58: The Film premieres in theaters nationwide (get free tickets)

58 the film

One of the great misunderstandings about the care of creation, perpetuated by many environmentalists, is that the main beneficiary of environmental action is...the environment. Don't get me wrong--a Christian worldview clearly recognizes the … [Read more...]

Get Outdoors this Christmas!

boy-sledding-snow

[Ed. note: This article is part of our weekly series of church activities, called Cultivating Community, published on Thursdays.] The holidays can mean lots of eating, lounging around, and whining "I'm bored." What a waste! Christmas break, … [Read more...]

Streams in the Desert: 5 Steps Toward Restoring Waterways as a Church

There's trash in them streams!

[Ed. note: This article is part of our weekly series of church activities, called Cultivating Community, published on Thursdays.] A stream cleanup: It’s a simple way to engage the community beyond your church’s doors, care and restore … [Read more...]

We Love the Creation We Know

The author's childhood backyard in winter.

[Ed. note: this article is part of our weekly series of reflections called Deep Down Things, published on Wednesdays.] by Kendra Langdon Juskus I grew up in a beautiful place. Not even an hour from New York City, my parents’ house rested … [Read more...]

Church Life Blossoms Through Creation Care

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

Why did the children cross the road? Because they could! www.pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden

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...]

Gifting Well

Photography by BJWOK

[Ed. note: this article is part of our series of weekly reflections called Cultivating Community, published on Thursdays] Many traditional Christmas gifts begin with good intentions and end up as a pile of plastic on their way to the landfill. But … [Read more...]

Cultivating Community: One Thing

Justly produced coffee packs a lot more than caffeine in its punch.

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...]

Deep Down Things: There is a balm in Gilead

marilynne-robinson-gilead

Marilynne Robinson's novel Gilead has been around for a few years, but I only recently read it. I'm glad I'm finished with it now, not because it wasn't good, or even transcendent. It's both. But upon finishing it, I felt like Moses on Mount Sinai, … [Read more...]

Weekly Family Activity: Drops of Water

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by Kendra Juskus How great is God—beyond our understanding! 
The number of his years is past finding out. He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on … [Read more...]

Weekly Church Activity: Giving thanks for all creation

CC Image courtesy riptheskull on Flickr

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...]

Weekly Reflection: That Beauty May Flourish

Grand_Canyon

By Jim Jewell Last spring we planned a family trip to the Grand Canyon. I had been to the Canyon once before and had slept under the vivid starry skies of the northern Arizona high desert so I could see the rising sun begin lacing early ribbons of … [Read more...]

Weekly Family Activity: Saving the colors of the season

autumn-leaves

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…” - Ecclesiastes 3:1 If you live in a place where the seasons change, you get to witness the shift in God’s rich palette of colors every few months. And right … [Read more...]

Weekly Church Activity: All the earth, let us sing!

A Call to Worship and Obedience

Worshiping God in weekly church services is, for many of us, the only time we express ourselves to God in song. In song we praise God’s faithfulness, thank him for his unconditional love, and recount the history of his communion with us. But … [Read more...]