Diane announced in church the Green Team’s exciting new venture to become a Green Sanctuary through GreenFaith, a non-profit whose “mission is to inspire, educate and mobilize people of diverse religious backgrounds for environmental leadership… We believe that protecting the earth is a religious value, and that environmental stewardship is a moral responsibility.” The first Maine church to pursue GreenFaith Certification, we will focus and expand our mission, access new resources, create collaborative opportunities, and continue to celebrate our natural resources through worship.
As we stated in our application,
Ours is a community whose roots run deep in its natural resources: coastal clam flats, family farms, streams, woods, and fields. For over 200 years, the Congregational Church has been a mainstay in Cumberland Center, supporting and connecting people, young and old. Our congregation includes farmers and gardeners, hikers and boaters, hunters and birders, artists and educators, business people and conservationists who value the environment and our community. A GreenFaith partnership will challenge us, enabling us to connect more deeply with other faith and environmental groups, fully embrace our roles as stewards, and preserve our natural heritage for future generations.
We hope this process will inspire others members of our congregation and surrounding communities to participate as we grow into better stewards of this beautiful place.
From the GreenFaith website:
Temple Beth Rishon has saved over $16,000 through its energy conservation activities, and reduced its carbon footprint by the equivalent of taking 7 cars off the road for a year.
Trinity Presbyterian Church is organizing an Environmental Health and Justice Tour, visiting blighted sites in their neighborhood and meeting with justice leaders to advocate for change. Christ Church–with a total membership of only 16 people–held an interfaith worship service and discussion forum with the Muslim community, focused around the values of environmental stewardship in the Bible and Koran. Jacksonville Jewish Center, an 800 member institution, is organizing an interfaith environmental conference, attracting congregations from around the region.
See www.greenfaith.org to read about more environmental projects in faith communities around the country.
