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"As evangelicals, we frequently use expressions like 'financial stewardship' or 'family stewardship,'" Kaiser says. "The God- made natural environment is another area of stewardship that we sometimes overlook. What better place than an institution of higher learning, with a Christian focus, to reinforce all aspects of stewardship?"

Creation care is a part of these schools' basic mission. "[We] invest our lives in the students so that they can go out and make a difference for the Lord in his world," Gordon's Helgesen says. "We [also] believe strongly that the Lord has given us a beautiful section of New England to care for."

Connecting the environment with other issues, such as poverty and evangelism, has helped environmental initiatives gain support.

Semenyuk, who is now doing graduate work in environmental engineering at Johns Hopkins University, says he considered studying medicine, but realized he would only be helping one person at a time. "Through engineering," he says, "I can help [whole] communities at a time, be able to train others, and relieve people from the need of seeing a doctor by solving the problem that is causing disease in the first place."

There is also an evangelistic dimension. Lowe notes that some of the 40 members of Wheaton's student chapter of A Rocha, an international conservation organization, volunteer at the county's forest preserves each week. "People who are not in contact with a church or who are frustrated with Christians or don't view Christians as caring about the environment see us caring for creation," he says.

Merry Lea's probable platinum status with the U.S. Green Building Council gives Luke Gascho, executive director, the opportunity to speak in secular venues such as the Sierra Club. "Sometimes, people outside the church think we are only interested in heaven and hell," he says. "To find out that we actually care about the here and now is a great witness opportunity."

For many students, creation care is grounded in soul care. When people ask Semenyuk if he is a "tree hugger," he replies, "I'm a people hugger."

He explains, "By taking care of the environment, I am taking care of people. I feel called to missionary work in preaching and evangelizing, but if people will not live to hear my message by the time I arrive because of my poor environmental decisions, the Word is preached in vain."

Cindy Crosby is co-editor with Tom Oden of the Ancient Christian Devotional (InterVarsity, 2007) and author of By Willoway Brook: Exploring the Landscape of Prayer (Paraclete Press, 2003).

Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Other articles on the environment can be found in our special section.

The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities has an article on green initiatives at some of their member institutions.

The Evangelical Youth Climate Initiative, composed mainly of college students, urged the federal government to address concerns over climate change.

American colleges in general are becoming greener.

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May 2007, Vol. 51, No. 5