By Andy Patton Flourish magazine, Winter 2011 The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, sits just off of a high-speed, four-lane highway lined with fast-food chains, a Wal-Mart Supercenter, and a cluster of modular, low-rent … [Read more...]
A Rooted Church: Englewood Christian Church
November 29, 2010 by 1 Comment
By Chris Smith Flourish magazine, Fall 2010 A 115-year-old congregation in one of Indianapolis’s rougher urban neighborhoods might not be the first image to pop into one’s mind when one thinks of a “green” church. … [Read more...]
The Flourishing Church: Ecclesia Fights for Life on All Fronts
August 16, 2010 by 2 Comments
by Lindsey Howald Patton Flourish magazine, Summer 2010 When the harsh 2009 winter came through Texas, it wrecked a small community garden on Houston’s Frances Street. It left row after neat, cinderblock-lined row in a frozen, crippled … [Read more...]
The Flourishing Church: Transforming a Church Yard, One Blade of Grass at a Time
May 17, 2010 by 2 Comments
by Scot F. Martin Flourish magazine, Spring 2010 “Anti-Christ Turf Monster!” That’s what we’ve dubbed our seven-plus acres of turf grass on the property of Trinity Covenant Church in Livonia, a suburb of Detroit. (Full … [Read more...]
Church Life Blossoms Through Creation Care
December 24, 2009 by 2 Comments
Merry Christmas from Flourish! We’re taking time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the "firstborn over all creation," so in lieu of our regular "Cultivating Community" post, we invite you to enjoy these examples of churches engaging God's … [Read more...]
Don’t Walk Alone: Doing walkability audits as a church community
December 17, 2009 by 4 Comments
What is the closest shop to your church? Or place to eat lunch? The nearest residential street? School? Can you walk to these places after leaving a Sunday service? Can the church staff walk to any significant destinations during the week? Does it … [Read more...]
Cultivating Community: One Thing
December 3, 2009 by 6 Comments
Watch the hot water swirl into your tea in a rich brown stain. Breathe its steam into your mouth, and feel a little more at peace. Wrap your fingers around the porcelain of your mug. Settle your eyes on the person across from you and really hear what … [Read more...]
An Offering to God
November 16, 2009 by 2 Comments
Flourish Magazine, Fall 2009 A Flourish interview with Michael Abbaté. Although Christ’s church does not dwell in buildings of steel and stone, it still needs physical venues to host worship, teaching, celebrations, and potato-salad-laden pot … [Read more...]
Weekly Church Activity: Giving thanks for all creation
November 12, 2009 by 1 Comment
Earth Day, April 22, has turned into a modern secular holiday, but it is often ignored by churches. However, Thanksgiving is a more natural time for Christians to give thanks and praise to God for his creation. We thank God not just for food, family, … [Read more...]
Flourish Interview: Margaret Feinberg, Part Two
October 30, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Writer and speaker Margaret Feinberg calls creation care an "invitation to intentionality" within the Christian faith. Click the link below to hear more about this invitation (and to find out how she met that cute sheep!) in the second part of … [Read more...]
Video: Creation calls
September 22, 2009 by 3 Comments
Sometimes we get so consumed with working for creation's protection and renewal that we fail to let ourselves be amazed by it. The best remedy for that is to go outside and be absorbed into God's creation for a bit, but a close second is this video. … [Read more...]
Churches are this year’s ENERGY STARS
September 17, 2009 by Leave a Comment
The First Baptist Church of Dallas will save $450,000 in utility costs this year due to its new approach to energy use. The First Baptist Church of Springdale and its Shiloh Christian School carefully monitored their energy usage and trained their … [Read more...]
A Growing Movement
July 6, 2009 by 6 Comments
By Melanie L. Griffin Published in the Summer 2009 issue of Flourish magazine It won’t be long now before two massive Clydesdales drag the plow across the land, breaking up the red clay soil of the fields surrounding Cedar Ridge Community … [Read more...]