Take Action

April 2010

Address problems of climate and ocean change by setting up a Green Team in your faith community to take action toward sustainability.

Background

At the 40th General Council, the largest number of social justice resolutions focused on the ecological crisis the world is facing. Mardi Tindal was elected Moderator, naming these concerns as central to her ministry. Many now recognize that we cannot separate social and economic justice concerns from those of healing of the planet and working toward a sustainable future. The United Church calls this "whole Earth justice."

Form a Green Team to organize green activities in your faith community. These can involve everything from organizing study groups and special events, to having an audit done on your building to save energy and money, to being witnesses to the broader community on issues of ecological justice. Forming a Green Team also creates an opportunity to connect with a broader interfaith and national network of similar teams from which you can learn and share ideas. By forming a green team you can effect change for a sustainable future.

The United Church of Canada, along with the Anglican Church and other faith communities, is partnering with Faith and the Common Good's Greening Sacred Spaces program to take advantage of their work assisting faith communities in greening efforts. Greening Sacred Spaces has a variety of educational resources and practical guides to assist in these efforts.

By registering your faith community (sharing your contact information, and a brief description of what green actions have already been taken, if any), faith communities can become community leaders in seeking whole Earth justice. Along this path, both The United Church of Canada and KAIROS: Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, of which the United Church is a member, have a number of resources that will also assist in your organizing and action activities.
Green Teams help

• keep eco-sustainable agendas before the faith community
• encourage the community to take step-by-step actions to lessen their ecological footprint
• promote sustainable alternatives

Take Action

• Register your faith community and form a Green Team.
• Worship: Express care for creation using the Earth Sunday worship and sermon suggestions.
• Learn more and find other ways to be involved by visiting the United Church Ecology pages, and the KAIROS Re-Energize campaign pages.

For more information contact:

• Ted Reeve
  Office of the Moderator
  The United Church of Canada
  Tel: 1-800-268-3781 ext. 4146
  E-mail: Ted Reeve