Join God Outside: Northern Indiana for our monthly hike! This winter wonderland hike is an easy 3.5 loop over the meadow, through the woods, and along the lakeshore. Please RVSP so that we know you are coming.

Holy Hikes: Northern Indiana is now God Outside: Northern Indiana. Join us for our next monthly hike, an Advent prayer walk! RSVP Here

Join us on Saturday, September 17 for the last hike of the summer! We will explore the trails at Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve near Chesterton. Use the All Trails app to guide you to the trail head or enter the GPS coordinates listed in the ad in Apple or Google maps. Please note that this hike will begin at 10 am CENTRAL time. RSVP requested just so we know to look for you before setting out on the hike.

Join us at the Three Falls Trail trailhead for our summertime saunter through the forest. Enter GPS coordinates 40.8129, -85.69485 (include the comma) into Apple Maps or Google Maps to find us. RSVP to let Dean Brian Grantz know you are coming!

Join us for the June Jaunt on Saturday, June 11 at Potato Creek State Park near North Liberty, Indiana. We'll gather in the parking lot at the nature center at 10 am EDT for a loop hike around trails 1 & 2. Bring a picnic lunch if you wish! RSVP to dean@stjamessouthbend.org is requested but not necessary to let us know to look for you before heading down the trail.

Holy Hikes: Northern Indiana heads to Logansport for their walk in May. Meet at Trailhead 1 (upper parking lot) for a 1.2 mile loop hike around Old Kenith Stone Quarry and People’s Prairie. After the “official” hike, you are welcome to continue exploring the park. Park admission is $5 per person. RSVP to Dean Brian Grantz is not required but is helpful.

Holy Hikes Northern Indiana invites you to join us on a special 5.6 mile point-to-point pilgrimage walk on Saturday, April 9 beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT). While Bishop Sparks will be miles ahead on the Potawatomi Trail of Death, we will walk from St. Thomas/Santo Tomas Episcopal Church (400 N. Center St., Plymouth) to the Chief Menominee monument (12644 Peach Rd., Plymouth) where the forced march of the Potawatomi began. Along the way, we will consider the Exodus, exile, and the implications of Jesus’ “departure” through the Passion. We need to arrange transportation back to St. Thomas/Santo Tomas for all who join us, so an RSVP is required for this hike. Please send a confirmation email to Dean Brian Grantz on or before Saturday, April 2.

The Rev. Cn. Tina Velthuizen will lead the Holy Hikes group on a Lenten Prayer Walk through the woods and along the lakeshore at beautiful Spicer Lake Nature Preserve. We'll meet in the parking lot at the nature center at 10 a.m. (EST) for this easy to moderate loop hike. As always, RSVP is helpful but not required.

Join the Holy Hikes crew on this beautiful loop trail along the banks of the Tippecanoe River, around a lake, through the woods, and across a meadow. We’ll walk between three and four miles along this easy trail, depending on the weather and ground conditions. Meet us in the parking lot at the Interpretive Center. RSVP is helpful, but not required.

The EDNIN Creation Care Commission presents a book discussion on Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Dates: September 15, October 20, and November 10, 7-8:30 p.m. (Eastern)
Location: Zoom
Facilitators: Tamisyn Grantz, Steven Slaubaugh, and The Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne

REGISTER HERE!

Please join us for three sessions as we read and discuss Robin Wall Kimmerer’s insights into our relationships with creation, our history with Indigenous peoples, and how we might begin to transform our relationships with both.

“Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, a mother, and a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings—asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass—offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. In a rich braid of reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.”

Reading Assignments (ideally to be read prior to each session):

• September 15 : sections 1 & 2 ( Planting Sweetgrass & Tending Sweetgrass)

• October 20: sections 3 & 4 ( Picking Sweetgrass  & Braiding Sweetgrass)

• November 10: section 5, epilogue & introduction to new edition ( Burning Sweetgrass)

Books should be purchased on your own from your favored (hopefully independent or used) bookseller. Available directly from Milkweed publishing in paperback for $18.00 milkweed.org. If you prefer audiobooks, it is read by the author which is a real treat! If purchasing the book is a financial hardship, please email the diocesan office at info@ednin.org and they will contact facilitators. 

The EDNIN Creation Care Commission presents a book discussion on Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Dates: September 15, October 20, and November 10, 7-8:30 p.m. (Eastern)
Location: Zoom
Facilitators: Tamisyn Grantz, Steven Slaubaugh, and The Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne

REGISTER HERE!

Please join us for three sessions as we read and discuss Robin Wall Kimmerer’s insights into our relationships with creation, our history with Indigenous peoples, and how we might begin to transform our relationships with both.

“Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, a mother, and a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings—asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass—offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. In a rich braid of reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.”

Reading Assignments (ideally to be read prior to each session):

• September 15 : sections 1 & 2 ( Planting Sweetgrass & Tending Sweetgrass)

• October 20: sections 3 & 4 ( Picking Sweetgrass  & Braiding Sweetgrass)

• November 10: section 5, epilogue & introduction to new edition ( Burning Sweetgrass)

Books should be purchased on your own from your favored (hopefully independent or used) bookseller. Available directly from Milkweed publishing in paperback for $18.00 milkweed.org. If you prefer audiobooks, it is read by the author which is a real treat! If purchasing the book is a financial hardship, please email the diocesan office at info@ednin.org and they will contact facilitators. 

The EDNIN Creation Care Commission presents a book discussion on Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Dates: September 15, October 20, and November 10, 7-8:30 p.m. (Eastern)
Location: Zoom
Facilitators: Tamisyn Grantz, Steven Slaubaugh, and The Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne

REGISTER HERE!

Please join us for three sessions as we read and discuss Robin Wall Kimmerer’s insights into our relationships with creation, our history with Indigenous peoples, and how we might begin to transform our relationships with both.

“Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, a mother, and a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings—asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass—offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. In a rich braid of reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.”

Reading Assignments (ideally to be read prior to each session):

• September 15 : sections 1 & 2 ( Planting Sweetgrass & Tending Sweetgrass)

• October 20: sections 3 & 4 ( Picking Sweetgrass  & Braiding Sweetgrass)

• November 10: section 5, epilogue & introduction to new edition ( Burning Sweetgrass)

Books should be purchased on your own from your favored (hopefully independent or used) bookseller. Available directly from Milkweed publishing in paperback for $18.00 milkweed.org. If you prefer audiobooks, it is read by the author which is a real treat! If purchasing the book is a financial hardship, please email the diocesan office at info@ednin.org and they will contact facilitators. 

All are invited to join us at Potawatomi Wildlife Park in southern Marshall County for our August Amble. We will be walking the red trail, which is an easy* three-mile loop trail through woods and meadows, past ponds, and along the banks of the Tippecanoe River. The variable landscape provides a tremendous variety of plants and birds to observe along the way. The hike can easily be shortened if that better suits your needs.

We will meet at the Interpretive Center, which you can find by following the entrance road until you get to a stop sign; the parking lot is on the right. Admission to the park is free, but donations are much appreciated. Remember to bring bug spray, especially if it has rained in the few days prior to our hike. There is great ice cream about 9 miles away for anyone who is interested in joining me following the hike

It is not necessary to RSVP, but it is helpful for Fr. Brian Grantz to know if you are coming, so please just send me a message if you are so inclined.

*There is about 1/4 mile where the path is a bit uneven due to woodland detritus, but even there it is not particularly difficult. If you are unsure about it, this part of the trail is easily avoided.

In this month's Good News Gardens Gathering, we are thrilled to welcome Jeannie Marcucci who will present on "Garden Elements: Aspects to Garden Spirituality."

Jeannie Marcucci is a candidate to the diaconate in the Diocese of New Jersey, with a September ordination planned. Jeannie has a master’s degree in Landscape Design from Columbia University and has practiced landscape design in the Delaware Valley for over twenty years with a focus on residential and small-scale commercial projects. Jeannie also trains DIY homeowner gardeners with in-home garden consultations and guest-speaking events with local farmers markets and community-supported venues. “Good Morning in the Garden,” a weekly blog/newsletter, is the main writing vehicle for Jeannie as “the garden evangelist.”

Learn more about Good News Gardens

The EDNIN Creation Care Commission and the Cathedral of Saint James are excited to welcome Master Gardener Jo Cimoch to give a Zoom workshop on composting on May 16, at 1:30 pm (EDT). Jo has been composting for years and will be a tremendous asset to those looking to learn how to make better use of what some of us may have thought to be 'waste' over the past decades. Join us to learn how your table scraps can be both a valuable addition to your garden and a great way to reduce waste and pollution.

Two composting kits will be given away during this Zoom workshop!

Registration is required. Sign up here.

Questions? Email Steven Slaubaugh

Come to Chain O’ Lakes State Park in Albion, Indiana for our Holy Hikes: Northern Indiana Spring Prayer Walk on Saturday, May 8. We’ll gather at the Nature Center/Concession parking lot at 10 a.m. EDT to walk trails 5 and 7, an easy three mile loop. All ages and abilities are welcome.

Pre-registration is not necessary, but if you wish to email Dean Brian Grantz to let him know to look for you, that is very helpful. In case of inclement weather, watch the Holy Hikes Facebook page for cancellation notices. In any event, always use your discretion about travel on the day of the event. All ages are welcome.

Please wear a mask and practice physical distancing.

As we celebrate Earth Day, join us in exploring "theology of place". We, like our plant siblings, are from the earth and rooted to the earth. Our conversation will be guided by The Very Rev. Brian Grantz, Dean of the Cathedral of Saint James, and The Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne, Priest-in-Charge at St. Paul’s Mishawaka. Our time together will also include time to share current work in creation care around the diocese and an opportunity to brainstorm our hopes and dreams for future work and events. Please join us as we grow in our efforts to care for "this fragile earth, our island home."

Registration is required for the Zoom link. Register here.

Holy Hikes: Northern Indiana heads to the dunes on Saturday, April 10 for an Easter Hike. Meet us outside the Nature Center at 11/10 a.m. (EDT/CDT). We'll practice prayer and mindfulness as we walk amid the waking earth. We'll hike about 2 miles along sections of Trails 9 and 10, which will keep us on the easier parts of trails rated "moderate." Dune hiking - with spectacular views of Lake Michigan - is available and encouraged for those up to the challenge following our "official" hike.

Pre-registration is not necessary, but if you wish to email Dean Brian Grantz to let him know to look for you, that is very helpful. In case of inclement weather, watch the Holy Hikes Facebook page for cancellation notices. In any event, always use your discretion about travel on the day of the event. All ages are welcome.

Please wear a mask and practice physical distancing.