"As we in the Northern Hemisphere tilt our way into the grey days and long nights of winter, I will keep looking for new lessons from Brother Sun and will add my voice to Francis' great canticle - will you join me?" James writes about what the Sun has taught him.

New #Earthkeepers podcast episode out this morning: Intergenerational Trauma: Native American Truth-Telling, with Robbie Paul Listen at the link here, on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu3s...

4️⃣ ways to find your place within the community of creation! We create common ground when we embrace our place within the community of creation!

What does it mean to shift our self-understanding from being apart from creation to a part of creation? Changing course requires us to stop pretending we are apart from creation and accept (and celebrate!) that we are a part of it.

An emerging ecological insight is that everything on Earth (and beyond!) is far more interconnected and interdependent than we imagined.

With so many forces pulling apart healthy communities and ecosystems, creating common ground is essential. Over the course of the next few weeks, we'll be posting about how each of us can create common ground by bringing together people, ideas, and actions that are frequently kept apart.⁠

We have a trail cam set up in the Circlewood forest on Camano Island - we've gotten a peek at a number of our neighbors so far this year! Check out our compilation video here.

To spark ideas for your own faith communities, James highlighted 3 churches that are practicing the ministry of imagination. "If you have a story of imagination to share, please reach out to me at [email protected]."

This week on The Eco Disciple, Louise writes about photographer Stephen Axford. See some of his spectacular work and read about his path here. www.ecodisciple.com/blog/neither...

James shares stories of three church communities that are practicing ecological discipleship in creative ways. www.ecodisciple.com/blog/the-ima...

Freshly fallen bigleaf maple leaves break up the surface of the pond but leave windows to reflect the upper canopy & sky. In this moment, the pond is a portal, inviting us to look simultaneously at the worlds above & below. Take a moment today to stand, wherever you are, & open yourself to blessing.

In addition to finishing the pond, adding power capacity, and building an office, we have prepared the ground just outside the Sine Center for what will become a small native meadow. We have a lot of volunteer work - email us at [email protected] if you're interested!

James and Forrest have begun working with leaders of Bethany Community Church's Wilderness Ministry. churchbcc.org/ministries/w...

Dr. Randy Woodley is author of the seminal book, "Shalom and the Community of Creation," which brings the Native American 'Harmony Way' into creative conversation with the biblical message of shalom. The link to Randy's Substack, which we recommend:

This week in The Ecological Disciple, Noah Guthrie reflects on his recent time in Peru with A Rocha Peru, as well as what he learned about hospitality. For more from Noah, check out @arocha.us.

Dr. @debrakrienstra.bsky.social is a writer, speaker, and professor who has responded to the uncertainty of this moment by focusing her gifts and abilities on helping Christians adapt their faith to a changing planet.

New Earthkeepers podcast episode out this morning! In this conversation, introduced by James Amadon, Forrest Inslee is a guest on the Holy Wild podcast, hosted by Victoria Loorz of the Center for Wild Spirituality. www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXYQ...

Our pond is slowly filling up! Students from Au Sable Institute helped us prep and put in the liner over the summer. Landscaping is coming along, but in the meantime, we're loving the gorgeous fall colors and the arrival of some new frog friends!

In a recent post on The Eco Disciple, James shared people whose work cuts through the noise, connects him to important information, and offers encouraging inspiration. One of them was @billmckibben.bsky.social - find his Substack newsletter here! billmckibben.substack.com?ref=ecodisci...

David Morrison's exceptional attention to detail helps expose the extraordinary designs and patterns of "ordinary" natural objects. See more of his spectacular work at the link here. www.ecodisciple.com/blog/shadows...

Autumn is definitely in the air at Circlewood! We're enjoying cooler days, crisp nights, and the changing of the forest.

🌳 Earthkeepers podcast sticker giveaway! 🌳 We'd love to send one to YOU! Head to earthkeepers.online and sign up to receive our email newsletter. DM us a screenshot of your confirmation, make sure you're following us here, and we'll mail you a sticker for free! (US only)

How do we remain informed when we are surrounded by a media ecosystem full of disinformation and distraction? How do we remain hopeful when we see the things we care about being pulled apart? www.ecodisciple.com/blog/the-way...

Circlewood friends Christine Sine (of Godspace Light) and Ben Lowe (of @arocha.us) did a podcast episode together! We really enjoyed this one.

From last weekend at our board retreat - a beautiful morning on Camano Island!

NEW #Earthkeepers podcast ep out TODAY: John Vicory shares his journey of recovery through the outdoor community OSAT (One Step at a Time). Listen now on our website or wherever you get your podcasts! www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hCk...

We held our annual Circlewood board retreat last weekend! We had a wonderful time catching up with all who attended, cheering on the Mariners, and enjoying the newly finished Sine Center on a cozy and rainy weekend on Camano Island. Thanks to our amazing board members and staff!

Louise shares a prayer for ecological conversion from the Catholic Church in Australia - find the prayer and her words here. www.ecodisciple.com/blog/a-praye...

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

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

The signs of autumn are creeping in at Circlewood Village, but really we're sharing this photo because Nigel stole the show!

This week on The Eco Disciple, we'd like to introduce you to guest writers Stephanie and Wesley Vander Lugt. Stephanie is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Kinship Plot, an intentional community, and Wesley is the Co-Founder and Operations Director.

NEW #Earthkeepers podcast ep: Forrest and James engage with Wes and Stephanie Vander Lugt, co-founders of Kinship Plot, an intentional community in Charlotte, North Carolina. Listen now at at the link here or wherever you get your podcasts! www.youtube.com/watch?v=jha8...

Last week, we spent three days with Ben Lowe, Executive Director of @arocha.us. We enjoyed time together and explored what partnership might look like, and we came away excited at the possibilities - stay tuned!

Circlewood and Camano Island Coffee Roasters are affiliate partners and we recently introduced CICR to our mission partner, Bethany Community Church in Seattle. This weekend, Forrest and TJ kicked off this new partnership - Bethany, CICR, and Circlewood!

There is so much that needs changing in our world that it can be overwhelming to think about where to begin. In the twelfth piece in James' "The Journey of Ecological Discipleship" series, he writes about how to discern the changes YOU are called to make. www.ecodisciple.com/blog/all-thi...

"Poetry is much nearer to music than it is to prose." -Pattiann Rogers This week on The Eco Disciple, Louise writes about Pattiann Rogers, a contemporary American poet who has always been fascinated by the natural world. www.ecodisciple.com/blog/the-lig...

Our Forest Steward Intern, Nick Rubesh, just finished his last week with us! Next week begins his 2nd year at UW's School of Environment. He helped us build new trails, identified areas of need in our Forest Management plan, mapped out our forest, and helped build our ed work. Thank you, Nick!

NEW #Earthkeepers ep: Jennifer Godfrey shares her journey of advocacy for the Southern Resident Killer Whales and the broader ecological health of the Puget Sound region. Listen here or wherever you get podcasts. If you love Earthkeepers, please leave us a review! www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HxR...

In the eleventh piece in his series, "The Journey of Ecological Discipleship," James looks deeper into the Reflection stage of the journey.

We are so grateful for the seven eager participants who showed up for our very first Guided Morning of Listening and Renewal last weekend. It was so meaningful to invite them into the beautiful indoor and outdoor space we call Circlewood Village!

Having a fun(gi) week at Circlewood - Louise spotted an oyster mushroom and a poroid fungi!

If you live near Bellingham, WA, come out on Oct 5 to hear James speak at Bellingham Covenant Church - he will explore what we believe about the future and how that shapes how our relationship with the earth in the present.

One of Circlewood's core values is "Serving the Common Good." This is not a distraction from our identity as Christ-followers or our mission to accelerate the greening of faith.

Dry stone walling has been declared as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Here are some reasons why. www.ecodisciple.com/blog/stones-...

More nature art projects by the McMinnville Youth Collective 🌼 we love all the bright colors!

Moss Monday at Circlewood 💚

A few of the spectacular nature art projects that students from the McMinnville Youth Collective completed earlier this summer - which one is your favorite? Why?

We hosted the Stanwood-Camano School District leaders for 2 days of learning, planning, and collaboration focused on delivering on their promise: Every student is empowered to learn in an inclusive setting and is prepared for the future of their choice. Cheers to a new school year!

A Circlewood forest friend! Louise spotted this mama deer (and a baby, not pictured) last week 🥰🦌