Great Green Congregations Contest Winners In May 2008, the Eco-Justice programs announced the contest, and received over 50 submissions from across the country.  Many of those stories can be viewed by clicking here.   The entries were divided into eight categories, and the winners of each are listed below: Children’s Ministry:  Churches that are doing an exceptional job at passing the values of Creation Care onto the next generation.  Winner:  Manassas Church of the Brethren, Manassas VA, for their Jr. BUGS program.  Click here to view their story. Green Building:  Churches changing the structure and operations of their church building to better take care of God’s Creation.  Winner: St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach, CA, for being named the Audubon Society’s “Greenest in the nation”. Click here to view their story. Food and Faith: Churches taking steps to consider the connection between their food and their faith.  Winner:  Madison Christian Community, in Madison, WI, for restorative justice gardening project. Click here to view their story. Energy Conservation: Churches being more aware of the energy they use, and taking steps to reduce it to be better stewards.  Winner: First Grace United Methodist, in New Orleans, LA, for their efforts to conserve energy while rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. Click here to view their story. Alternative Transportation: Churches considering their footprint on the world around them with how they get to their worship services.  Winner:  Kern Road Mennonite Church in South Bend, IL, for beginning the tradition of biking to church. Click here to view their story. Recycling: Churches becoming more sustainable by taking steps to recycle more.  Winner: Wesley United Methodist Church, Yakima, WA, which through community recycling efforts has kept 5 million pounds of trash out of local landfills. Click here to view their story. Environmental Justice: Churches taking action to reverse the struggle the impoverished around us have due to their environmental situation.  Winner: All Peoples Church, Milwaukee, WI, reclaiming a garden in an urban community and providing fresh, healthy food to the people there. Click here to view their story. Comprehensive Program:  Churches that have best incorporated the consideration of Creation Care into everything they do in ministry.  Winner: Maryland Presbyterian Church, naming environmental stewardship as a top priority, and taking steps such as reclaiming the wooded area around the church. Click here to view their story. Click here to find out more about Great Green Congregations!