Faith & Farming for Community Engagement Workers: A LEAD Community of Practice Event
Register Before:
Tamkharit 18, 2025 11:59
Event Contact:
Cecily Huston (study@echonet.org)
Phone: 239-567-3330
Faith and Farming is a scripture engagement initiative, connecting the Bible with everyday farmers' experiences to facilitate the impact of Bible translation. It has two primary goals, to help all those who work on the land to:
1) engage with all of the Bible in the language that they use as they work on their farms or with their animals, and
2) make a connection between their faith in God and their day to day work, so that their whole life is impacted and reflects God’s greatness in everything they do and say.
To do this, the Faith and Farming materials highlight and draw on the many farmers in the Bible, including God Himself, the very first "farmer" who planted the Garden of Eden.
The LEAD Community of Practice and ECHO North America Impact Centre are excited to be hosting this training event, contextualising the Faith and Farming materials for community engagement workers in the Americas. The event is suitable for both farmers and those who work alongside and support farmers, and will provide an introduction to the wider Faith and Farming curriculum for those who would like to incorporate its principles into their own work. Visit the Faith and Farming website for more information about the Faith and Farming programme.
While efforts will be made to ensure the material is relevant and appropriate for the Americas region, as with all training, much of the material covered will need to be sensitively considered and potentially adapted for implementation in your own unique work setting. It should also be noted that this training event is open to people of differing faiths and no faith, and the LEAD community of practice recognises the benefits of diversity when dealing with complex topics. However, for this event in particular the training will be based on stories and principles from the Christian Bible. Please consider carefully whether this is an event that you will be comfortable participating in fully.
Event Goal:
Participants return to their organisations and places of work with a better understanding of the connections between their faith, farming and agriculture more broadly, and are equipped and motivated to share their learning with others.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the event participants will have...
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A basic theological understanding of the connections between Faith and Farming,
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Reviewed and considered what the Bible has to say about farming and agriculture more broadly, and what the implications are for us as we work with the land in a sustainable way,
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Considered what it means to be a follower of Jesus and a farmer and the implications for Scripture Engagement initiatives,
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Seen firsthand a selection of sustainable farming techniques demonstrated at the ECHO Global Farm,
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Begun to plan what their next steps are for incorporating their learning into their own work and context.
And (our hope is that) by six months after the event participants will have run one training event in their own location, with the support of others as needed.
Event Details
Location
ECHO North America
17391 Durrance Road North Fort Myers, Florida 33917 United States
Registration
Registration fees include:
- 5 days of training
- Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Lodging
Registration does not include:
- Transportation to or from the airport
Cost
Registration for this training will end on January 18th.
Early Bird Rate - Now through September 28th: $730
Regular Registration fee - September 29th through January 18th: $780
Spouse Registration fee - Now through January 18th: $650
Group Rate fee (3+ people) - Now through January 18th: $750 per ticket
Payment Options
Please use the "Register Here" link below to register for this course. All payment processes will go through this website.
Lodging
Lodging is provided on ECHO's campus. Check-in date is Sunday, February 2nd and check-out date is Saturday, February 8th. If you need to stay outside of this time frame additional charges may apply.
ECHO is a working farm, and lodging options include dormitory style as well as shared guesthouses, depending on availability.
If you are a couple, ECHO will try to accomodate housing.
Please notify ECHO (study@echonet.org) of any family members that will be traveling to ECHO far ahead of time. There may be additional fees for family members even if they do not attend the course.
Food
Registration fees include all meals for Monday morning through Friday dinner.
We are not able to assure accommodation for those with special dietary needs or food allergies, please plan accordingly.
If you have a specific diet you follow or you have food allergies- please contact us at study@echonet.org.
Additional Information
VISA REQUIREMENTS
ECHO currently considers visa letter requests on a case-by-case basis.
Anyone needing a visa in order to attend any of our courses must have their visa in place at least 30 days prior to the start of the class. This policy is required in order to allow sufficient time for processing applications and to give individuals that might be on our waiting list ample time to make travel arrangements.
Cancellation Policy - ECHO Classes
Payment for ECHO classes is required at the time of registration. Due to the nature of the class, we require at least 4 weeks notice of cancellation to receive a full refund of your fees. A refund will not be issued if less than a week's notice is given.
These courses are interest-driven. Therefore, we reserve the right to cancel a course due to a lack of interest. Should a cancellation be necessary, we will do so two weeks before the first day of class.