The Sleeth family’s environmental journey has paralleled their faith journey. As they began to live out what it means to love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love their neighbors as themselves, they found their calling: to live more simply. The first and most important miracle for the Sleeths is that their entire family came to know Christ, not just in their heads but in their daily actions. Hanging clothes on the line, washing dishes by hand, and growing their own food are all ways they show daily respect for God’s creation, and love for their global neighbors.

From these humble beginnings a revolutionary ministry began to grow. Dr. Sleeth wrote a book which received a much wider, more enthusiastic response than he could have ever dreamed. Then, to address larger audiences and respond to the hundreds of speaking requests, the Sleeths formed a nonprofit called Blessed Earth. In the last two years, the Sleeths have spoken in churches, colleges and the media more than 850 times. The Sleeths’ message has inspired congregations that never had creation care on their radar screen to make huge changes, quickly—switching to fair trade coffee, conducting energy audits on their buildings, creating community gardens, harvesting water with rain barrels, using ceramic dishes instead of disposables, embracing green cleaning products, and completely re-visioning building additions and renovations with a green lens. Churches have found more money in their pockets from these adjustments—money that is now available for other needs in their church families.

Blessed Earth now also does a lot of work with colleges; while schools may initially embrace the Sleeths’ ideas to save money, when people embrace the principles of simplicity and conservation in their hearts the programs take on a life of their own.

Many of the people who have followed the Sleeths’ testimony and lifestyle changes report that they are inspired to dramatically change areas of their everyday lives. Most inspiring of all are the people the Sleeths have met on their journey.

They hear story after story about how focusing less on material things, and more on relationships with family, friends, and God, leads to happier, more meaningful, and richer lives. With God, all things are possible—including a cleaner, healthier world to leave for future generations.