September 2007 News from Care of Creation

Dear Friends of Care of Creation Inc,

Summer has passed. The street outside my house is quiet during the day now as children spend their time in school. Out back the population at the bird feeder is starting to change as the early birds begin their long flight south, and others replace them who spent their summers much farther north arrive to spend a week or two with us before continuing their own long journeys. A few minutes ago I found myself nose to nose – well, nose to beak, I suppose – with a beautiful hummingbird exploring the dahlias outside my living room window – also stopping off briefly before heading south to escape the winter. And even as the days get colder, the farmer’s market is full of such an amazing variety of things to eat – I could easily believe that there are more different kinds of vegetables popping out of the ground than there are kinds of candy bars in the local candy store! God is good – and more than generous to us frail mortal beings!

At Care of Creation we find ourselves a little like the birds. We migrate – mostly back and forth from Africa. We wander around the US sharing what God has done and is doing. And we gather in flocks to try to discern God’s plans for our future – as individuals and as an organization. Herewith a brief descripton of some of these migrations and gatherings…

First (annual?) Strategic Prayer and Planning Retreat

Starting with a flock gathering this week: This weekend (September 13-16) we will be holding our first Prayer and Planning retreat. Thirteen of us will be spending four days together in Stillwater MN, reviewing what God has done in the last two years and seeking God’s presence and wisdom as we look two, five, even ten years ahead. Please pray with us that God will give us a spirit of unity and wisdom and especially vision – we don’t want to be limited by “there are only a few of us and we have no money”. Rather, we pray for the courage to ask, “What does God want to do, and how many people might it take to do that?” We believe God has brought this organization into existence for a great purpose – probably greater than we have understood yet – and we need to hear his voice as we discuss what countries God might have us move into; what staff and resources might be necessary; how we might organize ourselves for maximum effect with minimum organizational effort; and of course, where financial support will come from. We’re looking for exciting things, and will probably send out a special edition of this newsletter sometime next week letting you know how your prayers have been answered.

Craig and Tracy Sorley on home-visit

On to mirgrations – the Sorley family (Craig and Tracy), plus sons Nathan and Aaron) have migrated home to Minnesota for an eight week home leave. They anchor our work in East Africa, directing Care of Creation – Kenya. After two years in Limuru (outside of Nairobi), they are spending a few weeks here in the US resting and getting reacquainted with grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends and their home church. We praise God for all of you who have joined their support team and have helped to underwrite their ministry these last two years. Keep up the good work!

The Sorley’s will be returning to Africa about October 5, and I know they will appreciate your prayers for some good rest while they are here, and for safe travel and good reentry to the work when they return. Among their top prayer needs is the fact that Tracy will be starting a homeschooling routine with Nathan as soon as they get back. If you have done home schooling yourself you will understand the kind of prayer support and encouragement Tracy needs, particularly as she continues to support Care of Creation Kenya in maintaining the accounting system until we can bolster our administrative staff there.

E. Calvin Beisner and Ed Brown to discuss Environmental Stewardship

The highlight of my fall travel schedule will be a fascinating evening at Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, just outside of Philadelphia PA. Cal Beisner, nationally known speaker and representative of the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance, and I will share the platform on Sunday Evening, October 14, to discuss Christian environmental stewardship in the context of Biblical teaching and the realities of today’s worldwide environmental crisis. Cal and I take very different approaches to this issue, as many of you will already know. If you are in the area in mid-October, we would love to have you join us! Click here for information and directions to the church.

Texas, Wisconsin, and don’t forget Massachusetts

The rest of the fall will be busy as well. There will be several other opportunities to catch up with me if you don’t happen to live in Philadelphia… Here’s a rundown on current travel plans:

• October 1-3: A number of events in Abilene, Texas, including: A community event sponsored by ‘Keep Abilene Beautiful’ on Oct 1 (location and exact time to be arranged – contact us if you’re interested in being informed); Chapel and classes at Hardin Simmons University on Oct 2; Chapel and classes at Abilene Christian University on Oct 3rd.
• October 13: Community Book Festival, Edgerton WI (11 am and noon; exact location to be determined)
• October 14: The Environmental Stewardship Evening at Proclamation Presbyterian Church mentioned above;
• October 28: Sunday morning sermon for the missions conference at High Point church, Madison
• November 2 & 3: Another Missions conference at College Church (Northampton MA) and Stony Brook Church (South Hadley MA)
• November 6-8: Fall Conference at ECHO – Fort Myers, Florid

2008 and beyond

2008 will be an exciting year for us as an organization. We hope to be hosting a ‘visioning trip’ for the leaders of one of our key supporting churches, Bethlehem Baptist of Minneapolis, in Kenya in February. Ed’s book, Our Father’s World, will be released in revised edition by InterVarsity Press in the Spring, and we hope to arrange a number of ‘book-launch’ events around Earth Day 2008. If you are interested in hosting or helping to arrange one of these in your area, let me know soon!

And speaking of financial support…

Okay, we weren’t speaking of financial support, but we need to. We know many of you who support us regularly have been out of your normal routine because of summer activities. Now would be a great time to get caught up on your Care of Creation donations! If you can’t quite put your hands on that last receipt we sent you, you can always click here and send us a donation on the web. If you haven’t been a regular donor, fall is a perfect time to start! Ed and Susanna Brown and Jan Korbel in particular need new support team members. Jan is hoping to leave for Kenya within the next month, but is still lacking around 40% of the minimum she needs to be able to leave. She’s taken the plunge – her house has been rented, and it’s either go or be homeless. We want her to go! (Write to Jan here if you’d like more information.)

Thank you once again for your interest in caring for God’s creation.

In Him whose eye is on the sparrow…

Ed Brown, for the Care of Creation family