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Caring for God's Creation Love and gratitude for God's creation lie deep within religious life. From mountaintops to forests, green pastures to still waters, stars in the sky and lilies of the field, we experience the grace of our Creator and the gift of our presence here. With Earth in grave environmental peril, many religious Americans are seeking to respond through our faith. Through the many gateways and galleries of this website, we offer resources and accounts of how people of faith are acting upon God's mandate to be stewards of our precious Earth. Partners in Stewardship The National Religious Partnership for the Environment is an association of independent faith groups across a broad spectrum: the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Council of Churches U.S.A., the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, and the Evangelical Environmental Network. Each Partner — in common biblical faith but drawing upon its disctinctive traditions — is undertaking scholarship, leadership training, congregational and agency initiative, and public policy education in service to environmental sustainability and justice. Together, they seek to offer resources of religious life and moral vision to a universal effort to protect humankind's common home and well-being on Earth. |

Diocese of Joliet, IL Article by Mark Indreika taken from Catholic Explorer 7/23/2008 As the Catholic Church continues to raise its voice in defense of the environment, people across the Diocese of Joliet are heeding the call, participating in educational programs and implementing new, environmentally friendly technologies. Education JustFaith was a series of workshops in the Diocese of Joliet, a 30-week program on Catholic social teaching. Maribeth Meaux, coordinator of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development in...
Read more![[Intergenerational] Family Fun on the Farm](http://www.nrpe.org/modules/mod_news_pro_gk4/cache/stories.profiles.A_28_01_dava_annansp_181.jpg)
Taste of Adamah at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Falls Village, CT Dava Schub was looking for something to do with her 6-year old niece and 4-year old nephew that did not involve a lot of bells and whistles. These New York City kids were over-stimulated to begin with, so she wanted an activity that would be more grounded and centered, and perhaps more quiet, but also exciting for them. Having met Adam Berman, ...
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First Grace United Methodist Church, New Orleans, LA The people of First Grace UMC of New Orleans, LA, know first hand the devastation caused by severe storm events. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed First UMC of New Orleans and Grace UMC. When the churches merged to form First Grace UMC 13 months later, sustainability became a top priority. “One of the most at-risk cities for the effects of global warming is New Orleans, and one...
Read moreMark Cerbone, Buffalo, NY A version of this article by Tricia O’Connor Elisara originally appeared in the Spring 2008 issue of Creation Care magazine. Toxic fumes turned Mark Cerbone into a vigilante when his eldest daughter Sage began attending public school in Buffalo, NY.
Read moreSt. John Fisher Chapel University ParishEarth Care Ministry Troy, MI The Earth Care ministry...
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United Methodist General Conference, National At its worldwide conference in Fort Worth, TX, the 2008 General Conference directed the General Board of Church and Society, the General Board of Discipleship, the General Council on Finance and Administration, the Connectional Table and the General Conference to work with annual conferences and camp and retreat centers to develop recommendations and resources to guide The United Methodist Church in reducing its ecological footprint and finding renewable...
Read moreSt. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Stevens Point, WI Wisconsin was once covered with prairies—7.5 million acres of tall grass flowing into broad fields dotted with oaks and dappled with wildflowers. With just 13,000 acres left, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Stevens Point, WI, is restoring prairie land on its own site and is teaching its congregation and community about environmental stewardship in the process.
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Madison Christian Community, Madison, WI It’s a ministry that scatters seeds of hope for incarcerated people. Madison Christian Community, an ecumenical partnership between Advent Lutheran Church (ELCA) and Community of Hope (UCC) in Madison, WI, works with a nearby correctional facility to offer a restorative justice-based horticulture program in its 6000 square foot garden. “The garden ministry is one way to bridge the racial, economic and social barriers that exist between people today,”...
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Adamah Fellowship Program at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Falls Village, CT Aitan Mizrahi always knew he wanted a profession that was based on do-it-yourself, off-the-grid skills, and he wanted his line of work to be in line with a Jewish way of life. He was in his mid-20s when he found the perfect opportunity to combine Jewish text and teachings with practical thought and hands-on agricultural experience. Adamah: The Jewish Environmental Fellowship (Adamah) at...
Read moreUnited Methodist Church of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA Members of the United Methodist Church of Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, CA wanted a church building that demonstrated their values: creating a safe environment for God’s people while having minimal impact on the earth. Now they are working to build a church following the discipline of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for new construction certification, with the intent of achieving the highest LEED...
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Diocese of Stockton, CA “To respect life, you must respect the envelope of life, the Earth, on which all life depends,” wrote Bishop Stephen Blaire in his pastoral letter ushering in the first Environmental Justice Sunday throughout the Stockton Diocese in 2005. The Diocese extends from the rich farmlands of the California’s Central Valley, through the river canyons of northern Yosemite National Park, and into the stark beauty of Mono Lake, North America’s most ancient body...
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Episcopal Church of St. Paul and St. James, New Haven, CT “Zero food-mile tomatoes for Christ!” That’s how Josh Hill, a 2007 NCC Eco-Justice Fellow, describes the gardening project organized by the 20s/30s group at the Episcopal Church of St. Paul and St. James in New Haven, CT. The young adults are growing organic tomatoes as well as organic basil in pots in the church parking lot. The wife of one of the rectors germinated...
Read moreChestnut Hill United Methodist Church Philadelphia, PA Actively providing environmental education and programs...
Read moreMinnesota — He has spent his life leading some of the most significant polar expeditions in history. Now Minnesotan Will Steger is working for the preservation of the Arctic and the earth through the Will Steger Foundation. As a part of his preservation efforts, Steger worked with the Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy (LCPP) in Minnesota to offer Global Warming Solutions forums throughout the state. Communities participated enthusiastically, often with 500-1000 people turning...
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