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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. |

Redwood Rabbis, Northern California Jewish, Non-denominational While many Jewish congregations may celebrate Tu B’shevat, the Jewish New Year of the Trees, with simple rituals of tree-planting or the eating of new fruits, nuts or wine, in 1997, the Redwoods Rabbis of Northern California took their observance of the holiday to a new level. As part of their ongoing advocacy to protect Headwaters Forest -- the last unprotected old growth redwood forest on the Pacific coast,...
Read moreMaryland 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, MD. The church is surrounded by four acres of sloping woodland, populated by oaks and tulip poplars. Members once viewed the property’s wooded lot as a hindrance to ministry because it limited the church’s visibility in the neighborhood, but now the church is attracting...
Read moreHarlem Congregations for Community Improvement, New York City, NY An interfaith coalition of more than 90 congregations is greening low-income housing in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (HCCI) is celebrating the recent opening of David and Joyce Dinkins Gardens, a new, green affordable housing development.
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Connecticut Catholic Conference The CenterEdge Project emerged as a coalition building effort of the Connecticut ...
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First English Lutheran Church Columbus, OH First English Lutheran Church has been in the creation care business for the past 20 years. ...
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Michigan Catholic Rural Life Coalition (MCRLC) Alma, MI The MCRLC is a grassroots group consisting of ...
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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...
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Adat Shalom Synagogue Farmington Hills, Michigan Adat Shalom, a Conservative shul (synagogue) in Farmington Hills,...
Read moreThe First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin Austin, TX The Unitarian Universalist Church holds as one ...
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Temple Isaiah, Los Angeles, CA Jewish, Reform Movement Temple Isaiah has been a part of COEJL ...
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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,...
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Church of St. Joan of Arc Parish Center Minneapolis, MN In 1997, the Church of St. Joan of Arc formed an Eco-Spirituality ...
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Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, AK, FL, OH Early in its beginning, the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change focused on providing a forum to explore the links between faith and climate change by hosting hearings around the country. In the Spring of 2007, hearings were held in three key states: Anchorage, AK, Columbus, OH, and Orlando, FL. These hearings provided an opportunity to learn about science, theology, and local actions to address the environmental and social impacts of climate change. A...
Read moreEnglewood 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 do more to promote recycling. They set up a meeting with Homewood Mayor Barry McCulley and managers from the city’s recycling contractor, Allied Waste, to discuss its promotion of the curbside residential recycling program. Through their discussions, they learned that the city’s agreement...
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