Our new Multifaith Greening Congregations Toolkit is here! Learn more here.
Earth Ministry/WAIPL suggests that Greening Congregation Partners adapt the following process to meet your congregation’s needs. Our process is designed to be flexible and reflect that different faith communities have different means and passions. The following steps outline the process for admittance to this program.
Apply to be a Greening Congregation Partner
- Form a congregational creation-awareness/care group. These groups, or green teams, may consist of two or three individuals, a larger ad-hoc group, concerned friends who meet on an ongoing basis, or an entire congregation.
- Gain acceptance within the congregation for becoming a Greening Congregation. This acceptance is twofold: First, we ask for a statement of intent signed by the governing body (such as your board, trustees, council, vestry, rabbi, imam, or pastor); second, your community must become a congregational member of Earth Ministry/WAIPL if not already. We encourage all Greening Congregations to join with a $250 annual donation, and also offer a sliding scale for smaller communities. Membership and submission of your statement of intent formalize your relationship with Earth Ministry/WAIPL.
- Adopt a mission statement to guide your group’s vision and ongoing efforts. A mission statement serves as a touchstone for how your group envisions fostering environmental awareness and action in the congregation. You are welcome to develop your own statement or use the mission statement template provided here.
- Write a summary of past activities, if applicable. This summary serves as both a record of your past accomplishments and a chance to celebrate what you have already done. It is not a requirement for admittance into the program, but is a helpful tool for forming your annual plan.
- Develop an annual plan that brings your mission statement to life. Each year’s plan should be manageable in scope and viewed as one piece in an ongoing, year-by-year effort. This plan should bring to life your mission statement within the various green fields of congregational life – an annual plan template has been created to streamline this process. Additionally, we ask that you create a Green Team roster and submit names and email addresses to Earth Ministry/WAIPL to ensure effective communication regarding Greening Congregations news and events.
- Submit your completed application materials. To review, Earth Ministry/WAIPL asks that member congregations submit three items: a signed statement of intent, a mission statement, and an annual plan for the upcoming year. These materials can be mailed to Earth Ministry, 5515 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98103 or emailed to emoffice@earthministry.org.
Ongoing Process
- Your group and congregation members carry out the annual plan. This is the most exciting part of the process! Earth Ministry/WAIPL’s Greening Congregations Toolkit is full of resources and tools to help bring your plan to life.
- Schedule in-person staff consultation and adult education with Earth Ministry/WAIPL. Benefits of congregational membership at the $250 level and above include a staff consultation about your congregation’s greening efforts. If you are local to the Northwest, this consultation can be in-person and an adult education class for your congregation can be arranged.
- Evaluate previous year’s annual plan and create a new one. This is a self-evaluation process for your group to appreciate its accomplishments and look at areas of desired growth. It is especially helpful to review your plan shortly before creating an annual plan for the upcoming year. Earth Ministry/WAIPL encourages Greening Congregations to implement this step in the spring. See the above template for assistance in submitting your annual plan renewal.