Dear Earth Ministry/WAIPL community,
Lately I have been thinking about giving thanks, and specifically how I model practices of gratitude with my child. Whether birthday celebrations, holidays, or “because it’s Tuesday and we thought of you,” my child receives an abundance of love expressed through gift giving. It is beautiful to see the joy grow on my child’s face.
Receiving gifts, with gratitude, is one of the lessons I want to impart as a parent. So recently, I have begun asking my little one, “When we receive a gift, how do we respond?” With gratitude!
Gratitude is an important part of building community. As a building block, it inspires us to extend our appreciation beyond the moment and enter a cycle of mutual care. We show up, advocating for salmon recovery, a reduction in fossil fuels, and decarbonization out of gratitude for the gifts this world has given us. Out of gratitude we respond to the invitation to be intentionally invested in caring for our earth and its inhabitants and we show up in some exciting ways.
I hope your gratitude for the work of Earth Ministry/WAIPL inspires you to make a meaningful gift in support of our joyful and transformative work.
Over the past six months, I have witnessed the Earth Ministry/WAIPL community respond and collectively work for environmental justice, and I wanted to share some of what I have noticed that is filling me with gratitude.
1. Earth Ministry/WAIPL brings us all together. At the Harvest Hoopla, our recently concluded state tour, Earth Ministry/WAIPL created special gathering places where people from diverse backgrounds, faith traditions, lived experiences, and different parts of Washington came together to amplify environmental and climate justice concerns. I have noticed how this intentional and strategic bridge-building is a hallmark of our organization that helps us to elevate shared values for our common home while respecting and celebrating one another’s differences.
2. Earth Ministry/WAIPL mobilizes the multifaith community for environmental justice. While we live, work, play, and pray in different ways, Earth Ministry/WAIPL helps us come together across spiritual, economic, political, geographical, and ideological differences to work for a healthy and sustainable world for everyone. At our core, we are people whose faith and spiritual traditions inspire us to care for the natural world and all its inhabitants. When we show up together, we build power for environmental justice.
- When Earth Ministry/WAIPL called for faithful advocacy, you showed up and together we submitted almost 700 comments and signatures over the last 12 months. By putting our faith into action, we helped implement a strong clean fuel standard, pass one of the nation’s most climate-friendly building codes, and support tribal-led efforts on salmon and orca recovery.
- When Jewish partners called for larger participation in celebrating and honoring the Shmita (Sabbath) year, you showed up and supported the Shmita Project Northwest.
- When Earth Ministry/WAIPL called the faith community to be in solidarity with Northwest Native Nations during the Spirit of the Seas Totem Pole Journey and Salmon Seas Symposium, you showed up.
At Earth Ministry/WAIPL we understand the power of presence, the momentum that arises from grassroots organizing, and the resilience of community-led movements. Our mission would not exist without you and could not be carried out without our staff. Over the past year and a half, we have begun intentionally investing in community building resources by investing in the staff who facilitate, direct, empower, and nurture statewide mobilizing efforts.
3. Your financial support makes a real difference in our work. The amount of outreach, education, and advocacy that Earth Ministry/WAIPL organizes is amazing given our modest budget. Every dollar you give is stretched and put to good use by our hardworking staff.
We need your financial support to help us continue showing up in:
- Adult education classes at your local house of worship
- Olympia during annual legislative sessions
- Environmental coalitions representing people of faith
- Communities throughout the state, raising awareness for environmental justice
Earth Ministry/WAIPL is the only multifaith organization working exclusively on environmental justice throughout Washington state. We need your contributions to make our mission come to life.
Can you support Earth Ministry/WAIPL’s faithful commitment to environmental justice by making a meaningful gift before the end of the year?
I’m six months in as Executive Director and have already learned much and know there is much to come. In the coming seasons, I want to explore how we support each other in our collective work for environmental justice and how we offer meaningful, community-centered programs. Your financial gift of gratitude helps us to continue bringing our vision of a just and sustainable future to life.
Thank you!
Rev. AC Churchill (they/them)
Executive Director