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On June 10–11, 2025, faith leaders, scientists, and Creation Justice Ministries staff gathered at the Avila Center for Community Leadership in Durham, North Carolina, for Refugia, Restoration, and Resilience: A Christian Leaders for Creation Justice Retreat. Throughout the retreat, we engaged in worship with the rest of God’s creation, learning & fruitful discussions, and discernment and reflection in nature. Participants were invited to witness an impactful line up of presentations including: Ecology of Imagination (by Avery Davis Lamb), Learning Wilderness of a Place (by Dr. Ellen Davis), Eco-Autobiography Guide (by Dr. Wylin Wilson), Restoring Resilient Refugia (by Dr. Rebecca Vidra), and Refugia, Resilience, Restoration & Resistance (by Dr. Jerusha Neal). All of these presentations woven together covered theology, ethics, science, and sacred stories to help us reimagine what faithful leadership looks like in this moment. But the retreat was more than workshops and lectures—it was a sanctuary of stillness and presence. Between sessions, time was carved out for nature walks, silent discernment, and shared meals. Worship sessions were held outdoors, reminding us that we too are one of God’s creations. This retreat was itself a kind of refugia. In a world where creation groans under the weight of climate disruption, it was a space to breathe, listen, learn, and be renewed. And like any true refugia, it wasn’t meant to be a permanent shelter—but a place to be restored and then sent back out. Participants left grounded in wisdom and energized to return to their communities with new tools, deeper connection, and a resilient faith.  As we continue the work of justice and restoration, may we carry with us the memory of this gathering—and the fig tree that stood as a quiet, rooted witness to our hope. Micah 4:4 Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.  Participants observing the fig tree on the grounds.
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Each summer, we brace for the heat. But in recent years, record-breaking temperatures have turned “just another hot day” into a public health crisis. From Arizona to Arkansas, urban neighborhoods to rural farmlands, extreme heat has become one of the most dangerous and inequitable consequences of climate change.  Responding to heat is more than disaster preparedness—it is an act of climate hospitality for our communities. This July, we’re focusing on heat resilience: how individuals, churches, and entire communities can prepare for and respond to record-braking temperatures in ways that protect the vulnerable and build lasting, strong communities.
Extreme heat disproportionately affects children, the elderly, unhoused individuals, and low-income neighborhoods—many of whom lack access to air conditioning, the shade from trees, or adequate medical care. It exacerbates health disparities and exposes deep cracks in our social safety nets. Yet in the face of this growing crisis, we see communities of faith stepping up: turning sanctuaries into cooling centers, checking in on neighbors, advocating for equitable infrastructure, and planting trees that will offer shade for generations to come (to all of God’s creation). This month, Creation Justice Ministries has collected a variety of resources both educational and practical to help your faith community care for both body and spirit in our warming world. These resources cover both heat illness prevention and church preparedness plans:
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About this BlogThis blog shares the activities of Creation Justice Ministries. We educate and equip Christians to protect, restore, and rightly share God's creation. Archives
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