 |
Creation Care Worldwide
Au
Sable Institute of Environmental Studies
Grand Rapids, MI
A partnership in missions is flourishing on the
Indian subcontinent. In Tiruchirapalli, South
India, college students from the United States
and Canada, as well as India, are learning about
caring for creation by taking courses from the
professors at Bishop Heber College. Bishop Heber
is a sister institution with the Au Sable Institute,
a Christian earth-keeping training institute based
in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Thousands of local elementary
students also come to Bishop Heber College for
classes in creation care, following a model used
at Au Sable. Each of these Indian school children
take a pledge of stewardship following their studies
at "Heber Au Sable," again under the
leadership of Indian professors.
|
|
This Indian program reaches out to the local
community by demonstrating how to care for creation
and human needs. One such project includes the
building of the first straw bale house in India,
using the two resources India has in abundance:
labor and rice straw. A second project utilizes
an unused resource in the cities of India, turning
the flat roof-tops that "pave" much
of the urban landscape into roof-top gardens under
the care of students and faculty of Heber Au Sable.
For twenty-five years, Au Sable has been quietly
but effectively training increasing numbers of
students to care for creation as disciples of
Jesus Christ. In North America, Au Sable now serves
50 Christian college campuses with courses for
transferable academic credit or vocational certification.
Its impressive mission reaches far beyond Michigan
and India. Courses have been taught for several
years at Au Sable-Pacific Rim on Whidbey Island
in Puget Sound, where a new campus is under development
to meet the rapidly-rising interest. The Au Sable
Institute has offered courses in the Chesapeake
Bay and has reached across the Atlantic to offer
its first program in Africa. Working jointly with
the newly-formed African Institute for Scientific
Research and Development, courses have been offered
to students from Kenya, the United States, and
Canada at Olooseos, about 40 kilometers from Nairobi.
For more information, contact Au Sable Institute
of Environmental Studies at administration@ausable.org.
Adapted from an article in Creation Care
magazine by Dr. Calvin Dewitt.
|
