The St Paul Area Synod (SPAS) Care of Creation Work Group has, over the past couple years, had a fruitful, spirit-filled relationship with the Northeast Synod Eco-Faith Leadership Team. Through our bi-synodical members, Diane and Paul Jacobson, joint work on two Eco-Faith Summits and the Called to Arise – Standing at the Intersection of Racism, Inequality and the Environment webinar and contributing newsletter articles, we have discovered that in many areas, we can be stronger by combining and sharing our ideas and efforts. As a result, the SPAS Care of Creation Work Group is making a more formal commitment to our partnership by purchasing a share of the Northeast Synod Eco-Faith Leadership Team’s Communication Coordinator’s time and becoming a co-sponsor of the Green Blades Rising Newsletter. This position that will be filled by the young and talented Rachel Wyffels.  

This sharing of the Communications Coordinator, in addition to facilitating the monthly newsletter production, will assist us in planning and preparations for joint events such as EcoFaith summits and retreats as well as assisting in the receipt and maintenance of databases relevant to the work of the St. Paul Area Synod’s Care of Creation Work Group. 

We expect we will need to review and adjust this arrangement going forward. We also hope that this might serve as a model as we begin for working with other synods across Minnesota and in nearby states as well.