stewards, but how? How do we integrate what is actually integral to the very Gospel for the healing of God’s world?
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