Methodist Theological School in Ohio will observe Earth Day two days early with a faculty lecture by Timothy Van Meter, MTSO associate professor of Christian education and youth ministry.

The lecture, “Millennial Dreaming: Cultivating Hope and Ecological Vision,” begins at 1 p.m. April 20 in the Alford Centrum on the MTSO campus, 3081 Columbus Pike in Delaware. It is free to the public.

After the lecture, those in attendance are invited to gather for a ceremonial planting of fruit trees at Seminary Hill Farm, the USDA-certified organic farm on the MTSO campus. Those who wish are welcome to help in the planting, organizers say. The fruit trees are a gift of the graduating class of 2015.

The lecture will be preceded by a noon lunch in Dunn Dining Hall, featuring fresh, locally sourced food, including produce from Seminary Hill Farm. The price of the lunch is $5.

Van Meter is the author of the 2012 book “Created in Delight: Youth, Church, and the Mending of the World,” which outlines an approach to youth ministry that puts humans’ relationship with all of creation front and center.

The lecture is presented by the Theological Commons at MTSO.