Stewards of the Earth

			Is the Stewards Global Network available only to groups in churches?
			No, this service is intended as a tool for connecting all spiritually-based individuals in or out of churches, synagogues or other faith-based groups. While we are eager to help church groups and recognize the enormous potential inherent in congregations, we are also aware of a huge, under-recognized segment of our population -- individuals dubbed "Cultural Creatives."
			Over 50 million strong, these individuals generally have an active spiritual life, an interest in positive world-change and are environmentally conscious. However, many of these individuals are not connected to any specific church or faith community and therefore feel left out of the loop and on their own. We believe the ability to reach, connect, and empower these individuals is crucial to our shared future on this planet. We offer a global network which allows all spiritually-based activists to connect and draw on our common resources of creativity, intelligence, and experience.
			*Do we need a new model for social and environmental justice work?*
				We believe so. The traditional way of doing social justice/environmental work has been for concerned individuals to join a group in the community, attend meetings, and take action. Most concerns are viewed as critical "battles" and involve finger-pointing and fear-based arguments. People with differing opinions or goals are seen as "the Enemy" or "the Other." Effective dialogue becomes difficult or impossible and this leads to a spiral of hostility and separation. Additionally, even within organizations committed to a "cause" there is tension and burnout because no attention is paid to the person or the relationships involved. Differences of opinion are seen as threatening even here and there is rarely a process for healing and nurturing efforts which sustain individuals over the long haul.
			We believe the model for this work should be something quite different. Beginning with an acknowledgement of our interconnectedness to one another, the Earth, and God, we start with silence and prayer. Our commitment is to listening to one another carefully, speaking honestly and with compassion, and cooperating as much as possible toward common goals. We understand and accept that as individuals we will have different ideas and possible even different goals. We also understand that there is no "Other"; we are all part of the problem and we all have the potential to be part of the solution. Understanding this, we remember to engage people with love and respect for their humanness. We learn to see the image of God in everyone. Our focus is on creating a supportive, prayer-based environment from which to engage in the work in a loving, peaceful, and effective way. (For ore information regarding our preferred model, see the section on Spiritual Activism.)
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