Profile: David Rhoads

Image courtesy of lstc.edu

David Rhoads is a pastor, professor, author, and environmentalist. He was on the faculty at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) beginning in 1988 and is now a professor emeritus. He is the author and editor of many books including, The Season of Creation: A Preaching Commentaryand Earth and Word: Classic Sermons on Saving the Planet. He also was instrumental in the creation of “The Web of Creation,” a resource for faith communities looking to improve their environmental advocacy.

 

To connect to Dr. Rhoads biographical page on the LSTC website click here.

Madison Christian Community

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Madison Christian Community is the community created by Community of Hope, UCC and Advent Lutheran Church, ELCA. They have made environmental care and action a major cornerstone of their mission. Their church website is a wonderful resource for many congregations who are looking for success stories for implementing creation care into one’s own community.

To connect with this community click here.

Let All Creation Praise

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Let All Creation Praise is a website maintained by Nick Utphall a pastor in Madison, WI; Susan Zencka, a pastor in Stevens Point, WI; Alydia Smith, programing coordinator for the United Church of Canada; Leah Schade, a professor of preaching and worship at Lexington Theological Seminary (KY), and David Rhoads, director of Lutherans restoring Creation. The website has many resources for worship, and they are an advocate for supporting the Season of Creation which is an opportunity to add this season of four Sundays celebrating creation and the creator to the traditional church year.

You can connect to their website here or connect via facebook here.

 

Baltimore, Ohio Community Gardens

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A 2017 article written by Robert Badgeley and published by the Lancaster Eagle Gazette shares the success of the Baltimore Community Gardens sponsored by Faith Lutheran Church in Baltimore, Ohio. Extra produce is donated to the local Baltimore Food Pantry.

 

For more information on the Baltimore Community Gardens click here.

 

God’s Good Creation Vacation Bible School

Picture courtesy of elca.org

God’s Good Creation is a vacation bible school (VBS) resource from Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The VBS focuses on teaching children about hunger, hope, and the work to which God calls on us to aid in ending hunger for good. There are five days that each contain learning activities with different themes. To read more or download God’s Good Creation, click here.

Hungering for Justice; Luther and the Economy Study Guide

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Hungering for Justice; A Luther and the Economy Study Guide is a resource from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This extensive study guide covers topics such as sustainability, caring for creation, household economies, food and hunger, and more. To read or download the entire study guide, click here.

Beyond the Steeple: New Life in Texas

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elca.org/

Beyond the Steeple: New Life in Texas is a video on New Life Lutheran Church in Dripping Springs, Texas. Every Sunday, rain or shine, they hold their worship outdoors under the live oaks on their property. The short video shows an average Sunday at the church and also talks to members about their experience attending a church with no building. Pastor Kara Stewart stated, “I love that in order to come to worship I need to know what’s going on in the world, like the actual creation world not just world events; that we pay attention to what the land will be experiencing when we’re here.” To watch the video on New Life Lutheran Church, click here.

ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving

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Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has relief programs around the world and in 2018, they created a “40 Days of Giving.” During this lenten program highlights several programs in India, Malawi, and the United States that revolve around food and agriculture, education and income, health and wellness, refugees, and women’s rights. To read the entire brochure on the goals of these projects and the impacts they could have, click here.

ELCA Hurricane Florence Disaster Response

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elca.org/

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) has created a bulletin insert to show the need for support in response to Hurricane Florence. The insert explains the needs of people in the Carolinas and what a donation or a gift to the cause could do. To download the insert, click here.

A Passion for Justice and Jesus

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A Passion for Justice and Jesus is a story of faith in action from Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It is a story about a mother and her children and how they got involved with her church through a passion for justice and Jesus. It is meant to be used as a bulletin insert to show examples of faith in action and to inspire others. To read more or download the bulletin insert, click here.