Longer Bio

Rita and Ken share a lifelong commitment to faith, education, and advocacy for a more just and sustainable world. Married with four children and six grandchildren, they have dedicated their lives to nurturing both their community and the planet.

Rita taught music for 50 years across all grade levels before retiring, and she continues to be an active leader in environmental and civic engagement. She founded and leads the St. Thomas Creation Care Team, serves on the Indianola Sustainability Committee, and is active in the Catholic Climate Covenant and Citizens’ Climate Lobby. In 2023, she served as a delegate to the Continental Synod, bringing her faith perspective to global conversations within the Church. She is also deeply involved in local, state, and national elections.

Ken spent a decade as the Parish Outreach Liaison for Catholic Charities of Des Moines, where he accompanied Bishop Pates in introducing Laudato Si’ to the diocese and community, helping people connect Catholic social teaching to care for creation. He is a member of the Diocese Global Advocacy Team and the St. Thomas Creation Care Team. In addition to his church work, Ken has been a strong civic leader, serving four terms on the Indianola School Board and one term as the city’s mayor. He is also the author of the blog Faith is Simple on Substack.

Together, Ken and Rita have presented numerous workshops on Laudato Si’ and related topics, educating parish communities, students, and adults across Iowa. Their shared ministry continues to inspire faithful action at the intersection of spirituality, community, and climate justice.

Workshops and Presentations

Laudato Si’
This encyclical, written by Pope Francis, is a letter to every person on earth describing what is happening to our planet and what must be done to care for our common home. It transcends all faiths and ideologies, offering a blueprint for sustainable living. Rita and Ken offer several variations of this workshop:

• A four-session series (90 minutes each) exploring the encyclical in depth, with the goal of helping participants understand the global climate crisis and commit to lifestyle changes.

   

• A single-session overview (60–90 minutes) providing an accessible introduction to the major themes.

   

• A 90-minute presentation tailored for high school students.

   

All formats connect faith to creation care and include a slide presentation, group discussion and sharing, music, reflection, and practical challenges for change.

How to Form a Creation Care Team
Many churches and organizations want to establish a team that educates and promotes eco-friendly practices. Rita and Ken guide participants through the logistics of creating a Creation Care or “green team,” offering resources, suggested activities, and proven strategies for success.

Turning to Simplicity Retreat
This three-session retreat, inspired by Laudato Si’, focuses on living more simply and faithfully. Session themes include “Keep it Simple, Sweetheart,” “Less is More,” and “Turning to Simplicity.” Participants engage with slide shows, thought-provoking videos, meditation songs, interactive breakout discussions, and take-home projects. This retreat is especially meaningful during Lent, offering opportunities for deep reflection on what truly matters.

Distance willing to drive:

• Theological foundations of climate justice

• Congregational stories of creation care in action

• Integrating spirituality with sustainability practices

• Christian social witness and environmental ethics

• Faith-based organizing and advocacy strategies

• Personal climate storytelling as a tool for change

• Guest lecturing and speaking with college students

Distance willing to drive: Anywhere in Iowa, available for Midwest speaking engagements on a case-by-case basis

Preaching on Biblical foundations of climate justice, drawing on Hebrew prophets and Jesus.  Examples include:

Rejoice, O Soil!

In a time of ecological crisis, the prophet Joel led his community on a journey from lamentation to repentance to celebration. How does Joel call us to respond in faith to the crises of climate and ecological devastation in our world today?

Who is My Neighbor?

Loving our neighbors in a climate-changing world includes caring for the soil, the water, the plants and animals, as well as human neighbors who may live next door or across the globe.

Practice Resurrection.

The resurrected Jesus showed up among his followers who were full of anxiety and fear and offered them the gift of peace. Now as then, Jesus shows up in the midst of our climate anxiety, offering peace and inviting us to practice resurrection. 

Worship for the Shalom of All Creation

A workshop to equip pastors and worship leaders to create worship experiences that express the groaning and the joy of creation.

Deepening the Language of Faith in a Climate-changed World

A workshop exploring words and practices with power to open conversations and inspire action to heal ourselves and our planet.

Wild Church: Creation is God’s First Word. 

Karla will lead an outdoor worship service, where the centerpiece of worship is listening to the voice of God in Creation.

 Distance willing to drive: 150 Miles

Tim brings a wealth of experience in Christian education/faith formation, youth ministry, outdoor/retreat ministry, digital ministry, and writing/curriculum development to the projects he works on. He enjoys blending these together to create interactive, multisensory, participatory learning events. He’s available for workshops, speaking, retreats, and preaching.

Some of the topics he can present on include:

• Climate-informed Congregations: Where Creation Care Shapes Everything
• Creation-centered Spiritual Formation
• The 7 R’s of Climate Care (a youth ministry workshop)
• Writing about Faith and Climate
• Green(er) Digital Ministry

Distance willing to drive: All of Iowa

Stephanie is available for workshops, speaking to groups, and retreats.

Topics: 

Forming and Sustaining a Green Team

• Finding your purpose
• Choosing projects with impact
• Working within your organization’s structure to get things done

Living Your Values Through Lifestyle

• Navigating consumer and lifestyle choices
• Low waste living
• “The good life” (what flourishing looks like)
• Gift economy / Buy Nothing
• Slow fashion

Nature, Spirituality, and Practice

• Empowering action by cultivating a relationship to nature
• Terra divina (sacred earth practices)
• Attention / bird language
• Deepening relationship to place

Exploring Creation Through Art

• Art as a practice
• Art inspired by nature
• Art made using eco-friendly or natural materials
• Art as activism: posters, protest art, and movement art

Distance willing to drive: Anywhere in Iowa

Rob is available for workshops, speaking to groups, and preaching.

Topics: 

Distance willing to drive:

Marty is available for workshops and speaking to groups.

Partial list of topics and presentations:

Distance willing to drive:

Longer Bio

Dr. Jim Zaffiro is Professor Emeritus at Central College, Pella, Iowa, where he has taught a wide variety of courses for over forty-one years. Professional areas of research interest and expertise include international relations and foreign policy, African studies, youth civic engagement, as well as global, national, and state-level environmental politics and policy. His interest in climate justice stems from an abiding conviction of the necessity of all people of faith and conscience to live out a commitment to earth stewardship, social justice, and human rights. Teaching about climate change to young people for over three decades has been a powerful motivator for his own ongoing learning, awareness, and community-based action on climate justice in local, national, and international settings. He is eager to work with diverse faith communities.  

Workshops and Presentations

Encountering Three Earth Stewardship Worldviews: A Native American, a Scientist, and a Pope

This could make an interesting workshop or group activity. Participants will read excerpts from Vine Deloria, God is Red, Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, and Pope Francis’ Laudato Si. People will decide which of these worldviews resonates best with them and why, then write a response, including a text quote. Group sharing and discussion follows. Comparisons and takeaways.

Global Poverty and the North-South States Climate Divide: Poor Countries and the poor are disproportionate victims.

An international history of the emergence of the global climate crisis and efforts to address it at the international level (1969-2025). Specific country examples throughout. A bit about the United Nations as key coordinating body for global climate negotiations, treaties, and collective action to address the adverse impacts. This would best be delivered as a lecture-discussion.

Climate Justice, Faith, and Global Sustainability – Reading: excerpts from Laudato Si.

History and Evolution of U.S. Climate Policy (from the green decade to Trump II)

Laudato Si and Faith Communities: contemplating responsibilities, contemplating personal and collective action strategies at the congregational, local, state, national, and global levels

Taking Climate action via community engagement, social justice, poverty alleviation, and human rights work

Case studies of states around the world taking climate action (Germany, China, ….including among some of the 50 U.S. states)

Distance willing to drive: All of Iowa