Have you ever performed religious songs at a small town car show? Stayed as a guest in a house where water came out of just one tiny hole in the shower head? Awakened to find your host had made some 300 pancakes made for an all-you-can-eat breakfast for 4 students? Taken taxis around a country you didn’t know at all in order to interview pastors? Those, unbelievably, are just some of the many strange and wonderful experiences I had through my college campus ministry.
You see, I had the privilege to be an active part of a group called New Visions. We sang in churches throughout northern Illinois most Sundays during the school year. Four students were selected from the group to be part of a summer team that led music and wilderness camps and toured throughout Illinois and Wisconsin, often staying overnight in the homes of church members. I was selected to be part of that summer group twice and eventually was its Director for a couple of summers as well. That leadership experience was invaluable at shaping my skills, my sense of calling, and my passion for doing ministry in the outdoors.
My campus ministry also offered annual trips to developing countries around the world. I studied poverty in Haiti, the realities of war in El Salvador, and the intersections between theology, education, and politics in Zimbabwe. It would be impossible to overstate the shaping influence of experiences like these in my life in helping me to think globally and to see the many forms injustice takes. Earth Day takes on an entirely different meaning after you’ve had a chance to literally see what it’s like to have to carry water 5 kilometers every day from a well to your home, or when you’ve seen how a solar oven can reduce deforestation in a mountain village.
All of these experiences were only possible thanks to the generous donations the campus ministry received from individuals and churches. Many of the most active students went on to become ministry professionals, run for political office, work for nonprofit organizations, become beloved and award-winning teachers, or in countless other ways shape this world we share for the better.
At Iowa IPL, our Called to Climate Action program builds on the skills, interests, and passion students in higher education settings have for caring for the environment. Some may come with an active background in church and/or campus ministry, while others may be exploring for the first time the connections between their faith and social engagement in the world. Regardless of their backgrounds, our student leaders collaborate to develop action-oriented and educational events for students and others to take part in. As they study and work together, they discover many ways in which climate action that springs from their own faith and conscience can be a significant part of their future careers.
Because one of our Program Associates left in March, we’ve decided to put our Called to Climate Action program on hold while we strategize, re-tool, and dream about new possibilities. The students who have taken part in this program have had transformative experiences, and we have every reason to believe future participants will as well. Significant life choices are often made as one moves through their higher education, and faith communities need the leadership and energy students bring that helps us to become resilient communities.
We’re anxious to see our Called To Climate Action program grow…but
since it’s one of our initiatives that isn’t funded by grants,
we rely on the generosity of supporters like you from around the state.
Think back to your own time in your late teens and early twenties. Who were the people and what were the events that helped shape you into the person you are today? When did your awareness about the importance of caring for the planet begin to take root, and who nurtured that passion? What unusual events from that time still bring a smile to your face as you remember them?
This Earth Month, I hope you’ll consider giving a gift to Iowa IPL and our Called to Climate Action program in honor of someone who inspired or equipped you to be a world-changer.
If no one comes to mind, do so in honor of my campus minister, Rev. Barbara Isaacs, who inspired me and so many others to look for the opportunities to creatively work for justice, wholeness, and education for all.