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

Past Projects

  • Joined in the Treaty People Gathering and supporting Indigenous leaders' resistance to the Line 3 Pipeline
  • Coordinated with community partners to organize "Replant Minnehaha Trees," a community effort to grind stumps and replant about 50 neighborhood trees removed due to emerald ash borer
  • Installed the Eastside Greenway, a native-plant green space, as part of the updates funded by the church's 2017 Capital Campaign
  • Planted a hackberry tree at Hamline Church
  • Letter to Mayor Carter (PDF) providing feedback to the City of St. Paul on the draft Climate Action & Resilience Plan
  • Members participated in Earthkeepers training with Minnesota Annual Conference in April 2018
  • Members participated in Be the Spark training with Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light in February 2018
  • Rooftop solar panel installation in August 2018
  • Month-long alternative transportation challenge in 2017
  • In 2014, conducted energy audit and implemented suggested changes, including installing LED lighting throughout church, replacing boiler steam traps, & insulating pipes
  • Shifted to using compostable dinnerware for church events
  • 2018 Cool Congregations Challenge runner up

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.