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We are learning to be stewards of God's creation
"The careful preservation of our environment is a concern for
every human being. For people of religious faith it is also a matter of
reverence for the creator. The pollution of the land, the air and the
waters is a blasphemous insult to the one who gave us what was intended
to be a bountiful and beautiful garden to provide generously for the
human family.
Protecting the environment is not only a work which must be assumed
by governments, industries and other coalitions, it is essentially a
work which must be undertaken by individuals. And through our
congregations, individuals and families can be challenged and empowered
to lead the way by their own ecologically-sound lifestyles and their
courageous advocacy. The redemption of the world and its people may be
one of the highest priorities for the church in this age, and no church
can be faithful in its mission if it does not intentionally seek to
fulfill it."
Dr. C. William Nichols , General Minister and
President Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Here are some sources of creation stewardship news and ideas
 | Check out Environmental
Justice in the North Central New York Conference. |
| There is a lot of information on the National Council of Churches'
Web of Creation as well. |
| Another great resource is Earth Ministry. |
| Consider what a new American Dream might look like at the
Center for a New American Dream. They have recently started a
faith-based initiative. Try participating in their Turning the Tide
actions! |
| You can sign
up for the Daily Grist, a free environmental news and humor from
GristMagazine.com. This is a project of the Earth Day Network. When you
sign up for this free service, you get a quick and useful summary of the
day's environmental events delivered to your email address. In addition,
the Grist Magazine website has a lot of more in-depth articles,
cartoons, etc. - with a light touch! |
| Sign up for the weekly email Environmental Justice News
distributed by the Environmental Justice Coordinator for the North
Central New York Conference. Just send
an email (see below) with "Subscribe to EJ News" in the
Subject line.
Email J. Allen at "username"@twcny.rr.com. In an
attempt to avoid excess spam, the correct formatted email address is
not used printed directly. Please reconstruct this email address by
substituting "cscnyweb" (without the quotes) for
"username".
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"A child born in a wealthy country is likely to consume, waste
and pollute more in his lifetime than 50 children born in developing
nations. In fact, our energy-burning lifestyles are pushing our planet
to the point of no return.... It may not be time to build an ark like
Noah, but it is high time to take better care of God's creation."
Archbishop of Canterbury
Presenting information about the facts of the environmental
problems faced by all of creation and discussions of the church’s role
in their solutions are important. However, in a world where we are
daily causing the extinction of many of God’s creatures, where we
consume and dispose of earth’s finite resources unthinkingly, where we
foul the water and air on which we and all of creation depend, we (and
all faith communities) must soon begin to take our role as stewards
seriously and act.
"To know, and not to do is, in fact, not to
know."
Maya Angelou
Our Goals
To educate: We're learning about
environmental issues and about the impact of our American lifestyle by
| publishing a Creation Stewardship newsletter, |
| creating a Creation Stewardship website
and a Backyard Habitat website, |
| holding discussion groups to discuss
environmental issues, |
| participating in Sunday Adult Forums (topics have included energy
stewardship in the home, OCRRA, challenges faced by our migratory
birds, "Ten Stupid Things People Do to Mess Up God’s
Creation", and population) and |
| holding a ten-week Summer In-Forum Series (topics included
"The Man Who Planted Trees" video, "Connecting Integrity of Creation, Justice, and Peace",
a Skid
Crease video, study of global warming issues, a book review of
Natural Capitalism, a discussion based on Durning's book How Much is
Enough?, a look at Stuff: The
Secret Lives of Everyday Things, and the environmental and social
consequences of our personal food choices). |
To take action: We're
making
lifestyle changes, "greening" the church as a model of
responsible stewardship, and acting in society to promote systemic change.
| We're implementing the Energy Stewardship Congregation Program sponsored by
the National Council of Churches. |
| We compiled an Alternative Christmas Celebration booklet, "Give
Joy, Not Stuff," to refocus our celebration on the joy of
Christmas rather than continuing our society’s focus on
"stuff" that contributes to our overconsumption of the
planet’s resources. |
| We organized an Eco-Team, a program of the Global Action Plan that involves
four to eight families at a time. (Note: The Eco-Team program is
recommended in the UMC Book of Resolutions.) |
| We are using fairly-traded, organic, shade-grown coffee during our
fellowship hour. The purchase of
shade-grown coffee supports the traditional farming method of growing
coffee plants in the shade and provides a living wage for the Central
American farmer. It also protects the winter habitat of our migratory
birds and supports sustainable agricultural practices. |
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University United Methodist Church
