A one-time Carless Sunday event at Grace Episcopal Church in Bainbridge Island, WA, has grown into a long-term program that is raising awareness about global warming. Inspired by Earth Ministry’s “On the Road” program, the church sponsored its first Carless Sunday April 2007. Organizers created a large map of the island, divided it into zones, and created lists of parishioners in each zone. They hung it in the narthex and encouraged people to look in their zone to find someone with whom to carpool. Nearly half the congregation participated by biking and carpooling to church.

Organizers estimate parishioners drove nearly 350 fewer miles than they would have driven on a regular Sunday morning. Now Carless Sunday is a monthly event at the church during warm weather months.

Organizer Marcia Lagerloef emphasizes the importance of making creation care activities fun and playful. She notes that carpooling and biking both create community. “It’s our hope that extending invitations to do things together will be rewarding, and that ultimately, a sense of community will support the whole thing.”

Lagerloef publishes joyful photos, safety tips and quotes from participants about the program in the church newsletter each month. “I want to make people realize that ‘Gee, this is neat and I want to join.’” She hopes to make the program a larger movement among religious communities on Bainbridge Island, and is working to share Grace’s story with other churches.

“We want to open opportunities for people to remember their own connections to the creation,” said Lagerloef. “If you have that connection, you’ll get past the obstacles to doing it.”