A MINISTRY OF
ST. COLUMBA'S INVERNESS
COUNCIL FOR ECOLOGICAL DISCIPLESHIP
P R E S E N T S
Love God, Love God's World
St. Columba's will be hosting a small group online course
beginning Monday, February 9 and continuing monthly for 9 sessions
Each session will meet from 4- 5.30 pm PT / 7-8:30 pm ET.
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Love God, Love God’s World is a nine-session, film-based curriculum, ideal for those anywhere on the journey with creation care and environmental ministry—from newcomers looking to take their first step to seasoned leaders seeking a transformative small-group experience. Sessions include compelling films and readings, faith-based reflections, and discussion questions, each written by different contributors who draw from their own contexts and experiences. Participants will also discover ways to learn, pray, advocate, and conserve.
Participants will be asked to register in advance and plan to attend the majority of sessions in the course. No new registrations will be accepted once the group has begun to allow members to have a shared experience and build trust in one another over the months. Sessions will meet on:
February 9, March 9, April 6, May 11, June 8, July 13, August 10, September 14, and October 12.
Reading materials and videos for each session take approximately 2-3 hrs to review. The commitment for the series is to be present as far as possible for the discussions in the group. These discussions will not be recorded and will not be shared outside the group to encourage open communication.
The course materials require a password to access and can be accessed at any time. No books are required.
Members of the Council for Ecological Discipleship will be facilitating different sessions.
The course is free, though a donation is always welcome.
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Please feel free to invite your friends. You do not have to be an Episcopalian to participate, though there will be an emphasis on Scripture in each session, and we will open and close each session with prayer.
Any questions, email Penny Washbourn at PenelopeWashbourn@gmail.com
SESSION TITLES AND BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS
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SECTION ONE | WHAT IS GOD’S DREAM?
February 9: Session One | God So Loved the World | Author: The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers
Theme: Exploring God’s love for creation and forming small group circles through storytelling by articulating individual experiences of love and grief in relation to creation.
March 9: Session Two | Water & Our Baptismal Covenant | Author: Canon Ashley Hubbard
Theme: Connecting the work of creation care to our baptismal covenant through water stewardship.
April 6: Session Three | A Vision for Right Relationship with the Land & Covenant with the Creator | Author: The Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton
Theme: Participating in story-sharing from an Indigenous perspective: land; living in “right-relationship” with creation; and Indigenous sovereignty and stewardship.
SECTION TWO | TRUTH-TELLING
May 11: Session Four | We Have Not Loved Our Earth as Ourselves | Author: Rev. Payton Hoegh
Theme: How did we get here? Exploring humanity’s role in climate change and environmental crises.​
June 8: Session Five | Our Health, the Earth’s Health: Environmental and Public Health | Author: Adrienne Elliot
Theme: Truth-telling about the intersections of environmental health and public health.​
July 13: Session Six | Lives in Peril: Extreme Weather and Disaster | Author: The Rev. Richard Acosta
Theme: Migration, refugees, and climate crisis.
SECTION THREE | RESTORING THE COVENANT, REPAIRING THE EARTH
August 10: Session Seven | God Works with Our Broken Hearts: Grief, Repentance and Reckoning | Author: Rev. Payton Hoegh
Theme: Exploring climate grief, lament and repentance
September 14: Session Eight | A Better World is Possible: Communities Organizing for Change | The Rev. Jemonde Taylor
Theme: Imagining community organizing and impact at the parish level.​
October 12: Session Nine | Resilience along the Way of Love | Author(s): Adrienne Elliot and Sarah Nolan Theme: Resilience and discernment toward environmental care and action.