A retreat for pastors, September 17 to 19 at Camp Friedenswald, Cassopolis, MI
Monday, 5 p.m. through Wednesday, 1 p.m. 

About the Retreat

Canada and the US have vibrant societies and economies with innovative technologies. So how is it that our nations consistently rank among the bottom 10 countries in addressing climate change? What are the human and social barriers that keep us from addressing climate change? We will look at this question from a pastoral perspective.

The retreat will explore not just literal denial, but also subtle forms of denial and distancing that shield North Americans from painful realities. We will face the impacts of climate change found among brothers and sisters in Africa, South America, and Asia, and learn how our own locales may be affected. How does the Gospel of Jesus Christ give us hope in the face of such complex problems?

Why attend?

  • Increase your understanding of the way caring for creation directly connects to caring for people and living out God’s vision for our world.
  • Engage in peer-to-peer exchanges with fellow pastors intent on making creation an essential piece of the good news of Jesus Christ.
  • Empower yourself and your congregation to be change agents, addressing environmental and social issues of our time.
  • Return to your congregation with a renewed sense of purpose, feeling connected and full of hope and possibility.

Presenters

Doug Kaufman pastors at Benton Mennonite Church, Goshen, Ind. and serves as the director of pastoral ecology for the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions and Mennonite Creation Care Network. Doug calls himself a river pastor, having baptized people in the Elkhart River for over 15 years and led a Hoosier Riverwatch group monitoring the health of the river. Doug has also been a conference minister with the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. He is pursuing a Th.M. in theology and ecology at Toronto School of Theology.

Amy Huser is the Sustainability and Outdoor Education Director at Camp Friedenswald. After weaving her passion for sustainability into a career as an art teacher, she went back to graduate school to study sustainability and resilience, completing her M.S. in Resilient and Sustainable Communities from Green Mountain College in 2017.

Registration

The retreat is funded by a generous grant from the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions. The event is free to pastors in the Mennonite Church USA. This includes meals and lodging in Camp Friedenswald’s Sandhill Lodge.  Others pay $225. To register, complete the form below by August 31.