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Climate Crisis & Christian Discipleship with Kyle Meyaard-Schaap\nJoin us as we explore one man's journey from skeptic to environmental advocate through the lens of his faith. But just as he begins to offer solutions, a looming threat interrupts, leaving him and the audience with a question: will the church wake up and stand up to protect God's creation?\nMy special guest is Kyle Meyaard-Schaap\nIntroducing Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, a devoted advocate for Christian climate action and environmental care. \nRev. Kyle Meyaard-Schaap (MY-yurd SKOP) serves as the Vice President of the Evangelical Environmental Network. For the last ten years, he has educated and mobilized Christians around the world to address the climate crisis as an act of discipleship and neighbor-love.\nKyle has been named to Midwest Energy Group's 40 Under 40, the American Conservation Coalition\u2019s 30 Under 30, and the Grist 50 Fixers cohorts for his work on climate change education and advocacy. In 2020, he was named a Yale Public Voices on the Climate Crisis Fellow. His work has been featured in national and international news outlets such as PBS, NPR, CNN, NBC News, New York Times, Reuters, and U.S. News and World Report. His book, Following Jesus in a Warming World: A Christian Call to Climate Action, was released by InterVarsity Press in February 2023.\nKyle is married to Allison and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with their two sons.\nVisit his website at\xa0kylemeyaardschaap.com.\nFollow him on Twitter:\xa0@kmeyaardschaap.\nCaring for creation is a fundamental part of every human being's vocation because that's how God made us. - Kyle MeyaardSchaap\nIn this episode, you will be able to:\nGrasp Christian obligations towards environmental stewardship and climate action.\nFind out the significance of incorporating native plants in the battle against climate change.\nExpose the hidden causes driving climate change skepticism in political and religious spheres.\nDiscover the potential of generational dialogue in forging Christian action against climate change.\nEngage in a hopeful pursuit of creative solutions and resolute action for a sustainable future.\nThe resources mentioned in this episode are:\nRead Kyle's book, Following Jesus in a Warming World: A Christian Call to Climate Action.\nPromo code: AWORLD23 \nListeners can get 30 percent off the ebook and physical book (free shipping) at\xa0ivpress.com\xa0through 5/19\nFind unique ways to care for creation and protect the environment, based on your own vocation and interests.\nImplement practices that bring joy and enhance your experience of creation.\nParticipate in events and initiatives that promote environmental care and protection, such as Indie Creation Fest.\nSupport organizations like the Evangelical Environmental Network that are working towards climate change education\nand advocacy.\nMake sustainable choices in your daily life, such as using reusable bags and water bottles, reducing meat consumption,\nand conserving energy.\nAdvocate for policies and actions that prioritize the environment and address climate change.\nWorship as Awe and Wonder\nWorship can be far more than a formalized gathering or ritual. It can be experienced as a profound sense of awe and wonder in\neveryday life, especially when we open our hearts and minds to the beauty and intricate connections of the natural world.\nImmersing ourselves in creation and marveling at the marvels of our planet gives us an even greater appreciation for the\nCreator of all things. In the interview, Kyle Meyaard-Schaap shares his experiences of finding awe in God's creation. He talks\nabout attending the Indie Creation Fest, an event that celebrates God's creation and promotes efforts to protect it. Through\nembracing beauty in nature, Kyle highlights the importance of cultivating a worshipful approach towards environment and\nreveals how his faith has been enriched by his journey into creation care.\nThe Importance of Listening to the Younger Generation\nThe youth of today have a unique and valuable perspective on environmental issues, and their voices must be heard. As the\ngeneration that will inherit the consequences of climate change, they are more keenly aware of its dangers and are passionately\nadvocating for collective action. By acknowledging their concerns and supporting their efforts, society encourages a more\ninclusive and effective response to environmental challenges. Kyle Meyaard-Schaap emphasizes the need to listen to and learn\nfrom the younger generation. He discusses how young Christians are beginning to question the narratives they were raised on\nand are challenging the status quo in their communities. By offering support and encouragement to the next generation, we join\nforces in ensuring a brighter and healthier future for all.\nThis is a beautiful, exhilarating invitation to become more human and to participate in God's joy. - Kyle Meyaard-Schaap\nI don't know how to love God and to love my neighbor without doing something about forces that are destroying God's good\ncreation. - Kyle Meyaard-Schaap\nClimate Change as a Moral Issue\nAs global citizens, we must recognize that addressing climate change and participating in creation care is vital. This\nresponsibility becomes even more significant for those who identify as Christian, as it speaks to the core principles of loving God\nand loving our neighbors. Climate change is a moral issue that needs to be acknowledged and faced head-on, as it deeply\nimpacts not only the environment but also the life and well-being of countless communities around the world. By dedicating\nourselves to the cause, we can positively contribute to a better future. Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, in his conversation with Lori\nAdams-Brown, underscores the connection between faith and creation care. Growing up in a conservative Christian community,\nKyle had not initially understood this connection. It was only through his brother's studies - and exploring the relationship\nbetween ecology, biology, and scripture himself - that Kyle realized the importance of engaging with environmental stewardship\nas a Christian. He encourages fellow believers to examine the issue through the lens of their faith and calls on them to actively\nparticipate in creation care.\nThe key moments in this episode are:\n00:00:00 - Introduction,\n00:03:09 - Celebrating Earth Day,\n00:08:41 - Climate Change as a Moral Issue,\n00:12:54 - Finding Your Earth-Keeping Vocation,\n00:16:01 - Conclusion,\n00:16:32 - Worship as Awe and Wonder,\n00:18:15 - Surprising Ways to Steward the Planet,\n00:22:56 - Skepticism Around Climate Change,\n00:29:06 - Muddy Public Conversation Around Climate Change,\n00:31:31 - Recovering God's Story,\n00:33:43 - The Importance of Listening to the Younger Generation,\n00:35:20 - Recognizing the Need for Change in the Church,\n00:37:23 - Finding Hope and Inspiration in Community,\n00:38:30 - Casting a Vision for an Inspiring Future,\n00:38:58 - The Epilogue,\nIf you're feeling frustrated and helpless because your efforts to protect the environment through actions like recycling or using\neco-friendly products aren't making a significant impact, then you are not alone!\nTimestamped summary of this episode:\n00:00:00 - Introduction,\nLori Adams-Brown introduces Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, the vice president of the Evangelical Environmental Network. They talk\nabout his book, Following Jesus in a Warming World, and his work on climate change education and advocacy.\n00:03:09 - Celebrating Earth Day,\nKyle talks about Indie Creation Fest, an event he helped plan and host in Indianapolis. The festival brings together people to\ncelebrate God's creation, learn from each other, and get involved in activities that help protect the environment.\n00:08:41 - Climate Change as a Moral Issue,\nKyle explains that climate change is a moral issue that Christians should care about. He believes that following Jesus means\nloving God and loving our neighbor, and taking care of the environment is part of that calling.\n00:12:54 - Finding Your Earth-Keeping Vocation,\nKyle believes that everyone has a unique calling to care for the environment, and that it's important to find practices that bring\nyou joy. He suggests reframing the conversation around environmental care from one of guilt and obligation to one of joy and\nparticipation in God's joy.\n00:16:01 - Conclusion,\nLori and Kyle wrap up the conversation by reminding listeners that caring for the environment is a beautiful and exhilarating\ninvitation to become more human and to participate in God's joy. They encourage people to find their own unique ways to\nconnect with the environment and care for it.\n00:16:32 - Worship as Awe and Wonder,\nWorship as awe and wonder, and taking care of the planet through native landscaping, scouting, and activism.\n00:18:15 - Surprising Ways to Steward the Planet,\nKyle talks about the importance of using native plants for landscaping to help mitigate climate impacts, and how to bring your\nland into better harmony with the natural ecosystem around you.\n00:22:56 - Skepticism Around Climate Change,\nKyle addresses skepticism around climate change in the US, and the reasons why it exists. He discusses the political,\ntheological, and societal stories that have shaped American attitudes towards climate change.\n00:29:06 - Muddy Public Conversation Around Climate Change,\nKyle talks about the concerted effort by fossil fuel corporations to muddy the public conversation around climate change, and the\nfalse narratives and misleading information that have been spread about the issue.\n00:31:31 - Recovering God's Story,\nKyle discusses the importance of recovering God's story in relation to climate change, and how the greatest commandment to\nlove God and love our neighbor is directly related to our responsibility to care for the planet.\n00:33:43 - The Importance of Listening to the Younger Generation,\nKyle highlights the significance of listening to the younger generation and explains how they can help in shaping a better future.\nHe hopes that readers who recognize the harmful stories they were told about climate change and the environment will\nunderstand that they are not alone in their passion for change.\n00:35:20 - Recognizing the Need for Change in the Church,\nKyle emphasizes the importance of recognizing how the church has been compromised by incomplete and harmful stories\naround creation and climate change. He encourages young Christians who have recognized this and still love the church to call\nout the problematic stories and try to bring about change.\n00:37:23 - Finding Hope and Inspiration in Community,\nKyle believes that the work of Christian climate action has to happen in community and encourages readers to find their people\nand do this work together. He acknowledges that it can be hard to hold hope, and having a community to hold hope for each\nother is crucial.\n00:38:30 - Casting a Vision for an Inspiring Future,\nKyle talks about the importance of casting a vision for an inspiring future that can be created by taking action together. He\nencourages readers to exercise their imagination and imagine the kind of world they want to create by taking action on climate\nchange.\n00:38:58 - The Epilogue,\nIn the epilogue, Kyle writes a letter to his imagined granddaughter in 2066, casting a vision for a better, safer, and more\nprosperous world.\nCalling all Christians who want to take action for our planet and its future! Have you heard the myths that suggest that taking\ncare of our environment is not a Christian responsibility? That climate change is not real? Or that our actions won't make a\ndifference? It's time to debunk these myths and embrace the truth. Join us as Kyle Meyaard-Schaap shares the facts and\ninspires us to take action towards creation care and climate justice.\nFor those who are different and want to make a difference\nBecome a patron of this podcast, and enjoy free merch. Join other patrons of this podcast at Patreon. \n**********\n\ufeffThe A World of Difference Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Missio Alliance.\nJoin us to discuss this episode, previous episodes or for other thoughtful conversations at our Facebook group. We'd love to have you stop by and share your perspective. \nStay In Touch: Connect on Facebook and Instagram with thoughts, questions, and feedback. Rate, review and share this podcast with anyone that would love to listen. \xa0 Find Us Online: @aworldof.difference on Instagram A World of Difference on Facebook, Linktree,on Twitter at @loriadbr or loriadamsbrown.comLoved this episode? Leave us a review and rating. Click here to review\nBecome a patron of this podcast, and enjoy free merch. Join other patrons of this podcast at Patreon. \nMentioned in this episode:\nJoin Difference Makers\nJoin us in our membership community for exclusive content for only $5/month at https://www.patreon.com/aworldofdifference. 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