Martin Ishoey is Pastor of Balle in Silkeborg. He is a theologian with a PhD in environmental ethics. He has worked in collaboration with the conservation officer and Aqua (www.ferskvandscentret.dk/aqua/), the wildlife centre in his parish to provide inspiring activities for young people.
For example, young children learned about the story of Noah inside the freshwater aquarium, imagining that they were inside the ark surrounded by local species of fish. Afterwards made animals out of clay.
Young teenagers were taken for nature walks by Martin and the conservation officer. They learnt about native tree species and discussed the importance of biodiversity and wild places while in the forest. They were invited to each spend fifteen minutes alone in the forest - with no friends or even a mobile phone! - and to reflect on the spiritual aspects of this experience.
He has led worship in the forest during Creation Time, inspired by the material from ECEN, aimed at both church attenders and people interested in nature who would not normally attend a church service.
Martin has represented the Danish churches at ECEN and has brought an ecological perspective to the Association for Christianity and Culture which he chairs.
He would like to mobilise the Danish churches as a whole to consider environmental theology and take environmental action. Doing this will require gathering a working group of interested people, both lay people and pastors, from around the Danish churches to develop ideas and contacts. If you are interested in being involved in such a group, please contact Martin at martinis
webspeed [dot] dk