Christian pastors concerned about creation care will gather next week in Madison, Wisconsin for the annual Creation Care at the Crosswords conference sponsored by the Lausanne/World Evangelical Alliance Creation Care Network and the Loka Initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The event will be held from September 17-20, 2024 at Holy Wisdom Monastery in Madison.
The convening program is designed to provide a supportive and confidential setting for church pastors of American mid-size congregations in which we can share information, strategies, tools, and relationships to help you address the topics of creation care and climate change among your congregations.
In the convening, you will have access to:
- Up to date theological and scientific knowledge about creation care and climate change.
- Strategies and tools (communication, conflict management, policy) to help you in your role as pastor to navigate difficult but important topics.
- New supportive relationships that will hopefully continue after the program ends.
Our goals, as always, are to:
- Help pastors and church leaders launch or improve creation care and climate programs that protect and benefit their congregations.
- Create a network of skilled Christian creation care leaders who can work with creation care organizations, environmental and science organizations, and the media moving forward.
- Recommend communication guidelines with nonprofits and policy groups to assist in communicating and partnering with Christian communities on creation care and climate issues.Â
Each day begins with a time of worship and singing, along with a brief devotional led by one of the participants.
Tuesday, September 17th
5 pm: Welcome Dinner including greetings from Dean Paul Robbins, Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin and a program overview from the project facilitators: Dekila Chungyalpa, Director of the Loka Initiative, and Ed Brown, Executive Director of Care of Creation.
Wednesday, September 18th
Morning: Creation Care Theology with presentations by Ed Brown and Dr. Ben Lowe, Executive Director of A Rocha USA.
Afternoon: The latest developments in Environmental Science with presentations by two University of Wisconsin faculty members Rick Lindroth and Michael Notaro, and Dr, Susan Davidson, board president of Midwest Environmental Advocates.
On Wednesday afternoon, we will visit Loka’s host unit on campus, the Center for Healthy Minds, and be in dialogue with scientists studying ecological emotions, including eco-anxiety and climate distress. Bring your best solutions with you on how to address these experiences within your congregations and communities! Bring some comfortable clothing if you want to venture on Lake Mendota near by.
Thursday, September 19th
Morning: Science Denial, Science Communication, and Election Emotions with Rick Lindroth and Ed Brown, followed by a session on Church and Science led by Pastor Chris Dolson of Blackhawk church.
Afternoon: Project design and planning with Dekila Chungyalpa and Brittany Michalski.
Personal and Group Integration Sessions – largely unstructured time with opportunities to ask more questions of the resource people and to work with each other on concrete action plans for our home contexts.
Friday, September 20th
Morning: Project idea presentations from participants, followed by a tour of Holy Wisdom’s grounds
Program close with sharing and prayer for each other, followed by lunch and departures.