We have recently learned of a new nonprofit organization (Kinship Plot) with some interesting ideas for learning more about God’s creation and ourselves. Heads up, though. Their next “learning cohort” has already begun, though they are willing to hold registration open for a couple of days for readers of The Pollinator.

Here’s what founder Wesley Vander Lugt has to say:

My wife Stephanie and I recently started a nonprofit called Kinship Plot, which exists to imagine and embody mutual relationships of every kind, including relationship with non-human creatures and the earth. We advance our mission through collaborative learning, formative artistry, contemplative action, slow cultivation, and liberatory welcome. You can learn more on our website and subscribe to our newsletter here.

Our next online learning cohort is called Our Entangled Existence, and it’s all about studying our kinship with non-human creatures and what this means for our identity, lives, and mission as Christians. I’ll attach the graphic below, but folks can sign up here (there’s one more week to sign up), and there will be one meeting per month from Jan-May 2022 with readings in between.

We are very excited about this program, and as it has come from the ever-creative Ruth Valerio, we asked her to send us a few words about The Oikos Network*. Here’s Ruth:

I’m delighted to let you know about a new initiative with A Rocha International, Tearfund and the Lausanne Creation Care Network. The Oikos Network is being set up to provide facilitated peer-group learning, support and encouragement for key individuals who are engaging churches in the crucial area of environmental care.

There are Christians around the world (including you reading this!) who are passionate about environmental care and active in engaging their churches, denominations and networks. But it can be a lonely and hard calling. So the Oikos Network will be a space to find support and build relationships with like-minded individuals from across the globe through online peer-support groups and events. It will be a place for you to voice your frustrations, celebrate your successes and learn together how to reach effectively into the Church in this area of whole creation care.

We have started with a six-month pilot to test and learn before launching it fully next year. That pilot has just started – three groups with ten people participating and three facilitators, with people from the Philippines, Ukraine, US, Malawi, UK, DRC, Thailand and elsewhere. The feedback from the groups so far has been so encouraging, with people expressing what a blessing it is for them to be on this journey together.

If you would like to know more – either you’d be interested in participating yourself or you would like to let others know about it – please do email oikos-network@tearfund.org and we will be in touch. Thank you.

Here’s to serving the church in our calling to be taking care of the whole creation!

Ruth
Global Advocacy and Influencing Director, Tearfund

*Here’s a tidbit Ruth doesn’t mention: Did you know that the word oikos (NT Greek οίκος) means home, household, or family and is the root behind words like ecology and economy? Look it up!

For those who might have wanted to participate in Creation at the Crossroads 2 but were not able to do so, plenary session videos are now available.

This convening focused on training in sharing our stories and the presentations were excellent. Some of us might find them useful in our own training programs. (Descriptions below only cover the main presentations; other material is also includeded):

• Day 1 (Master Story Teller Ambrose Carroll, Creating a personal narrative – Trishna Gurung, Focusing on different audiences – Ani Fete Crews): Video Part 1, Video Part 2
• Day 2 (Master Story Teller Jo Swinney, Media training – Paige Knappenberger & Marlene Peralta): Video
• Day 3 (Master Story Teller Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, Reaching Christian Media – Mark Galli, Developing an Organizational Campaign – Jan Vertefeuille): Video

Several creation care organizations have partnered to lead the Christian Climate Observers Program (CCOP) at the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, October 30- November 13 . CCOP is training the next generation of UN climate observers from a Christian and missional perspective before and during the conference. Check out the website to learn more and apply by August 1.

Learn more +