EcoSpiritual Leaders: Encounters with Wholeness

An Online Course

February 8, 2024 – April 11, 2024
Live Zoom session dates listed below
Asynchronous content offered via an online course platform called Thinkific

In this course we engaged our minds, bodies, and spirits in explorations of ideas and practices aligned with EcoSpirituality. We moved through four sections — Gratitude & Grief, Forest Bathing, EcoSpiritual Practices, and Creation Care. Each week participants engaged in a bit of reading to pique our curiosity, watched a video to expand our understanding, experienced embodied practice to connect us with nature, crafted a prayer to nourish our spirits, completed an “invitation,” and participated in a conversation to collaborate in our interdependent growth. 

The anticipated time commitment outside of the live sessions was 2-3 hours per week, but you are welcome to spend as much time delving into the content as you desire. The course culminated in a small experiment with radical intent — something you’ll create that is tailored for use in your particular context.

This course was intended for spiritual leaders who are actively engaged in leadership in a congregational or community context. If you have questions about whether this course would be a good fit for you, please feel free to reach out to our Course Host, Ash Temin, at ash@thebtscenter.org 

The course was divided into four sections:

  • Part One: A Season of Gratitude & Grief – exploring The Work That Reconnects by Joanna Macy 
  • Part Two: A Season of Wandering & Wondering – introduction to Forest Bathing and Nature Therapy
  • Part Three: A Season for Thresholds & Thin Places – creating liminal spaces online and in person
  • Part Four: A Season for Harvesting & Sharing – synthesizing our learning and going forth

The material and practices in this course drew on various sources and types of contemplative, creative, and embodied practices to nourish our delight in the gifts of creation and equip us to care for each other and the planet. 

This course consisted of live sessions as well as asynchronous learning activities and a half-day online retreat.

Live session (online) dates:
Thursdays, 1.00 – 2.30pm Eastern

  • February 8, 2024 (Orientation)
  • February 15, 2024
  • February 22, 2024
  • February 29, 2024
  • March 7, 2024
  • March 14, 2024
  • March 21, 2024
  • April 11, 2024

Please note: There was no class the weeks of March 25 and April 1. The course instructor scheduled one-on-one consultations with participants during those weeks.

Online Retreat Day:
Saturday, March 2, 2024  • 12.00 – 3.00pm Eastern (Online)

Course objectives:

  • Strengthen resilience in the face of grief for a climate-changed world 
  • Deepen connection with the divine presence in Creation
  • Inspire faithful practices honoring the earth
  • Embolden active hope for lasting change

Meet Our Facilitators

Course guide Kimberly Knight (who now goes by the name Hazel) is a certified ANFT nature therapy guide, a certified outdoor life coach, a Veriditas-trained labyrinth guide, a nature-partnered spiritual care provider, and a digital strategist serving heart-centered wellpreneurs. Kimberly earned her MDiv from Candler School of Theology in 2009 and served as the Circuit Rider for The Beatitude Society for two years, after which she was both the Director of Digital Strategy for Agnes Scott College and Minister of Digital Community for the United Church of Christ’s online church, Extravagance.

Course host Rev. Ash Temin is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) who serves as the Communications Manager at The BTS Center. She also offers spiritual direction through her independent practice in Portland, Maine.

Ash is a graduate of the University of Virginia (BA), the Irish School of Ecumenics at
Trinity College Dublin (MPhil) and Harvard Divinity School (MDiv). Her time at both the ISE and HDS sparked a passion for ecological theology and prompted her to begin delving more deeply into the experience of ecological grief. Prior to moving to Portland, she served as an Acting Associate Pastor at Hope Central Church, a UCC/DOC congregation in Boston. Before answering the call to ordination, Ash worked in various administrative roles at Harvard University. She also has worked as a hospital and hospice chaplain, an adjunct professor, and a freelance editor.