Called as Stewards of Creation…
Camp Hanover is truly a “place apart,” an incredible slice of God's creation, with nearly 600 acres of forest, field, farm, and lakefront. Environmental Stewardship is hardly a new idea here. And today, through the development of the GoodPastures program, it’s becoming an even larger focus of our ministry.
For over 50 years, Environmental Stewardship has been a core value of our mission. Camp Hanover's founding director, Rev. John Ensign, set out a vision for an outdoor ministry that highlights an awareness of creation and all of its interdependencies, as well as an awareness of our dependence on that creation as paramount in spiritual development. We are urged to acknowledge humankind’s role in both environmental degradation and restoration, and, in the words of Rev. Ensign, “To develop a deep sense of stewardship in relation to our natural resources, and to our bodies, our abilities, and our lives.” This is a call to honor all of creation, including ourselves as part of it.
What is the GoodPastures Program?
For churches, GoodPastures is an opening for Sunday school lessons, sermons, or retreats to learn about our call to care for creation, and to collaborate on ways we might do this in the Presbytery of the James.
For summer campers, GoodPastures is an opportunity to connect with nature more deeply and spiritually while participating in a community devoted to earth care.
For school groups, the GoodPastures program is an opportunity to observe and explore environmental science standards of learning in an outdoor classroom.
Laura Haney serves as Camp Hanover's Associate Director of Outdoor Ministry. As coordinator of the GoodPastures program, Laura implements outdoor education and land stewardship projects, both on site at Camp Hanover, throughout the Presbytery of the James, and the central Virginia region.
We’re looking forward to welcoming you to this wonderful part of creation!