Emma Janzen is a Deacon in the ELCA and the Director of Youth Ministry at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Oro Valley, AZ. In her role at Resurrection Lutheran, Emma spends a lot of time with middle school and high school students. She saw a need to support these young people as they grapple with the issue of climate justice and provide a space for them to find their voice and tell their stories. Emma joined the Certificate in Climate Justice and Faith because she was excited to explore the intersection of morals and spirituality – especially in the context of youth work.

For her final project for the Certificate, Emma sought to create opportunities to empower these students to care for the world around them through the combination of living out their faith and exploring their passions. In conversations with parents and youth group members, Emma organized a Family Services Days and Fellowship event spanning the Sunday and Monday of Spring Break. This event included several service opportunities that the entire family could join.

In a politically diverse congregation, Emma wanted to find an opportunity to approach the idea of caring for Creation without getting political and isolating anyone. On Sunday, participants made cards for homebound members of the congregation and prepared lunches for a local women’s shelter. Over lunch, one of the pastors led a conversation about why we are called to serve our church neighbors, our local neighbors, and our global neighbors. The following day, Emma took participants to a local community garden where they discussed how Christians can care for the earth as our neighbor and how we can better care for our global neighbors through caring for the earth.

“This project was sacred because we learned how church does not just exist within the walls of our building but throughout the earth. This was a great catalyst into thinking about how we seek justice in ways that feel age appropriate and not politically motivated” – Emma Janzen, Center for Climate Justice and Faith Graduate ‘25