Cedar Falls, Iowa Jul 25, 2025 (Issuewire.com) - For the past decade, Mark Brown, an Iowa native in his early 50s and devoted outdoorsman, has woven environmental education into the fabric of church life across Waverly, Waterloo, and Cedar Falls. Brown doesnt merely preach conservationhe lives it. He leads church outreach programs centered on eco-stewardship: planting native gardens, conducting river cleanup events, and guiding reflective nature walks infused with faith. His efforts merge spiritual growth with ecological responsibility, inspiring congregations of all ages to embrace creation care as a profound expression of faith.
Nature as Congregational Classroom
Every season, Brown collaborates with church leadership to integrate environmental themes into sermons, youth retreats, and adult study groups. He organizes outdoor gatheringspicnic-style gatherings under the oaks or quiet prayer walks on creek-side trailswhere participants listen to scripture, then reflect on natures wonders. Brown encourages each congregation to view the outdoors not as otherbut as sacred space. His reflective walking meditations often prompt heartfelt conversation on gratitude, humility, and stewardship.
Brown also facilitates hands-on service events, such as creek cleanups and native prairie plantings, tailored to congregational volunteers. One recent spring event at Cedar Falls drew over 80 volunteers, who cleared invasive species and planted hundreds of native wildflowers and grasses. Church leaders described it as a spiritual revival with shovels in hand.
Empowering Youth Through Outdoor Engagement
Recognizing that young people often connect deeply through experience rather than lectures, Brown created a two-day Faith in the Wild retreat designed for middle and high schoolers. Held at a wooded camp just outside Waterloo, the retreat blends scripture, storytelling, camping skills, and community action. Youth participants learn to identify edible plants, track wildlife, build campfire shelters, and reflect on passages that emphasize creation care. Brown frames these lessons in practical termsplanting a tree is like planting hope for the futureto propel stewardship into real-life choices.
During the first retreat, a student named Noah pulled Brown aside after a hike, eyes shining. I never thought the Bible and nature could feel so connected, he said. I want to do more, not just talk more. That quote has become part of Browns mission: to create lifelong environmental caretakers rooted in faith-based values.
Guided by Faith, Grounded in Ecology
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Brown grew up in Cedar Falls exploring local woods, sketching leaves, and following creekbeds. He credits his faith community with nurturing his love of creation. Today, he regards caring for the environment as a spiritual calling. Showing gratitude for creation means honoring the Creator, Brown often reminds audiences. In study groups, he connects biblical teachingslike caring for lowliest creatures or tending the Earthwith real-world initiatives: water testing, tree planting, and waste reduction campaigns.
During a summer church picnic at Waverly, Brown led participants on a nature scavenger huntcomplete with reflective questions about humus, hydration, and humility. The exercise concluded with an invitation to prayernot just for spiritual needs, but for clean water, healthy soils, and abundant wildlife. Many attendees said it changed their perspective on what prayer and faith could look like in everyday life.
Collaborating With Pastors and Church Leaders
Browns outreach approach goes beyond volunteer events. He offers workshops for pastors and church staff to help them integrate environmental messaging into worship. These eco-liturgy sessions teach faith leaders how to use prayer, liturgies, or church bulletins to raise awareness about local environmental issueslike riverbank erosion, tree cover loss, or pollinator decline.
Several churches have responded by redesigning their grounds: installing native butterfly gardens, replacing turf with native grasses, and retrofitting rainwater harvesting systems. One Waterloo congregation even replaced half its lawn with a meadow so pollinators and bees can thrive. Browns steady guidance and practical support gave church leadership confidence to treat these projects as acts of worship, not simply landscaping.
Reaching Wider Audiences with Events and Media
Browns work doesnt stop at church parking lots. He partners with faith-based radio stations to host quarterly Creation Care Conversations, where he discusses topics like What the Bible Teaches About Trees or From Psalm to Prairie: Our Sacred Soil. These segments reach thousands across the region, prompted inquiries from broader communities and encouraged cross-denominational cooperation.
In 2024, Brown helped organize Earth and Spirit Week across multiple Cedar Valley churches. The program included sermon series, guided bird walks at dawn, sunset prayer vigils by the river, and screenings of environmental documentaries. Church attendance and volunteerism both rose by 20 percent that weeka powerful sign that combining faith, fellowship, and care for creation resonates deeply.
Connecting National Wisdom With Local Action
Brown enriches his local work by drawing on experiences from national parks. He regularly references travels to parks such as Yellowstone, Zion, and Great Smoky Mountains in sermons and workshops. He shows slides of geysers, ancient forests, and canyon walks, then initiates group discussions on how local ecosystems can reflect similar stewardship. He photographs Iowa oak groves through the same lens of wonder he applies at the Grand Tetons.
During a recent sermon at a Waterloo church, Brown shared a photo of an old-growth sequoia beside Mark Twains words about humility before creation. Moments later, he led the congregation to plant an oak sapling in their yardconnecting prayer to tangible, future-facing action. The congregation reportedly stayed after services for over an hour to ask questions and plan future planting events.
Receiving Recognition From Faith and Conservation Communities
Local and state leaders have recognized Browns work. In 2023, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources awarded him the Conservation Through Faith medal. Black Hawk County Conservation officially partnered with his church programs to release joint statements calling for watershed restoration and natural buffer installation. Brown also received commendations from multiple church councils for practical, replicable outreach work that deepens community bonds.
In a ceremony at Cedar Falls Church of the Valley, Pastor Alicia Reed stated, Mark Brown has shown us how caring for the environment isnt just civic dutyits spiritual discipleship. Hes inspiring members of all ages to love creation through action.
Looking ahead, Brown plans to launch a Church Ground Renewal seriesan instructional resource and mentorship network designed to help congregations nationwide redesign church grounds for ecological health. The series will offer seasonal planting guides, child-friendly volunteer events, and liturgical prompts to integrate ecology into worship rhythms. He is also compiling a devotional handbook called Creation & Covenant, featuring faith reflections paired with prompts for outdoor prayer, journaling, and service. Brown hopes to release it by Earth Sunday 2026.
Voices From the Community
Mark has transformed how our congregation sees church grounds, said Reverend Joshua Kim of Cedar Valley United Church. Weve gone from a traditional lawn to a pollinator garden and even now host youth-led nature services. Its shifted how we worship and whom we welcome.
Church volunteer Melissa Nguyen added, When we planted native species, I thought it was service. But it became prayer. We thanked God for each blossom, each butterfly. That was new for meand healing.
About Mark Brown
Mark Brown lives in northeastern Iowa, where he has spent over thirty years studying native tree and plant species, wildlife tracking, foraging mushrooms, fishing, and woodworking. He has partnered with schools, civic groups, and faith communities to build outdoor education programs that integrate conservation and spirituality. As a wrestling fan and mentor, Brown advocates discipline, resilience, and heart in both young athletes and conservation volunteers. Rooted in faith and driven by curiosity, he equips communities to care for land, water, and wildlife with intention and hope.
For more information about Mark Brown, please feel free to visit: [email protected]
Source :Mark Brown
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