Refugia Faith sponsored in part by our Climate Justice Council
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In the midst of climate crises, it is difficult for us to find what feels like solid ground and steadiness as the world around us shifts and changes, sometimes at a pace too rapid to process properly. We seek spaces — both physical and spiritual — where we can fortify our resilience and connect with deep community, spaces that can hold us in the midst of uncertainty.
In search of these spaces in her own life and in her Christian faith, author Debra Rienstra draws on the biological term refugia — meaning places of shelter that endure in times of crisis — to open a conversation on how people of faith can co-create these places of renewal and regeneration. Like pockets of flora and fauna that endure wildfires, droughts, and even volcanic eruptions, we can nurture our own small refugia as pockets of life even as climate change alters so much of how we have understood our world.
Debra Rienstra’s book Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth, grounded in her own personal journey of place and healing, offers insight on the possibilities for identifying, tending, and nurturing the places in ourselves, our communities, and our cultures which have the capacity to become refugia for others.
Please join us for an evening conversation with Debra Rienstra, as she discusses the book — how it came to be, and how it can be used in communities of faith and beyond. This special event will also feature the music of Pax Ressler; a talk-back time with our Executive Director, Rev. Allen Ewing-Merrill; and a panel discussion featuring young(ish) adult spiritual leaders engaged in climate action. Registrants can choose to receive a copy of the book if desired.