Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light’s Greening Congregations Toolkit is designed to assist houses of worship in successfully completing the certification process to become an Earth Ministry/WAIPL Greening Congregation.
The toolkit is also intended for use by existing Greening Congregations looking for ways to revitalize their sustainability efforts. It may prove valuable for anyone looking for ideas to incorporate environmental awareness into programming, operations, and action in their spiritual community.
Toolkit Contents
The Greening Congregations Toolkit provides an overview of Earth Ministry/WAIPL’s Greening Congregations program, complete with step-by-step information on the application process. It includes the following sections:
Section 1: The Heart of Faith
Provides theological grounding for environmental action. Currently includes Jewish and Christian perspectives, with more multifaith additions planned.
Section 2: The Work of Faith
Covers Earth Ministry/WAIPL’s three program areas of faith formation, Greening Congregations, and faithful advocacy.
Section 3: How to Use the Greening Congregations Toolkit
Shares a roadmap of the resources presented in the following sections.
Section 4: Greening Congregations Program
Explains the Greening Congregations program and its benefits. Clearly outlines the steps to becoming a Greening Congregation.
Sections 5: Green Fields
Introduces the five areas of congregational green that we refer to as Green Fields: Worship, Education, Buildings & Grounds, Community Engagement, and Faithful Advocacy. Lists potential projects and activities under each Green Field to provide inspiration and suggestions.
Section 6: Appendixes
Appendix A includes Greening Congregations application materials and samples, Appendix B shares Greening Congregations success stories, and Appendix C adds ideas for individual stewardship within a congregational context.
Please fill out this online form to receive a free digital copy of Earth Ministry/WAIPL’s Multifaith Greening Congregations Toolkit. This resource is provided as a PDF to reduce use of paper. You will be able to download the Toolkit PDF immediately. Someone from Earth Ministry/WAIPL will follow up shortly to see if you have any questions.
New Multifaith Version!
Earth Ministry/WAIPL’s Greening Congregations Toolkit has evolved with us over the years to remain relevant and support your good work. To align with our increasingly multifaith identity, we have produced a new multifaith version of the Greening Congregations Toolkit!
This multifaith expansion breaks out sections with specific Jewish and Christian theological grounding and uses more inclusive language throughout. It also contains resources that resonate across spiritual traditions, and the Greening Congregations process can be applied in any setting. Our plan is to continue to build out this resource to represent the growing spiritual and cultural diversity of our community.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we journey toward more broad representation within this resource. If you are interested in helping provide content for a tradition not yet included, please email Keah@earthministry.org.
