We are excited to share a piece from our friend and teacher, Dr. Joe Sheldon! Joe shares powerful experiences with large birds and invites us to consider our relationship to these wondrous creatures (and their smaller relatives).

A growing number of faith communities are beginning to see creation care as integral to their life of faith. For some, their journey of awareness starts with their kids. ⁠

James and Carmen will be teaching at this Young Adult Retreat at Cascades Camp & Conference Center in February! This retreat is for young adults (ages 18–28) of all backgrounds. Learn more at the link here. Please share with anyone you know who may be interested.

Louise created these beautiful cedar bark coasters that we are now using in the Sine Center for Ecological Learning!

A couple of months ago, we had to take down a cedar tree on the Circlewood land because it was too close to the building we recently completed. Learn a little more about what Louise did with the bark of the tree in this week's Ecological Disciple post!

In this week's Earthkeepers episode, Forrest talks with @randywoodley.bsky.social, reflecting on the historical context of democracy in America & emphasizing the need to learn from Indigenous practices that prioritize cooperation & community over competition. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XAX...

We have quite a few new faces around!! Hi! Welcome!⁠ ⁠ We are a community of people committed to accelerating the greening of faith — we do this through our global media work, education initiatives, partnerships, and our innovative learning center at Circlewood Village on Camano Island, WA.⁠

James is stepping away from regular writing for The Ecological Disciple this year. Here's why. (Spoiler alert: he's writing a book!) www.ecodisciple.com/blog/you-won...

"If you are still looking for a goal for this new year, here is one worth considering: each day look for something around you that seems unimpressive and trivial. Then, get close enough and curious enough to see it as fully as you can. Nestle in..." www.ecodisciple.com/blog/surfeit...

Welcome to season 7 of the Earthkeepers podcast! This is an important episode with a few exciting announcements. Thanks to all of our listeners, and please consider sharing Earthkeepers with a friend as we start a new season! www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_uu...

Nigel is doing a wonderful job supervising construction on our new office! We're excited about our upcoming small office that will free up the Sine Center to host more groups.

Happy New Year! We are so thankful for each and every one of you and the ways you have been part of Circlewood this past year. If you have not done so already, please consider a year-end gift. Many thanks to those who have already contributed!

Here's what one of our Earthkeepers listeners had to say about the podcast in 2025! Thanks for the kind words, David!

"In a time when the trajectory of the world feels particularly frightening, it is good to remember how God intervenes, rescues, and loves this world back into life." If you missed Louise's last Art of Creation piece on The Eco Disciple, find it here: www.ecodisciple.com/blog/the-ski...

Merry Christmas from the Circlewood staff! Thank you for your generosity and support in 2025. We wish you and yours a very happy holiday season!

Creating common ground: We've focused on the importance of bringing together aspects of life that have been disconnected, including:⁠ ⁠ Earth care & soul care 🌲⁠ Humanity & the community of creation 🗺️⁠ Social & environmental concerns ♻️⁠

In 2025, Earthkeepers podcast finished its 6th season & is about to reach 70k episode downloads! Forrest continues to introduce listeners to creative earthkeepers from around the globe, & to explore contemporary issues of earthcare, environmental justice, & spirituality with creativity and passion.

Today, the Northern Hemisphere celebrates winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. We invite you to mark this occasion with a prayer that honors the Creator and celebrates the gifts of winter! For more, check out this episode:

Looking for a few ways to make your holidays a little greener? 🎄 Check out this post from a few years ago on The Eco Disciple - if you try any of these suggestions, or know about others, please share them in the comments!

Here's what one of our EDIFY group leaders had to say about their summer experience on the land at Circlewood Village! Thanks for the kind words, Rebecca! EDIFY: Ecological Discipleship Immersion for Youth

Creating common ground: We've focused on the importance of bringing together aspects of life that have been disconnected, including:⁠ ⁠ Earth care & soul care 🌲⁠ Humanity & the community of creation 🗺️⁠ Social & environmental concerns ♻️⁠

This past summer, 25 middle and high school students came to Circlewood for a week-long pilot program called EDIFY - Ecological Discipleship Immersion for Youth.

NEW #Earthkeepers podcast ep: Forrest, Jason Lyle, and Mark Warren delve into the profound relationship between humans and nature, exploring themes of survival skills, environmental education, and the importance of solitude in reconnecting with the natural world. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ukbc...

Creating common ground: We've focused on the importance of bringing together aspects of life that have been disconnected, including: Earth care & soul care 🌲⁠ Humanity & the community of creation 🗺️⁠ Social & environmental concerns ♻️⁠

Here's what one of our educational partners had to say about their summer experience on the land at Circlewood Village! Thanks for the kind words, Mike!

This was an important year for the development of Circlewood Village!! Throughout 2025, staff and volunteers utilized our 30-year forest management plan to care for the forest. Trails were added, invasive plants were removed, and a native wildflower meadow was planted.

Tile-whipping?? At moments like this, I'm proud to be half-Dutch. (Thanks to the ever-excellent Louise Conner @circlewoodearth.bsky.social.) www.ecodisciple.com/blog/flippin...

The new Dutch sport of tegelwippen brings the fun of friendly competition together with care of the earth. The goal is to make the country more resilient to climate change—and by making it a competition—to add some fun into the mix! www.ecodisciple.com/blog/flippin...

In times of turmoil, when the stakes are high for people and the planet, it is important to find common ground. And if we can’t find it, we must create it. That is what Circlewood is doing – bringing together people, creatures, land, and faith to cultivate new ways of life and hope!

"Watch how people treat the land and you will know how they treat the people." -Lenore Three Stars, Circlewood board member

What does it mean to see the connections between caring for people and caring for other members of the community of creation? This photo captures a group from Lake Washington United Methodist Church (LWUMC) during a service and learning day at Circlewood Village.

"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...