Journey of a Creation Awareness Center

EARTHKEEPING NEWS
A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY

Volume Five, Number One
September/October 1995

THE JOURNEY OF A CREATION AWARENESS CENTER

by Linda Sonner

For six years a small core group (Earth Stewardship Committee) has been moving our church, Illinois' Fox Valley Presbyterian Church, towards serious care of the environment. We began in 1989 with a hands-on environmental education program for children, environmental articles in the church newsletter and a recycling program.

In 1992 the committee offered a book study on Healing and Keeping the Creation. We began serving Sunday coffee in ceramic cups, using the church dishwasher. The session approved our recommendations for curbing and eventually eliminating the use of disposables. For our outdoor service in June, I made an eco-justice banner. The committee doubled in size — from 3 to six members.

In repairing and adding to the building, the church installed zoned heating, 50% recycled polystyrene insulation and new windows. The stained glass window designs include the theme of Creation.

In 1994 the church adopted a new mission statement which includes nurturing God's creation. We conducted an Earth Stewardship Survey with 13% of the congregation, including junior and senior highs. The Earth Stewardship Committee gained four more members, one of whom is the program supervisor for the local forest preserve..

June 1995 was designated Earth Stewardship Month. This year the Committee compiled a summer devotion booklet, For the Love of God and His Creation, with reflections by the pastors and members of the congregation. Nearly every Sunday now there is reference to God's creation or earth stewardship. The tools vary — a hymn, a sermon, scripture, a prayer of confession, a confession of faith, or a children's sermon. It is good; the theme is being established in the life of our church.

Our strategy for next year includes education projects and a campaign to conserve energy, to balance out the cost of converting to recycled paper for the copier.

If I were to give anyone advice who is undertaking this humbling work, it would be to pray and listen, be patient, but persistent; walk gently, but with confidence that God is with you. And never give up.

Working in HOPE — What We Have Learned

In November 1992 our Earth Stewardship Committee brought together an ecumenical group who initiated HOPE — Healing Our Planet Earth, with assistance from the NACCE. Its current membership is 16 congregations representing 8 denominations. HOPE has undertaken three projects: an Earth Day Retreat, an Adopt-A-Highway program, and a cooperative venture with the Kane County Recycling Program to engage all the houses of worship in the county in recycling. We distributed a brochure, The Waste-Wise House Of Worship, with recycling facts. We also distributed a survey to over 300 houses of worship.

Initial results were disappointing. The 9 responses indicate that churches are not tuned in to the need for their involvement in the environment. Also, pastors get too much (mostly junk) mail. HOPE needs a contact person in each church.

A three year evaluation of HOPE revealed the need to meet more frequently; to provide more resources, networking opportunities and spirit nurture to make members more effective in their own churches; and to be wary of getting bogged down in too many projects..