Seminaries

This ELCA seminary section’s goal is to prepare leaders for the ELCA who will offer care-for-creation leadership in ELCA congregations and other institutions and in their communities and the larger world.
We seek to:

Provide eco-resources and ideas for the full life and mission of seminaries.
Sponsor an LRC Seminary Networking group.
Offer news, highlights, and stories of seminary events and developments.
Link with other like-minded groups.

Please join us as partners to help to make this happen! And, keep checking back below as we are currently adding to this list.

Studying Resources:

What Can We Do?

AFFIRM: Personally, with your church council, or entire synod, review our ELCA's 1993 call to action and commit to engaging in ...

Food – Faith – Farming

Since there are so many members of our ELCA community who live in agricultural areas and we all depend on ...

Continuing Ed. & Online Learning Opportunities in Eco-Theology and Environmental Justice

There are a growing number of learning opportunities from seminaries and other trusted institutions (many are online and free). We ...

Tools for Talking and Listening

Being church together doesn't have to mean we have one mind. Listening to the Holy Spirit within each of our ...

Lenten Resource: Carbon Fast Calendar

Lutherans Restoring Creation encourages you to try one new practice every day that may prevent further desecration of God's good ...

Ways to Integrate Creation Care in your Lenten Practices

During the season of Lent (or any other time of introspection), share these resources with your Bible Study group, Worship ...

Awakening to God’s Call to Earthkeeping

Download this free resource for a non-politicized, easy to follow path to help connect faith, eco-theology and the community we ...

Devotional resources for use with the Bible and nature

EcoBible (2021) Through commentaries on the Hebrew Bible that fit perfectly with your daily study, Eco Bible reveals a spiritually ...

Bible verses on nature and care for creation

Bible and Nature The following is a listing of bible verses on creation, our relationship with the earth, and our ...

Creating An Action Plan

Action Plan Guidelines 1. Explore some action plan ideas: Consult the Manual and the websites/resources listed with each item for ...

What Do We Know About Carbon Pricing and How is it Part of a Just Transition?

We are grateful for the work of Faith Action Team with Citizens' Climate Lobby and eager to share that a ...

A Theology of Liturgy in a New Key: Worshiping With Creation

Thanks to David Rhoads, Paul Santmire, and Norman Habel who share here their Chapter 2 of "The Season of Creation: ...

This is Church and You Are Needed Inside & Out

Watch this message from our churchwide leaders and fellow members across the country who recognize the tough, uncomfortable work of ...

Lutherans Restoring Creation Trainings (video playlist)

https://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=playlist&list=PLFPMTinJ7FKmCa8raWeI-Qr9a_3ldlSab&layout=gallery ...

Lutherans Restoring Creation’s YouTube channel & playlists

Visit our Youtube Channel to see "liked" videos, uploaded videos, and playlists. Or scroll through our playlists linked here: ...

Voices from the ELCA – Caring for Creation Today

Watch God's Work. Our Hands. created in partnership with ecoAmerica's BlessedTomorrow ELCA churches across the country are working to serve ...

Ten Reasons Why Lutherans Care for All Creation

To join with other Lutherans in caring for creation, help your congregation become a Creation-Care congregation; visit this page for ...

How Do We Truly Commit to the Earth Charter?

During the 2019 Churchwide Assembly the ELCA voted to officially sign onto the principals of the Earth Charter. How does ...

17 Ways to be an EcoPreacher

by Rev. Dr. Leah Schade Here are 17 ideas excerpted from my book Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology and the Pulpit (Chalice Press, ...

Eco Bible: An Ecological Commentary on Genesis and Exodus (2020)

What does the Bible say about ecology? As people face huge ecological challenges--including growing hurricanes, floods, forest fires, and plastic ...

Saving Us, Katharine Hayhoe

We have been grateful for the shared knowledge and experience shared by climate scientist and fellow person of faith, Katharine ...

Rooted & Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis (2019)

Rooted and Rising is for everyone who worries about the climate crisis and seeks spiritual practices and perspectives to renew ...

Larry Rasmussen’s Lecture for the Bonhoeffer Lectures in Public Ethics at Union Seminary

Voices from science, ethics, and theology on Eco-Reformation. Veni, Creator Spiritus! An Ecological Reformation Veni, Creator Spiritus! Once a World Council ...

Lutheran Study Guide to Pope Francis’ Letter on Climate Change

This is a four week study intended for church adult education, college, or seminary classrooms. The study takes up the theme ...

What Every Seminarian Should Learn about Caring for Creation

1. The environmental state of the world—basic principles of ecology, information about critical issues (such as global warming, ozone depletion, ...

Sing Out! Celebrating with Creation: Songs in Support of Ongoing Earth-Care

Sing Out! Songs written to known melodies, for use in association with the Eco-Reformation, the Season of Creation, or occasions for ...

Toward a Better Worldliness: Ecology, Economy, and the Protestant Tradition

by Terra Schwerin Rowe Five hundred years ago the Protestant Reformation inspired profound theological, ecclesial, economic, and social transformations. But ...

Companion Sites

Lutherans Restoring Creation greatly appreciates the volunteers who keep the following resources updated. We are also blessed to have a ...

Sacraments and Creation

The sacraments are occasions to reflect on human relationships with the rest of creation. Different Christian communities recognize different sacraments ...

Getting Started, First Steps

Getting Started The program, becoming a creation care congregation, can begin from any place—pastor, interested lay people, a standing committee, ...

How to Make Your Seminary Greener:

Energy Stewardship

Lutherans have had a tremendous history with being good energy stewards - but we have a long way to go. ...

Certificate in Climate Justice & Faith at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary

Lutherans Restoring Creation is proud to co-sponsor the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary's Certificate in Climate Justice and Faith Program. Join a ...

Eco-Resources for Your Synod Gatherings

What can YOU do to get congregations in your area thinking about Caring for Creation as part of church? 1 ...

Lenten Resource: Carbon Fast Calendar

Lutherans Restoring Creation encourages you to try one new practice every day that may prevent further desecration of God's good ...

Ways to Integrate Creation Care in your Lenten Practices

During the season of Lent (or any other time of introspection), share these resources with your Bible Study group, Worship ...

Water discipleship tool for Congregations!

Vermont Lutheran Church partners with Interfaith Power & Light to Share the Various Ways to Revere Water: In 2018, Vermont ...

Creation Care Congregation: Building and Grounds Ideas

Building and Grounds: “The church as an alternative community” Be an Energy Steward. Revere the resources God so graciously gives, ...

Creating An Action Plan

Action Plan Guidelines 1. Explore some action plan ideas: Consult the Manual and the websites/resources listed with each item for ...

EPA’s Energy Star Congregation’s Guide

This workbook serves as a resource and planning guide for clergy, staff, and laypersons of houses of worship who want ...

Urban Farm on Seminary Campus

Here is a link to an article about our newly dedicated urban farm, a collaboration between our seminary and Axiom ...

What Do We Know About Carbon Pricing and How is it Part of a Just Transition?

We are grateful for the work of Faith Action Team with Citizens' Climate Lobby and eager to share that a ...

Lutherans Restoring Creation’s YouTube channel & playlists

Visit our Youtube Channel to see "liked" videos, uploaded videos, and playlists. Or scroll through our playlists linked here: ...

How Do We Truly Commit to the Earth Charter?

During the 2019 Churchwide Assembly the ELCA voted to officially sign onto the principals of the Earth Charter. How does ...

Companion Sites

Lutherans Restoring Creation greatly appreciates the volunteers who keep the following resources updated. We are also blessed to have a ...

Green Teams

How to create a “Green Team” with your congregation: 1. Formation. A green team may come into existence in a ...

Action Plan Ideas

The goal is to make a difference by transforming attitudes and commitments and by embracing concrete actions that reduce human ...

Creation Care Congregation: Personal Discipleship Ideas

Discipleship at home and work: “Love your neighbor” Personal Covenant with Creation: Plan a worship service in which members can ...

Checklist for Energy Savings Room by Room

Overall Home Energy Saving Measures Efficiency Heat/ AC: Install high efficiency ENERGY STAR-rated furnace and air conditioner, at least at ...

Coming Home To Earth

by Mark Brocker As a young Norwegian Lutheran teenager in rural Wisconsin, Brocker lay awake one night worrying whether he ...

The Nature of Things: Rediscovering the Spiritual in God’s Creation

Edited by Graham Buxton and Norman Habel Forward by David Rhoads With contributions by David Rhoads, Paul Santmire, Celia-Diane-Drummond, Heather ...

Within Limits: Remember the Sabbath

Jim Martin-Schramm Luther College Chapel October 7, 2011 Exodus 23:10-12 (or 31:12-17) Within Limits: Remember the Sabbath Our reading this ...

Valparaiso University shares tips about how to reuse plastic bags!

When one ton of plastic bags is reused or recycled, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil is saved! ...

Green IT

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) at Muhlenberg College has been on the forefront of campus sustainability initiatives. Not only ...

Growing a garden church from food scraps and compost

We turned an empty lot in L.A. into an edible sanctuary. by Anna Woofenden (shared from Christian Century magazine) When I moved ...

Living the Change: A Tool Connected to Many Faiths

GreenFaith has helped pull together leaders from various religions across the globe to recognize our common concern for the planet ...

Tools for Talking and Acting on Climate with Faith-based Language

Blessed Tomorrow's Moving Forward Guide ecoAmerica helps leaders from the local government, the public health sector, and faith-based cohorts figure ...

The Green Foundation of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg

Geothermal Comes to the Battlefield By Delaney Schlake (M. Div Middler, Trinity Lutheran Seminary) 150 years ago, the Lutheran Theological Seminary ...

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Seminaries