Stewardship Stories
Across the nation, wherever they live, work, and worship, people of faith have established diverse initiatives to care for God’s Creation. There are many threads, weaving works of faith on behalf of Creation across the fabric of religious life. Below are a few examples:
- The Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, LA has worked to prevent erosion of fertile wetlands and loss of marine livelihood to over-development.
- Holman United Methodist Church in Culver City, CA worked to prevent dumping of radioactive waste at a Native American burial ground in the Mohove Desert.
- Volunteers from First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood, MO hold cleanups of stormwater creeks, beautifying the waters, improving wildlife habitat, and promoting public health.
- The Church of the Intercession in Harlem, NY, burial place of John Audubon, led a struggle to provide buses with cleaner emissions in communities with high pediatric asthma rates.
- Temple Beth El of Stamford, CT installed 845 solar panels onto the temple's roof (covering about 70% of the synagogue's electrical needs) to help reduce the congregation's annual carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide emissions.
- Students at the St. Andrew's School in Middletown, DE led an energy audit on half of the school's buildings in an effort to help lower the school's energy consumption by 18%.
Hazon, New York, NY, and National Hazon are non-profit Jewish organizations based in New York City, but with members across the US and internationally. Their primary mission is to create healthier and more sustainable Jewish communities by connecting people to the land through local agriculture and outdoor adventures. Hazon has encouraged Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) through their program Tuv Ha'Aretz, which means both "Good for the land" and "Good from the land." Learn more.
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Meet some champions of climate justice who combine energy savvy with faith to save money, build community, and bear public witness for God's good Creation. These champions are all from the Southeast. To download the resource, click here.
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Since 1998, "Monarch Mania" has been an annual event at Lakeland Christian School. The event engages 475 elementary school children with the wonder of God's Creation. Students learn about Monarch metamorphosis and about spiritual transformation. The school uses Romans 12:2 as the signature verse, emphasizing an "inside-out" change in the heart of the believer as they grown in their relationship with Christ. Learn More.
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Stewardship Congregations By Issue Area
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Energy:
Central Baptist Church in Pennsylvania is working where they are to improve their carbon footprint and teach others how to reduce theirs as well. In 2009, Central Baptist obtained a state grant to place solar panels on their church roof, and since then the Ecology ministry group of the church has been on the move. A Green Guide has been published for other congregations that want to employ energy saving practices, the congregation is working on becoming carbon neutral, and the Ecology group sells fair-trade ecological products on Sunday mornings, including energy saving florescent light bulbs. Riviera Presbyterian Church of Miami, Florida is demonstrating their commitment to caring for God’s great earth in several different ways that cover different areas of care. The congregation has taken steps to contain their energy footprint and help the climate. They use a geothermal cooler to power air-conditioning for their sanctuary and employ the use of reusable and environmentally sustainable supplies for the church. The congregation also has native plants and plants that feed butterflies incorporated in their landscaping to aid the environment and God’s smallest endangered creatures. Endangered Species: In 2019 the Franciscan Renewal Center of Arizona accomplished the certification of their Monarch Butterfly Way station in partnership with the Great Milkweed Grow Out program at the Desert Botanical Gardens. This way station provides a much needed pit stop for Monarch Butterflies during their yearly migration. With Monarch butterflies being endangered, there is a great nee for them to have food along their journey. In addition to getting certification of their way station, the Franciscan Renewal Center also sold 250 milkweed plants to members of the community effectually expanding the bounds of the monarch feeding in Arizona. |