Newsletter

Spring 2002

A Not Really Academic Question
By Terry Morrison, Au Sable Trustee

From the earliest days of the Evangelical Environmental Network (InterVarsity was one of the founding members because our then president, Dr. Steve Hayner, was on the Board of the Evangelicals for Social Action which was the parent of EEN) I have been trying to get InterVarsity staff and students to develop Creation Care Stewardship, but with little to show for my efforts!

The National Religious Partnership for the Environment, which was the occasion for the foundation of EEN, provided money to each of the participating organizations to give small grants to partners in the EEN. So on behalf of InterVarsity I applied for these over a number of years and received the grants in due course. Here are some of the things we tried to do:

(1) Urban Projects---Every summer InterVarsity students and staff go to the inner cities of major metropolitan areas to work with the poor and disadvantaged. InterVarsity's Creation Care crew (mostly myself) worked with the leaders of these projects in Detroit and Atlanta to develop suitable activities not only to awaken students and staff to Creation Care but to serve the poor in decreasing environmental degradation. The groups cleaned up stream banks, researched neighborhoods for understanding of environmental threats and I provided biblical, theological training to the staff and
students which they could then use in their ministries to the inner city.

(2) Theological basis---We prepared, with the holp of several other staff who were theologically trained and good writers, a multi-page document giving biblical and theological grounding to Creation Care activity. Included in that were a number of resources such as Bible studies for small groups, ideas for leading large group meetings and even weekend retreats. These were distributed to all of InterVarsity staff at a national staff conference.

(3) Cedar Campus---We provided money for the rehabilitation of an old trapper's cabin at our facility in the Upper Peninsula. This building was equipped with electricity, was weather proofed and insulated and materials were assembled to begin making the Creation Care Center a training spot for campers. I'm happy to say that this has had some effect. High school and grade school students using the conference site for weekend conferences were given training at this cabin and we hope in due time to prepare curriculum materials for our college student training programs that will engage them in Creation Care learning.

What profit did InterVarsity, EEN and NRPE get from these efforts? As near as I can tell, a few staff were stimulated in their own lives and ministry, a few students were encouraged because they had some Creation Care motivations but didn't think other Christians shared them, so these were encouraged and equipped. Of course Cedar Campus has been made much better prepared to serve in this way, but was this a good return for the investment?

More can be done and I believe eventually will be done, particularly using the Cedar Campus site and perhaps our theological and biblical grounding documents, but would that extended effort motivate more? So my question to the readers of this newsletter is: what are the reasons so few people respond to these opportunities? What will it take to motivate Christians to action? I'm stumped! Any ideas gladly received.

Dr. Terry Morrison
Director of Faculty Ministries
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

We'd love to her from you on this topic. Write to the Au Sable Administrative Office or email to responto@ausable.org.

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