Hamline Church

Hamline Church Earthkeepers

Hamline Church Earthkeepers

As part of Hamline Church’s social justice ministry and mission to be sanctuary for the city, the Hamline Church Earthkeepers seek to live out our sacred responsibility to God’s creation by providing meaningful opportunities for our church and community to engage with, learn from, and care for God’s creation. As Christians and as Methodists, we firmly believe that we are called to deeply love and mindfully steward all of God’s creation.

We affirm that all of God’s children are part of God’s perfect creation, and we celebrate the variety and diversity of creation. We proclaim that the Earth is a place where abundant life is possible for all of God’s children.

We seek to stand with and defend the most vulnerable of God’s children who already bear a disproportionate share of the impact of the Earth’s changing climate. We lament that the sins of discrimination, racism, and oppression are often the root cause of unequal access to the gift of God’s creation.

We acknowledge the overwhelming magnitude of the challenges posed by humans’ destruction of nature. We confess our own roles in the sin of harming God’s perfect creation. As people of Jesus Christ, we believe we are called to respond with hopeful and courageous actions--both locally in our own neighborhood, and in partnership with ecumenical, interfaith, and public environmental movements--to care for all of God’s creation and all of God’s children. At Hamline Church, we practice care for God’s creation as a form of prayer and an expression of our faith in Christ.

Get Involved

Hamline Church Earthkeepers is not a set team, but rather a collection of people who are interested in caring for creation and putting creation care principles into action in any way they are involved in church life and the work of social justice. We invite you to add your voice, ideas, and leadership to creation care at Hamline Church! In 2022, we will be continuing our work on restoring the tree canopy and reducing energy use, with a renewed emphasis on the power of Sun and Light.

  • Have an idea for a project for Hamline Church Earthkeepers? Or interested in working on a project in progress? Email HamlineEarthkeepers@gmail.com
  • Are you willing to write a blog post for our Sustainability Spotlight? Or have an idea for a way the church’s creation care should be highlighted in a blog post (by someone other than you)? Email miriam.e.friesen@gmail.com
  • Would you like to be added to the list of people who receive updates about Hamline Church Earthkeepers projects? Email HamlineEarthkeepers@gmail.com

Current Projects

  • Hosting a Global Ministries Earthkeepers Training in October 2024.
  • Providing ongoing volunteer care for the plants in the Greenway in spring and fall
  • Upcycling plastic bags into knitted sleep mats for unhoused neighbors
  • Participating in an ongoing Land Acknowledgment/"Sacred Reckonings" taskforce to explore implementing a land acknowledgment statement, develop actions in support of indigenous rights, and expand our congregation's understanding of the Church's role in settler colonization and white supremacy.
  • Advocating for implementation of additional recommendations in the 2023 Energy Audit, including discerning next steps to minimize the church's fossil fuel footprint.
  • Continuing communication with neighbors who received a tree from the Replant Minnehaha Project in 2021 to support proper tree care and irrigation
  • Participating in the City of St. Paul’s Race to Reduce
  • Maintaining “Climate Justice Congregation” certification through Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light

Past Projects

Sustainability Spotlight

Hamline Church members practice creation care in their homes and lives in a variety of ways. We invite you to learn and become inspired to take further action in your own life or as a member of our community.