Paris Pledge

Picture courtesy parispledge.org

The Paris Pledge was created by Interfaith Power & Light with hopes for a 50% reduction in global warming pollution by 2030 and to become carbon neutral by 2050. By signing the pledge, you are pledging to work towards this goal in you individual life. To read more on the Paris Pledge and to sign, click here. For a printable version, click here.

Earth Ministry Caring for All Creation

Picture courtesy of
earthministry.org

Earth Ministry has a two-part Caring for All Creation program that encourages individuals and communities to live with God’s creation. These two modules contain resources and worship aids that address specific environmental issues. At the Table and By the Waters were created to help change behaviors in these places in order to protect and restore the gift of God’s beloved creation. To read more about these two resources, click here.

Black Swamp Green Team Joins Ohio IPL

Picture courtesy of ohipl.org

The Black Swamp Green Team is a collaboration of faith communities, advocacy groups, non-profit entities, and individuals engaged in promoting and practicing good creation care in Bowling Green, Ohio. This team has become a “Regional Partner” with Ohio IPL with a common mission to address climate change. To read more about the mission or how to become a regional partner, click here.

Engaged Organizations: National Religious Coalition on Creation Care

Picture courtesy of nrccc.org

The National Religious Coalition on Creation Care is an organization that strives to meet four main goals: to hold conversations about the human responsibility to God and his creation, to provide a moral test for whether or not an action is right before God, to establish an easily communicated religious and spiritual basis for a just society, and to reveal a vision on how society must transform its attitude and become one with the ecosystem of the planet. They represent an array of religious denominations that are all united in certain principles concerning human responsibility toward God’s Creation. Their website includes resources for all lifestyles and perspectives that one may be searching for. To learn more, click here.

 

Faith Climate Action Week

Picture courtesy of faithclimateactionweek.org

Previously known as Preach-In, Faith Climate Action Week is put on by Interfaith Power & Light from April 17th- 23rd. This campaign focuses on climate healing and action with an entire week of activities around Earth Day. This years theme is Act on Climate with an emphasis on how to take action to protect climate laws. There are events all over the country and there are more being added continuously. To learn more and keep updated, click here.

Engaged Organizations: The General Board of Church and Society

Picture courtesy of
umc-gbcs.org

The General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) is one of four international general program boards of The United Methodist Church. They are defined by its five areas of ministry: Public Witness, Advocacy Administration, Ministry of Resourcing Congregational Life, United Nations Ministry, and Communications. Their website contains ways to get connected, topics to explore, and ways to take action. To access their website click here.

Engaged Organizations: Creation Justice Ministries

Picture courtesy of creationjustice.org.

 

Creation Justice Ministries represents the creation care and environmental justice policies of major Christian denominations throughout the United States. They seek justice for all of God’s creation, including the human beings who live in it. They do so by drawing on the rich heritage of Christian scriptures and traditions which not only say to till and keep the Earth, but also to act for racial, economic, and environmental justice. Their website includes an updated blog and resources to help get involved which can be accessed by clicking here.

Engaged Organizations: GreenFaith: The Interfaith Partners for the Environment

The GreenFaith logo taken from greenfaith.org.

GreenFaith is one of the oldest religious-environmental organizations in the United States. They were originally named Partners for Environmental Quality and were founded by Jewish and Christian leaders in New Jersey. They believed communities needed an organization to connect religious traditions with the environment. Their early work included promoting the use of renewable energy in religious institutions, convening a conference that drew leaders from religious, academic, governmental, and business sectors to talk about environmental protection, and encouraging the use of green energy to the general public. In the early 2000s, they had their first Environmental Health and Justice Tour in Newark where they explored the different proportions of suffering to urban communities. It was then that they changed their name to GreenFaith.

Since then, GreenFaith has launched programs all over the state of New Jersey and beyond. Lighting the Way is one of their programs that installed solar panels on religious institutions around the state. Between 2004 and 2006, they organized Sustainable Sanctuaries and Green Flag, GreenFaith Schools Pilot Program. Both took initiative to integrate environmental care into the worship of religious communities and faith-based schools to help “green” their establishments. Since then, the have been honored at Windsor Castle, featured in documentaries including Renewal, and recognized with the Energy Star for Congregations Special Award from the EPA.

In order to accomplish these impressive goals, GreenFaith has stayed committed to their beliefs that protecting the earth is a religious value and environmental stewardship as a moral responsibility. Additionally, their three core values, spirit, stewardship, and justice, are what they use to guide their work and define their goals. Spirit is their belief that religious traditions are sacred and that people grow spiritually through a strong relationship with the Earth. Stewardship is their belief that religious members have the opportunity to lessen their impact on the environment. Justice is their belief that all people deserve a healthy environment regardless of their race or income. To read more and explore their efforts, click here.

Fossil Free UMC

We are United Methodists who believe it is wrong to profit from wrecking God’s creation.

The Fossil Free United Methodist Church is on a mission to get the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits of The United Methodist Church to invest in clean energy companies. Their website highlights what they are doing in their congregations and potentially your congregation.

On their website you will find their strategy to educate, support and converse with individuals, congregations, the General Conference and the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits. They’ve posted blogs of what they’ve done and progress that they have made on their mission to clean energy. You will also find a webinar that you can schedule with your group along with other resources to support the fossil free mission. Fossil Free UMC addresses the effects of fossil fuel divestments but promotes the long term benefits of investing in fossil free energy on their legislation page.

For more information on the Fossil Free UMC movement, email them at fossilfreeumc@gmail.com. You can also join them during the Peoples March April 28/29 in Washington DC. More info coming soon here!

Engaged Organizations: National Religious Partnership for the Environment

Photo Credit: http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/ explorations/topics/climate-change/websites-organizations

This is a network of 4 major religious coalitions. They seek to preserve the planet by providing outlets and resources for anyone and everyone. To check out this excellent resource, follow this link to their homepage.