Welcome to the ELCA seminary section of Lutherans Restoring Creation. Our common goal is to prepare leaders for the ELCA who will offer care-for-creation leadership in ELCA congregations and other institutions and in their communities and the larger world. We seek to:
Please join us as partners to help to make this happen. David Rhoads, LRC Director.
SEMINARY RESOURCES AND IDEAS
LRC Seminary Manual: Here is a 23 page manual for ELCA seminaries ro embrace care for creation in the educational program, worship life, building and grounds, lifestyle commitments of the seminary community, and public witness. This manual provides a comprehensive vision for the mission of the seminary along with resources and suggestions for specific actions and programs. LRC Seminary Checklist: Thumbnail list of items for seminaries to consider when making a comprehensive effort to bring care for creation into the full life and mission of the seminary. Worship at Seminary: Worship planners can incorporate care of creation into communal liturgies for every day! See resources at www.letallcreationpraise.org .
Care-for-Creation Worship Schedule. Consider a schedule of special care-for-creation services on your annual seminary calendar of worship: Blessing of the Animals; Covenant with Creation; Thanksgiving Service; Epiphany Festival of Light; Greening of the Cross; Earth Day Worship; Rogation Day; and more. LINKS Connections to other creation-care sites relevant to seminaries
Green Seminary Intitiative: www.greenseminaries.org. This is the key site for resources, news, and course plans from an ecumenical and interfaith spectrum of accredited seminaries. Please cooperate with this group in submitting profiles and
GreenFaith: http://greenfaith.org. These interfaith partners for the environment have a certification program for congregations and a certification program for pastors. They are in process of developing a certification program for seminaries. To speak with someone who has completed the two-year certification for pastors, contact Gil Waldkoenig, professor at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (gwaldkoenig@ltsg).
Faith in Place: www.faithinplace.org. An ecumenical and interfaith organization providing programs and resources for the Chicago area, including workshops for regional seminarians and pastors.
McCormick Theological Seminary (Chicago) Eco-Justice Certification Program for pastors and church leaders. Contact Ted Hiebert, faculty at MTS: thiebert@mccormick.edu or Clare Butterfield at Faith in Place: clare@faithinplace.org.
Web of Creation: www.webofcreation.org. This is the parent website for Lutherans Restoring Creation. As the home of the Green Congregation Program, it provides many resources for greening congregations.
Let All Creation Praise: www.letallcreationpraise.org. This is a new companion site that offers ecumenical resources for bringing care for creation into the worship life throughout the year. Also, it provides resources for celebrating an optional, four-week Season of Creation in the common lectionary cycle.
Bible and Ecology: ww.bibleandecology.org. Provides many resources for pastors, congregations, and academic programs, including the home page of the Earth Bible.
Earth Ministry: http://earthministry.org. Excellent resources for congregations and pastors.
| The LRC Seminary Initiative was launched at a pre-session of the ELCA Teaching Theologians Conference on "Eco-Lutheranism?" on August 13-15 at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH. Lisa Dahill (Trinity) and Barbara Rossing (LSTC) are the facilitator of the Initiaitve supported by a steering committee comprised of others representing all the ELCA seminaries. The Prospectus: Challenges and Opportunities for ELCA Seminaries Launching Event for the Seminary Initiative. LRC Pre-session at the Teaching Theologians Conference. LRC sponsored a presession on Monday August 15 attended by 25 representatives of ELCA and ELCC seminaries. Click here to see the agenda, attendees, and report of the Seminary Intitiative steering committee. Steering Committee for the Seminary Initiative. Check here for members, meetings, notes, and updates. SEMINARY NETWORKING Seminary Reports: Care for creation commtments, actions,and programs at each of the ELCA seminaries. All updated for 2012. LRC Seminary Contact People: A list of the care for creation leaders and LRC point persons for each of the ELCA Seminaries. Contribute a Report Here are several suggestions for ways your seminary can contribute a report or update a report for this site. ELCA Seminary Faculty: Here is a list of faculty teaching courses related to ecology at ELCA seminaries. Please add your name to the list by answering these questions: How has your faith been shaped by place, location, landscape or environment? What difference does ecology/environment make in your teaching? Please list any of your courses, publications, or presentations that address environment Send your information for posting to drhoads@lstc.edu NEWS, HIGHLIGHTS, AND STORIES NEW Between Economy and Ecology Offers ELCA Leaders Practical Information  A stewardship workshop for seminarians, pastors and leaders in ELCA congregations, was held April 6 at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Dr. Jim Martin-Schramm, Professor of Religion at Luther College in Decorah, began by reminding participants that this is the century of climate change--the social justice issue which will eclipse and umbrella all other social justice issues of our time. [Read More] Gettysburg Seminary Spring Convocation. April 17 & 18, 2012 "Getting Green Faithfully" presenters include Fletcher Harper, Executive Director of GreenFaith; David Rhoads, Professor of New Testament, Emeritus the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago; Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Seattle University Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Theology and Religious Studies; and Gilson Waldkoenig, Professor of Church in Society, B.B. Maurer Chair for Town and Country Church Ministry and Director of the Town and Country Church Institute (TCCI). This event is past, but click here to learn more about the program and presenters. Research Project by Cameron Harder, Lutheran Theological Seminary of Saskatoon: “Identifying Core Values of Under-represented Stakeholders in Resource-based Industries and Communities” Gettysburg Seminary Goes Geothermal: link. Gettysburg Joins Wartburg as the second ELCA Seminary to embrace geothermal energy sources.
Earth Year at LSTC (2009-2010): Events and resources related to the environmental theme year at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago http://www.lstc.edu/earthyear/index.html |
