Sometimes, just one day isn't enough. In April 2004, the Reformed Church of New Paltz, spearheaded by their Caring for Creation Committee, spent a week celebrating Earth Day.

The week's events began Wednesday and Thursday with talks on community activists on nurturing the earth and on socially responsible purchasing and investing. Then, church members and community residents joined together for a Saturday of cleaning up around the town. At Sunday morning's worship service, a geologist, social worker and rural migrant worker minister explored environmental concerns. Led by enthusiastic children and young adults, congregants worshipped through music, litanies, and scripture readings that lifted up responsible stewardship of God's creation. After worship, earth-friendly displays introduced the coffee hour crowd to xeriscape gardening, local farming, low-impact camping, and more. Meanwhile, the atmosphere resonated with environment-loving music from a local band and the church basement was filled with great smells from the preparation of the community dinner that was to follow.

This "Earth Week" brought together church members with town officials, other people of faith, community residents, businesspeople and students. The year-old Caring for Creation Committee heard from these participants that "Earth Week" indeed raised awareness about environmental issues. More than that, it generated enthusiasm for people of faith to roll up their sleeves and get to work caring for creation in their daily lives and actions.

Earth Sunday Fair at Reformed Church of New Paltz.