CREATION CARE MINISTRY
"'Prosper!…take charge! Be responsible for the fish in the sea & the birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of the earth!'”- Genesis 1:28 (MSG)
Mission Statement
Creation Care Ministry exists to partner with God in restoring creation to Creator. We do this through stewarding land, growing nutritious food, equipping our community to make informed sustainable & ethical life choices, and supporting local Dallas environmental justice initiatives.
What are we doing?
EAGLE FORD COMMUNITY GARDEN & PARK
We steward a plot of land in West Dallas to cultivate organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs as well as native plants. The garden is a certified Monarch Waystation Garden, providing food and habitat for many pollinators in our community. We also care for a large field and playground for the neighbors in the Eagle Ford community.
WAYS TO SERVE
Come to a garden work day, help us care for the park through yard work, or sign up to help water the garden in the summer.
WAYS TO PRAY
Pray that our community would be loved and served through our garden and care of the space.
Disciple City Church Orchard
Thanks to Giving Grove, a nonprofit focused on solving food insecurity through micro-orchards, we have a small orchard onsite at our church that will soon contribute fresh fruit to our community!
WAYS TO PRAY
Pray for the health of our trees as they develop so that they will yield much fruit for our neighbors in need; pray that our orchard would be used as a space for the community to gather and feel known and loved.
WAYS TO SERVE
Join us for orchard work days, help us water the orchard in the summer, or become an orchard steward apprentice and learn all about caring for fruit trees!
Local Environmental Justice
We believe environmental justice is a form of social justice, and we desire to serve our community through supporting existing initiatives targeting specific environmental needs in our area of Dallas.
WAYS TO PRAY
Pray for the protection of our community against existing and future environmental harm and for the cycle of environmental harm to be broken in our neighborhoods.
WAYS TO SERVE
Attend local West Dallas and Oak Cliff neighborhood meetings and help advocate for environment- and people-friendly policies to be upheld in our communities.
Compost Drop-Offs
Compost is an amazing way to see God at work bringing beauty from our “trash.” We manage two compost drop-off options for people in our community to use.
WAYS TO SERVE
Contribute to our compost drop-off program! We will give you a bucket to use to gather food scraps from your home, and you can bring them to either of our drop-off sites. The more compost we can create, the more our garden and orchard will thrive.
Sustainability Initiatives within DCC
Recycling and Waste Management, Low-Waste Communion Sacrament, Partnering with other ministries within DCC to integrate more sustainable practices
WAYS TO SERVE
Each of these initiatives can use additional support, and we can connect with you to figure out where you would like to serve!
RESOURCES
Some of our favorite resources for Creation Care:
ESSAYS
“Christianity and the Survival of Creation” by Wendell Berry
This essay explores the tension between the Christian faith and creation care.
“Composting as Spiritual Discipline” by Kyle Mitchell
This essay shows how composting can be considered a spiritual discipline. This is critical read for anyone getting into composting.
BOOKS
Serve God, Save the Planet by Matthew Sleeth
This book is an excellent overview of why Christians should care about creation.