Greening Areas

More ideas and explicit details may be found in the Greening Congregations Handbook.  However, brief descriptions of areas of greening on the path to becoming a Greening Congregation are found below.

Congregational Mission Statement

Congregations with a written mission statement (or strategic plan, statement of purpose, etc) are encouraged to amend or help rewrite the statement with a creation care element. 

Crafting or amending a mission statement will:

• Bring you into conversation with your congregation’s leadership
• Help your congregation consider God’s creation as central to its identity
• Impact other dimensions of congregational life (e.g., worship, education)

Read how St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle, WA, wrote their mission statement

Worship

Worship is the center of our lives as people grounded in a common faith.  Exploring worship as a means of communicating our values by celebrating and honoring creation provides opportunity to grow closer to our creator.

Creation care can be woven into many elements of worship, such as:

• Prayers
• Sermons
• Liturgy and songs
• Caring for All Creation Modules—Earth Ministry’s creation honoring worship services
  

Education

As people of faith, we have a desire to grow in relationship with our creator educating ourselves, our children, and our neighbors. 

Within education programs, you can help others explore connections between their faith and God’s broader creation.  Work to add environmental stewardship into:

• Adult classes
• Youth classes
• Field trips, retreats
• Book clubs using resources such as Earth Ministry’s Food and Faith,  Simpler Living, Compassionate Life, or Money & Faith
  
• Printed or Visual Communications— eco-section in church newsletter or website
  

Facilities and Institutional Life

Growing in appreciation for the sacredness of God’s creation, we are led to be good stewards of our places of worship. Congregational buildings and grounds are great places to be examples of good stewards.  A few areas to start include:

• Transportation—Carless Sundays (bicycling, bus, carpool)
• Food Sustainability—Shade Grown coffee, local foods
• Recycling and Composting
• Energy Conservation and Green Power
• Water Conservation and Care
• Landscaping and grounds care
• Reducing and eliminating toxics
• Green building and remodeling

Community Outreach

As a congregation begins to engage in stewardship, activities may go beyond the church walls and into the community.

Many activities in the church can be advertised to the greater community.  It helps the congregation gain more support and also brings congregational life to neighbors outside the church.  Events could include:

• Habitat conservation/restoration projects
• Environmental advocacy
• Host community events—movie showings, guest speaker

Denominational, Ecumenical, and Interfaith Partnerships

Once you have begun to foster creation awareness and care in your congregation, you may want to consider ways to impact broader religious structures.

As people of faith, we have many similarities and have greater strength when joined together.  Uniting with those outside our own congregation can include:

• Updating denominational statements or strategic plans
• Sharing liturgical resources
• Hosting joint events with other churches in your denomination, neighborhood or other houses of worship
• Joining Washington Interfaith Power & Light
  
• Hosting an event with Earth Ministry!