Ideas and Success Stories

Here are some stories from churches celebrating Earth Day 2010 as well as some other great church earth care events and projects.  We hope you'll send us yours, including pictures so we can inspire those in need of hope and ideas.  Email your examples to jehrestore@aol.com.

Last month, congregations across the country observed Earth Day by celebrating the goodness of God's Creation and recognizing that stewardship begins in the sacred spaces of our church buildings and grounds. To aid congregations, the National Council of Churches (NCC) developed an Earth Day Sunday resource entitled, “Sacred Spaces and an Abundant Life: Worship Spaces as Stewardship.”  The resource includes ideas on energy and water conservation as well as and toxics reduction.
Long-time institutional member of PEC, St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, CA celebrated Earth Day using the National Council of Church’s Earth Day theme.  According to Member Mary Roberts, "It worked well with our goals for the year of reexamining the environmental features of our campus." Between worship services they offered family fun activities, green lifestyle displays, and a guided tour of their certified Audubon International Signature Sanctuary and grounds.  Earth care has been “growing” at St. Marks for many years, thanks to the efforts of their long and faithful earth care team, the Ecophilians.

Read more about the Earth Day celebrations of these and other

congregations on the NCC Eco-Justice Programs website at:

http://www.nccecojustice.org/earthday/earthday2010.php

***

Trinity PC in Atlanta recently had their 28-acre property designated as

an Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, in order to create "sanctuary" for the

community and the creatures around the church.  The church is reaching

out to its neighbors including churches, retirement communities, schools

and organizations to see if they would also work to create "sanctuary" in

the midst of this large and congested city.

On Sunday, April 18, 2010, the church held an organic, sustainably-grown

luncheon
following worship.  After lunch, there was brief presentation about the

church’s new status as a wildlife sanctuary including and a map of the

new sanctuary path.  Members were invited to bring their work clothes and

gardening tools to help clear the way for a walking path around the

property.

Story by John Koon, PhD, PE PEC member and workshop leader at the 2009

Faith and Environment Conference in Montreat,.  John is a Presbyterian

and has served as an elder at Westminster PC in Nashville, TN and Trinity

PC in Atlanta. He also is a member of Trinity’s Sustainability Committee.

***
 
Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church in Kensington, MD has installed

programmable thermostats and weather-stripping, purchased copy paper with

recycled content, switched to an energy-conserving copier, and eliminated

the use of Styrofoam serving ware.  The environmental stewardship team

ensured that 50 percent of the funds the church spends on electricity

goes to support wind powered electricity.   Their motto, "We may be a red

brick building, but we are working to be a 'green' church!" WMPC is a

member of Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light, where membership

is based on varieties of support, both financial and earth care activity.

Submitted by June Eakin Kirby, chair of their Environmental Stewardship

Team (EST)

***

Stewardship of the Earth Day at On May 2, Waldensian Presbyterian Church

in Valdese, NC held an outdoor worship service followed by a lunch. More

than 200 people attended.  The pastor, Rev. Dr. Kevin Frederick, preached

an earth care sermon entitled “The Home of God,” emphasizing the role of

caretaker of the land as God's first and lasting call to humanity. 

Frederick drew from the work of theologian Elizabeth A. Johnson,

Professor of Theology at Fordham University, who defines a comprehensive

Christian response to creation as having three dimensions: contemplative

- receiving nature as a divine gift, ascetic - austerity in choosing what

we buy and how we take care of our possessions, and prophetic - balancing

and integrating matters of social justice with the ecological health of

the environment.

PEC member, Rev. Dr. Kevin Frederick, on his church’s Earth Day

activities

***

International Partnership Inspires Water Stewardship

The relationships built through Presbytery of the Cascades™ Joining Hands

Mission Partnership (JHMP) -a three-way partnership between the

Presbytery, the Presbyterian Hunger Program and a grassroots social

justice network in Bolivia called UMAVIDA inspired one partner

congregation to take on an unexpected project.

A question asked from thousands of miles away -- "What are your water

problems?” -- led to a rediscovery of a valuable natural area in the

church's own backyard: 3 1/2 acres with springs and wetlands (and former

Coho salmon habitat) that had become choked by invasive plants.  The

question came in April of 2008 from visitors from UMAVIDA, which was

working on water pollution, primarily from the runoff from mines.  In

response, the seven Cascades partner churches decided to look at water

issues in their regions.

After considering the Columbia River, then the Willamette, Milwaukie

Presbyterian Church settled on evaluating the water issues in Kellogg

Creek which runs through their property. After exploring the watershed on

foot, by canoe and talking with local experts, they started to remove

invasive species and eventually won a Metro Nature in Neighborhoods grant

to make a larger impact. Their hard work and determination shows what a

small group can do when it partners with many others. This natural area

is now a powerful witness to the care of creation and love of neighbors.

Read a detailed case study of this project at:

http://www.cascadespresbytery.org/GreenCongregations.html

Submitted by Jenny Holmes, PEC moderator and Director of Environmental

Ministries at Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon.  Jenny is a member of the

Presbytery of the Cascades

***

North Como Presbyterian Church in Roseville, MN has been a greening

church for over 15 years.  Starting with small steps, the movement has

reached the stage where energy use and environmental impact concerns are

second nature.  At this year’s Earth Day service, the church celebrated

its progress by reciting a history of what they have done and then what

they are proposing to do.

This past year, during the mission segment of the service, several

families told the congregation about steps they had taken to reduce

energy and protect the environment.  To date, 76 families have joined the

Minnesota Energy Challenge.

Located on a busy street, North Como has for many years tended large

flower beds along the street, drawing many positive comments from

neighbors and passersby.  This year, the church is expanding its

gardening efforts by making land available to the community for garden

plots. Church volunteers will plow and prepare the soil, then allow

members and neighbors to plant their own garden plots.  Watering and

weeding will be done by church members, and food harvested can be donated

to the food shelf which the church supports.

Manley Olson, N. Como member and founding member of PEC

***

The Church of Reconciliation, a Presbyterian congregation in Chapel Hill,

NC celebrated God's Creation all through the month of April with adult

education classes and environmental Sabbath art projects, culminating in

an outdoor worship service on April 25.   The sermon preached on Earth

Day, entitled “Sabbath,” integrated Psalms and poems, with wood flute

music interwoven throughout.

Submitted by church member and former PEC moderator, Nancy Corson Carter