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Ron Rienstra

@ronrienstra.bsky.social

Professor of Preaching&Worship Arts, Western Theological Seminary, Holland, MI | E7 | Worship Words | Church at Church| he/him | fave class: liturgical shenanigans | amateur musician (guitar, string bass) | backyard re-wilder | leaning into eco-theology

277 Followers  |  606 Following  |  42 Posts  |  Joined: 19.04.2023  |  2.0002

Latest posts by ronrienstra.bsky.social on Bluesky

Day 8 of COP30– Β Neighbor's Houses

A quick update from COP30 and CCOP:

wciu-8920028.hs-sites.com/day-8-of-cop...

19.11.2025 23:40 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Refugia Newsletter #106 COP30, subnational actors, biodiversity strategies, sea turtles, nuns and indigenous land return, thriving puffins and scuttling crabs

Some hopeful news and some good videos in this one, plus: puffins!
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

15.11.2025 15:14 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Refugia Podcast Episode 40 Kipuka to Kipuka: Islands of Life, Faith, and Restoration

Inviting you to my Substack page because I've been neglectful about posting recent podcast episodes and newsletters. It's all here! Hawaiian refugia, the mighty diocese of San Francisco, and so much more. Maybe start here?
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-po...

10.11.2025 22:31 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Refugia Podcast Episode 38 So Much Joy: Linda Racine and Traverse City Presbyterian Church

This is such a good one. If you attend a regular congregation and wish your church could do more about climate, listen to the marvelous Linda Racine and get inspired!
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-po...

27.10.2025 13:08 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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What if we used our church grounds to feed our human and non-human neighbors? For those near Nashville, TN, you can explore this question with faith leaders and gardening experts at a gathering hosted by the Food & Faith Collective on 11/15!
⁠
Register here: nashvillewpc.church/faith-food-2...

18.10.2025 19:22 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
People gardening in a churchyard.

People gardening in a churchyard.

Thanks to our first year of Churches of Restoration who generously shared their experiences in restoring right relationship with the earth with our Year 2 Churches of Restoration in our first national webinar.Β 

We can't wait to see what projects our Year 2 churches launch! πŸ’’πŸŒ±

16.10.2025 16:34 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Refugia Podcast Episode 36 True Woo: Pete Nunnally and Water and Wilderness Church

This is a lovely one, an interview this week with the gentle and courageous Father Pete Nunnally of Water and Wilderness church.
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-po...

13.10.2025 13:00 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Refugia Newsletter | Debra Rienstra | Substack A fortnightly newsletter for people of faith who care about the climate crisis and want to go deeper. Click to read Refugia Newsletter, by Debra Rienstra, a Substack publication with thousands of subs...

We've been really enjoying this season of the Refugia Podcast, hosted by our friend @debrakrienstra.bsky.social - each week, she interviews a different guest and explores the idea of refugia from a variety of perspectives.
If you're interested, you can find it here! refugianewsletter.substack.com

08.10.2025 21:30 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Refugia Newsletter | Debra Rienstra | Substack A fortnightly newsletter for people of faith who care about the climate crisis and want to go deeper. Click to read Refugia Newsletter, by Debra Rienstra, a Substack publication with thousands of subs...

Refugia Newsletter AND Refugia Podcast! My latest newsletter has exclusive video of PUFFINS! And the podcast so far in Season 4 features terrific guests: Heber Brown III, Douglas Day Kaufman, David Celesky, and Judy Hinck. More to come!
refugianewsletter.substack.com

06.10.2025 16:34 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

my takeaway from climate week nyc is that "climate storytelling" is a little too much "we must reimagine our deepest souls in relationship to mother nature and the moral abyss of the polycrisis into which we must now stare" and not enough "ok but get a heat pump"

28.09.2025 18:52 β€” πŸ‘ 2293    πŸ” 403    πŸ’¬ 75    πŸ“Œ 69
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Refugia Podcast Episode 34 A Parable of Redemption: Dave Celesky and Redeem MI Land

Refugia Podcast Episode 34
open.substack.com/pub/refugian...

28.09.2025 13:50 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Refugia Podcast Episode 33 The Garden Became the Steeple: Heber Brown and the Black Food Security Network

Such a great conversation with the inspiring Heber Brown!
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-po...

22.09.2025 13:56 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Refugia Newsletter #102 Homegrown National Park, Sun Day fun, more good news about clean energy transition, church resilience hubs, and one super chill squirrel

Sun Day! This week's newsletter is a celebration of the clean energy transition that is happening, right now, despite... all the things.

refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

20.09.2025 14:55 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Welcome to our West Michigan Churches of Restoration Cohort! 🌿β›ͺ During our kick-off, creation caretakers new and experienced affirmed each other's work and inspired one another to pursue new projects.

We are honored to support these leaders in nurturing God's ecosystems in the upcoming year! πŸ’šπŸ•ŠοΈ

19.09.2025 13:22 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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At our annual A Rocha USA team retreat, we discussed the conservation work we enact in Texas and Florida, and we strategized for projects like our Churches of Restoration program and our new Tree Planting Initiative. 🌳β›ͺ

We are excited to bring greater flourishing to God's creation this year! 🌎

18.09.2025 13:22 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A reflection from one member of our 2024/25 Churches of Restoration program:
⁠
"It has helped me feel less alone, more seen and supported, less crazy for thinking we as the church should make creation care a priority."⁠

We are excited for the many years of community and creation care to come! β›ͺ🌱

16.09.2025 12:06 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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On our blog, you can read about St. Bartholomew's Episcopal, a 2024/25 Nashville Church of Restoration that has done amazing work to remove invasive plants and restore habitat on their property, seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance in healing their ecosystem! πŸŒ±πŸ•ŠοΈ

Read more: arocha.us/churches-of-...

10.09.2025 13:47 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Refugia Newsletter #101 Game-changing energy transition advances, myth-busting resources, agrivoltaic-improved wool and grapes, a youthful celebration of the sun, and salute to the moon

Need a boost of sunshine and mental vitamin D? Check out this week's newsletter.
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

06.09.2025 14:03 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Alongside September’s prayer requests, we also take time to share these thanksgivings. We’re grateful for the many ways we’ve seen God’s blessings, through the work of A Rocha USA, the care of colleagues around the world, and the beauty of creation itself.

06.09.2025 14:51 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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I know this sounds crazy, but shouldn’t the Secretary of Energy know something about energy?

02.09.2025 23:30 β€” πŸ‘ 6641    πŸ” 1977    πŸ’¬ 594    πŸ“Œ 188
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Running from September 1 to the Feast of St. Francis on October 4, the Season of Creation invites churches to focus anew on God's species and landscapes, seeking to join Christ in reconciling creation to God (Col. 1:19-20) in our worship, teaching, and service! β›ͺ🌱

Learn more: seasonofcreation.org

01.09.2025 13:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Grand Rapids adopts climate action plan The plan sets a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 62.8% per capita by the end of the decade, but doesn't come with any requirements yet.

Great news! Grand Rapids, Michigan, (where I live) has an ambitious climate agenda, just passed by the City Commission.
www.michiganpublic.org/environment-...

14.08.2025 18:42 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Refugia Newsletter #99 Endangered endangerment, legal triumph, research on faith leadership, oysters, river parks, and a gigantic owl

Faith/climate news in manageable doses with lots of opportunities to dive deeper.
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

11.08.2025 14:00 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Over the past year, A Rocha USA’s Texas team, led by Veronica Godoy, worked with volunteers & Master Naturalists to restore 22+ acres in the Stenis Tract, removing 9,389 invasives & planting 456 native species.

Restoration now expands to Bull Creek Bluff Park. Thanks to all who made this possible!

11.08.2025 14:03 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Summer is the season of Wild Wonder! β˜€οΈπŸ”Ž Our VBS curriculum features four weeks of lessons (divided into 4 "Years") for young explorers to root their love for the outdoors in the foundations of their growing faith. 🌱

Learn more about Wild Wonder here: arocha.us/wild-wonder.

πŸ“Έ Nancy Vanden Bout

08.08.2025 17:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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We encourage Indiana residents to join the Evangelical Environmental Network's webinar at 12pm ET on August 7. πŸŒ±πŸ’» It will offer guidance on what creation care priorities to contact your representatives about, and how to do it effectively!

us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

πŸ“Έ Ramaz Bluashvili

04.08.2025 13:52 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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43 | Earthy Justice Jams with Susan Shann The ecoChristian Podcast Β· Episode

Hear from our friends on the ecoChristian podcast not only about the importance of becoming more aligned with nature, but also how one artist has done this through music. 🎧

πŸ”— Search "Earthy Justice Jams" on any listening platform, or click here to listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/2ZaA...

29.07.2025 16:20 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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🌱🌏 Climate Stewards USA offers resources to measure, reduce, and offset your carbon footprint! They allow individuals, churches, and nonprofits to use their free carbon calculator, while businesses can request carbon auditing services at an hourly rate.

Learn more: climatestewardsusa.org

πŸ“Έ Pixabay

17.07.2025 20:56 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Our team strives to remove the invasive Glossy Privet, Nandina, and King Ranch Bluestem from the Stenis Tract of Austin, TX, making space for all sorts of native creatures to flourish. 🌼πŸͺ²πŸͺ±

This collage, by Conservation Intern Ian Massey, only depicts some of the biodiversity that our work supports!

15.07.2025 14:59 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Grateful for being able to lean into some very important work. Grateful for new partners!

10.07.2025 18:27 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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