  |
 |
  |
|
  |
|
  |
|
  |
Stewardship Stories
Stewardship Stories of Engagement in Mainline Protestant Denominations
At St. Paul’s Church, making the switch to solar power was a win-win situation. Not only did it provide immediate benefits to the environment, in the long run, it will…
An ecumenical sermon on creation care and the care of the earth was the catalyst for the congregation at Christ Lutheran Church in Athens, Ohio, to make environmental issues part…
SEEDS is a green initiative started in 2007 by Trinity Lutheran seminary students, staff, and faculty. The purpose of the group is to get those associated with the seminary to…
Limestone Presbyterian Church in Wilmington Delaware was blessed with co-pastors Bruce and Carolyn Gillette in 2004. Since then, the church has been leading the area in faith-based environmental work, completing…
National Council of ChurchesWashington, DC Every direction you turn in Alaska, water is present. Being a key feature in the landscape it is easy to see how important water is…
The United Methodist Church of Santa Cruz has started an initiative to build a new LEED Certified house of worship under the leadership of Pastor Michael Love. They have, through…
Environmental Stewardship isn’t a top priority to most New York City churches, but Reverend Herb Miller and his environmental team have made their church an exception to this common notion.…
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…
Maryland Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, MD Sometimes a church can’t see an outreach opportunity for the trees. That was the case for Maryland Presbyterian Church in the northern suburbs of Baltimore,…
First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY It’s a green oasis in the gritty city—a restful “Peace Garden” on the grounds of The First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, NY. The…
Orthodox Fellowship of the Transfiguration Santa Rosa, California Mention of God's gift of creation has long been a part of Orthodox liturgies, and the primary spiritual leader for the Orthodox…
Beach Lake United Methodist Church, Beach Lake, PA The members of Beach Lake United Methodist Church in Beach Lake, PA, take God’s command to till and keep the garden seriously.…
Englewood Presbyterian Church, Homewood, AL Presbyterians promoting curbside recycling in Homewood, AL are working with the city to increase awareness. Englewood Presbyterian Church members felt that they city needed to…
St. Andrew Christian Church Kansas City, KS Disciples of Christ Having church walls made of straw, concrete, and minimal wood is not exactly typical in the Midwest. Yet, for St.…
First Presbyterian Church Kirkwood, MO For the third consecutive year in 2005, First Presbyterian Church in Kirkwood, Missouri will celebrate Earth Day through hands-on community service: cleaning up local creeks.…
St. Mark's Episcopal Church Seattle, WA A spill off the Washington coast in 1989 sparked the formation of the Ecology/Spirituality Group at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral was started in 1989…
South Carolina — Reverend Michael McClain is working with the National Council of Churches (NCC) to reach out to historic black churches, explain the ways in which climate change is…
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Chestnut Hill, PA
Maplewood Mennonite Church Fort Wayne, IN Maplewood Mennonite Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has just about 147 members, typically with 89 of them in worship on any given Sunday. Although…
Lutheran Church of the Reformation St. Louis Park, MN At first, church members were suspicious of pulling up the nice lawn and towering trees to replant their church grounds with…
Minnesota — 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…
Jeff Street Baptist Community, Louisville, KY Anointing the head with oil is a long-standing Christian tradition—but what about anointing with sunscreen? Sunscreen anointing is part of the new “Blessing of…
Kern Road Mennonite Church, South Bend, IN Kern Road Mennonite Church in South Bend, IN, has built a summer Sunday tradition on biking to church. A few families of cycling…
Manassas Church of the Brethern, Manassas, VA B.U.G.S are everywhere at Manassas Church of the Brethren in Manassas, VA. But the church isn’t infested with insects; rather it’s growing intergenerational…
Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, OH The Episcopal Diocese of Ohio is changing attitudes about global warming by helping churches change light bulbs. Bishop Mark Hollingsworth and intern Andy Barnett are…
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) Chicago, Illinois Seminarian Steve Jerbi says, “I chose LSTC because of the environmental opportunities. I came in expecting to take classes on the…
United 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:…
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,…
St. 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.…
All Peoples Church, Milwaukee, MN In a community where the average household income is $26,700, All Peoples Church (ELCA) of Milwaukee, WI is reclaiming a garden, forming partnerships with local…
The Center for Theology and Land University of Dubuque Seminary and Wartburg Seminary Dubuque, IA Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America "I am convinced that food and…
Second Presbyterian Church, Carlisle, PA When more than 100 physicians in Cumberland County, PA, published a warning statement about the high levels of diesel particulate matter in the air, Rev.…
St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, Woodstock, IL Keeping water clean is a top priority for the Green Team at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, IL. When members conducted a green…
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church Yarmouth, ME “Becoming a beacon of environmental stewardship has truly been the sum of many small, enduring, passionate actions rooted in the corporate spiritual life of…
Racial Justice Ministries, Justice and Witness Ministries United Church of Christ When many church members go to Mexico, it is often on a mission trip to build churches or houses,…
STEWARDSHIP STORIES
<
>
Green Burial
Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Munroe, MI Nationally recognized as models of sustainable living, the IHM Sisters of Monroe now are coming full circle. They are pioneering the emerging trend of "sustainable dying." In August 2009 the sisters carried out their first green burial. IHM Sister Antoinette Ruedisueli, who died on Aug. 16, was the first IHM sister to have opted for a green burial. Green burial reduces a person's environmental impact...
Read more
The Inheritance Project
Florida Catholic Conference Water quality and sustainability are critical concerns facing Florida residents, but the Florida Catholic Conference has undertaken more than education efforts to motivate responsible and just stewardship of this precious resource. With help from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Diocese established the “Inheritance Project,” marking a turning point from previous efforts; what had been an educational campaign began to incorporate legislative advocacy and coalition building as well. In June 2001,...
Read more
Episcopal Church Rain Garden Protects Water
St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, Woodstock, IL Keeping water clean is a top priority for the Green Team at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, IL. When members conducted a green audit to identify ways for the parish to become more environmentally responsible, they identified stormwater management as a key concern. Large concentrations of pollutants enter water systems in developed areas covered with impervious surfaces like roads and roofs. These surfaces don’t allow water to penetrate...
Read more
Partnering with Indigenous People to Save the Environment
Interfaith San Ramon Valley San Ramon, CA In May 2003, the suffering of an indigenous people half a world away led a group of Californian pastors ...
Read more
Transportation Equity Project
Archdiocese of Detroit Detroit, MI When Cardinal Adam Maida of the Archdiocese of Detroit delivered his speech to a crowd of nearly 1,200 Catholics on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2001, he highlighted a number of the problems Detroit faces due to its inattention to mass transit issues: The lack of economic opportunities for inner-city residents (they cannot reach better jobs in the suburbs) A segregated city More traffic congestion Increased air pollution An inability to attract businesses to the city center Through the leadership of...
Read more