The work of building a more just and sustainable world is collective work – no one person or organization can change the world alone. We are part of a movement of people who care passionately about this world and the people who live in it. Our ability to influence change at the Capitol, help our neighbors transition into more sustainable energy, and repair the harms of centuries of greed and extraction is dependent on people like you and your willingness to organize your friends, neighbors, and communities to live differently in this world.
Be the Spark is 5-session series of conversation and training that will help you grow your capacity to organize, build your skills through connection with other passionate people, and help you inspire others into climate justice work. As you progress in the series with your cohort, you'll get tools and practices that will help you inspire your people, focus your purpose, and identify tangible actions for successes you can celebrate. Further coaching and workshops will also be available for folks who complete the series.
You really can Be the Spark that leads your community to deeper climate action.
Upcoming Be the Spark Series
Registration for our 2024 Spring Be the Spark session has closed but check back here for more upcoming opportunities!
We also offer an "on-demand" series from time-to-time. Email liz@mnipl.org if you are interested in bringing Be the Spark to your organization, congregation, or group.
Testimonials
Be the Spark helped me build confidence and a systems/complexity-oriented approach, both of which have been essential for my work in climate justice. The workshop also provided me with a sense of groundedness and connection with the climate movement that has supported (and will continue to support) my work over time.
— Rachel Kerr, St Anthony Park United Church of Christ
When a speaker at my parish community told me about Be The Spark, I realized it was just the push I needed to move forward. After going through the program, I learned that meeting people, listening to their stories, and building relationships gives People Power. Now I have planning strategies and how to take action that helps make the Change.
— Peg Musegades, Pax Christi Catholic Community, Eden Prairie
“Be the Spark helps you connect what is deepest within you (your faith commitments, your experiences, and your dreams) to a vision of a better world, and then take concrete steps toward making that vision a reality. More than that, you will meet others who will share this work, and who will become companions on the road.”
— Rev. Susan Mullin, Faith United Methodist Church, United Methodist Church Global Ministries Creation Care Team
Be The Spark has given me the confidence to work for climate justice in my faith community. I learned to be able to go out of my comfort zone so that future generations can just be comfortable. BTS provides the organizational skills to act in my faith community. It could well be the best 4 Sunday evenings that you have spent recently. Don't miss this opportunity!
— Lorraine Delehanty, Co Chair of the Care of Creation Team, St Thomas More Catholic Church
The most important part of participating in Be the Spark was the opportunity for me to connect directly with the movement - to meet other people who are actively working on Climate Change in their faith communities and beyond. Looking back, I can see that those four sessions with MNIPL played an important role in preparing me to take on the organizing work I'm doing now in the United Methodist Church and Citizens Acting For Rail Safety.
— Cathy Velasquez Eberhart, Prospect Park United Methodist Church
Other Options
We also offer an "on-demand" series from time-to-time. Email liz@mnipl.org if you are interested in bringing Be the Spark to your organization, congregation, or group.