How can we protect our oceans and waterways?
Water is central both to our Christian theology and to our survival. Sacred Water: Oceans and Ecosystems guides small groups in discerning how they can better care for the earth’s waters, as well as the creatures and communities who live in and around them.
Water is central both to our Christian theology and to our survival.
Sacred Water: Oceans and Ecosystems, the third program in JustFaith Ministries’ Eco-justice Series, guides small groups in discerning how they can better care for the earth’s waters, as well as the creatures and communities who live in and around them. Topics include watershed discipleship, natural disasters and the climate crisis, ocean health, clean water access, pollution, plastics, and environmental racism. Through prayer and spiritual practices, participants explore their personal relationships with water and the centrality of water within Christian theology. Participants can expect to leave Sacred Water: Oceans and Ecosystems better equipped to restore the health of our oceans, waterways, and ecosystems through advocacy, grassroots organizing, and daily decision-making.
Each program in the eco-justice series includes eight two-hour regular sessions, an optional get-to-know-you session, and an immersion experience. All regular sessions include prayer, dialogue, active listening, weekly spiritual practices, and relationship-building. You can stop after the first eight-session program, but we encourage you to take all three. You do not need to take the eco-justice programs in order.
Goals for Sacred Water: Oceans and Ecosystems include:
Learn how the health of our oceans, waterways, and ecosystems impacts our present and future and explore water as a Christian symbol and learn spiritual practices to celebrate our human connection with water.
Understand the ways in which water crises — from natural disasters to polluted drinking water — disproportionately affect communities of color.
Develop a plan to help restore the health of our oceans, waterways, and ecosystems, both within our local communities and across our planet.
Sacred Water: Oceans and Ecosystems consists of eight 2-hour sessions, an immersion experience, and an optional get-to-know-you session.
Recommended group size is 8-14.Framework & Session Topics
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Optional Get-to-Know-You Session
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Session 1: Watershed Discipleship
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Session 2: Caring for Our Watersheds
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Session 3: Water is Life!
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Session 4: The Water Crisis
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Session 5: Plastics
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Session 6: Ocean Health
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Immersion Experience
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Session 7: Climate Resilience
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Session 8: Action
Sessions include:
Prayer and reflection
Discussion of reading
Videos & group activities
Spiritual practices
Integration of faith
Want to know more?
An overview, sample session, and program booklet are available for free download.
What you’ll need for this program
There are two books used in Sacred Water: Oceans and Ecosystems, both available through the JustFaith Ministries bookstore. The program also uses Laudato Si which can be found at the vatican.va.
Need help inviting people to your small group?
This program promotion kit contains sample social media posts, bulletin announcements, email invitations, and more.
We believe strongly in making our programs inclusive and available to everyone
There are two registration options:
Option 1: Participants in the group pay their own registration fees: Participants pay individually based on a sliding fee scale of $35, $55, or $75/person. (There is no charge for up to two facilitators.) A minimum of 8 participants is strongly recommended. Scholarships are available for individuals.
Option 2: A church/organization pays the registration fee for all participants: When the group is set up, a church or organization will automatically be billed a flat rate of $280, covering up to 8 participants. For groups with more than 8 participants, the organization will be invoiced an additional $35 for each extra participant when the group begins.
The registration fee includes:
- Comprehensive materials for each session
- Facilitation scripts, guidance, and training resources
- Retreat and immersion guidance
- Adaptations for virtual groups
- Direct access to program staff for support
Books are an additional cost and available for purchase in the bookstore.
To ensure our programs are not cost-prohibitive for anyone, all programs are offered on a sliding fee scale ranging from $35-$75.
We ask you to choose the registration fee tier that best aligns with your current financial situation. Paying on the higher end allows us to keep the program affordable for all.
If the $35 tier is difficult for you, please consider the program anyway. We ask that you decide what amount you can contribute as a commitment to the program, and send us an email at info@justfaith.org to learn about partial scholarship opportunities for the remainder amount.
What our program participants are saying
Daily I am challenged to consider how my actions and purchases impact our earth and my neighbors. The Sacred Land, Sacred Air, and Sacred Water programs have helped me, as I advocate for change. Using the knowledge and resources from these modules and from fellow participants, I can send more-informed letters to my local, state, and federal politicians and agencies for environmentally sound actions and decisions.
Before I took the Sacred Water course, I didn't realize how much I take water, and in particular clean water, for granted. The course really opened my eyes to the blessing I have and I will never take it for granted again.
As inhabitants of our beautiful planet, we have lost that important and sacred connection to the earth as it houses and sustains us. I love how these sessions help to reawaken that connection and bring a greater awareness to the issues around the land we rely on for food, the air that we breathe, and the water that sustains all life. Not only do they create a greater awareness of the effects of climate change, they also encourage spiritual growth and challenge our complacency. By bringing to light the deeply connected justice issues around climate change such as migration, poverty, food insecurity and health concerns of those living on the margins, participants are challenged to explore their own responses and advocate for more sustainable ways of living both locally and globally. This is a great series and I would encourage everyone to participate!
Sacred Water Overview, Sample Session, and Program Booklet
To get access to this program's overview, sample session and program booklet, complete the form below and you will receive an email with the downloadable materials.
Sacred Water Promotion Kit
To get access to this program's promotional materials, complete the form below and you will receive an email with the downloads.