Earth Keeper Ministry

The Earth Keepers Ministry at St. David’s began in 2022, in response to a call from Bishop Thomas Brown and the Diocese of Maine’s Creation Care Team.  The goal of the Diocese is to have an Earth Keeper in every parish to encourage engagement in ministries of creation care and climate justice on behalf of “this fragile earth, our island home.”  [Eucharistic Prayer C, The Book of Common Prayer, p. 370]

In late 2022, Mary Jane O’Connor-Ropp was approved by the Vestry as the Earth Keeper at St. David’s, and in early 2023 she gathered a team to collaborate with her in developing a ministry for praying, learning, acting and advocating for creation care and climate justice. 

Over the past two years, the Earth Keepers Team has encouraged more sustainable practices at St. David’s, including eliminating the use of plastic and paper dishes and promoting composting of kitchen waste.  We have joined with the Rector and worship leaders to offer creation-themed Sunday Eucharist liturgies during the worldwide Season of Creation from September 1 through October 4.  In addition to Sunday worship, we have also offered a book study, a weekly Celtic-themed prayer service outdoors in the Memorial Garden, a booklet of Lenten devotional resources, and a meditative walk in the woods surrounding the church.  We also offer a prayer service every year on Earth Day.

We seek to involve children and youth in our ministry, and this has included an Earth Day art contest, a teaching session on pollinators along with planting a small pollinator garden by the back entrance to the church, and a Blessing of Wild and Endangered Animals.

In advance of the 2024 election, we offered a Voting Guide with information on the candidates’ positions regarding the environment and creation justice issues.  We plan to offer more information on upcoming state and federal legislation, and provide a list of ways people can work together to counter the anti-environmental protection actions of the current administration.

Planning is underway for the creation of a small raised-bed garden area to provide fresh vegetables for Parish members, with the intent of expanding this for the wider community in the future.  We hope to have many eager hands to plant and tend these gardens over the summer.         

Our hope is that EVERYONE in the Parish becomes an earth keeper in some way, and our ministry seeks to provide the necessary resources for that hope to become a reality.  We invite you to join us!