Southwestern College

The role of the church in caring for the Earth will be explored in a two-day conference at Southwestern College in Winfield Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 28 and 29. Registration is now open for the Creation Care Conference, which is part of the annual Builders in Ministry week.          
           
“This conference is open to all persons—lay and ordained—because the topic is of vital importance whether you are a church leader or simply someone who cares about stewardship of creation,” says Steve Wilke, executive director of the sponsoring Institute for Discipleship at Southwestern College. “The church’s role in sustainability is crucial as it must demonstrate and live in a way that will preserve God’s resources for future generations.”
           
Rebekah Simon-Peter and John Hill will speak and lead discussions.
           
Simon-Peter, an ordained United Methodist minister, worked as an acid rain research and volunteer naturalist before receiving her call to ministry. After more than a decade of serving churches in Colorado and Wyoming, she is now a sought-after presenter, sharing the “green” gospel with churches, interfaith groups, and community groups. She is the author of “Green Church: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rejoice!” and “Seven Simple Steps to Green Your Church,” as well as numerous magazine and newspaper articles.
           
Hill is a lobbyist for the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society and has served as program director for environmental justice since 2002. As part of his ecumenical work, Hill is chair of the policy committee for the National Council of Churches’ Eco-Justice Working Group and co-chair of the Washington Interreligious Staff Community’s Energy and Ecology Working Group.
           
Simon-Peter and Hill will lead workshops, speak in chapel, and present the annual Parkhurst Lecture.
           
Registration for the conference is $50 by Jan. 31 and $60 after this time. (The price does not include cost of housing.) Special group incentives are available, and limited housing is available on campus.
           
For more information or to register, contact Julie Headrick, director of camps and conferences, at 620-229-6141 or julie.headrick@sckans.edu. Registration online is at sckans.edu/bim-week.