NCC Eco-Justice Working Group -- Capsules:

June 2009 Edition

Unique Tours of Green Sites: Thursdays in June, Chicago, IL The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization will give a "Toxic Tour" of the Little Village neighborhood. Industrial activity and the Fisk and Crawford Coal Power Plants have been negatively impacting the health of the Little Village community for years. For more information click here. Please RSVP to Clare clare@faithinplace.org or (312) 733-4640.

Greening Our Spirits, Greening Our World: June 15-21, Ghost Ranch Retreat Center, Abiquiu, NM
This course will offer an in-depth week of group study and reflection on answering God’s call to care for the Earth, and a chance to re-fill your spiritual well in the mystical surroundings of Ghost Ranch. For more information on the program click here or contact Kim at kwinchelldm@aol.com

Interfaith ClimateVigil Sunday, June 28 at 7:00pm, Tabor Heights United Methodist Church, Portland, OR.
Interfaith Power and Light will provide an empowering worship experience that invites reflection on our relationship with the earth, the spiritual and moral dimensions of the climate crisis, and our role in climate solutions. For more information click here.

Faith & Environment Conference: Embracing God's Call to be Green: July 7-11 Montreat Conference Center, Montreat, NC
The National Conference for Presbyterians for Restoring Creation will meet in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina to learn how to be more responsible stewards of God’s Creation. For information and to register online, click here or call 800-572-2257, ext. 335.

Just Remnants: Piecing a Sustainable Society in the Southern Mountains: July 16-19, Celo Summer Institute, Yancey County, NC
A conference working in the tradition of Isaiah's "just remnant," justice to the human community and crucially, the bioregion. The conference will feature presentations, roundtable with representatives from a broad range of bioregional organizations, experiential exercises, and field trips. For more information and to register click here.

Eco-Stewards Program of the Presbyterian Conservation Corps - July 5-12 and August 2-9 Applications are being sought for the Eco-Stewards Program of the Presbyterian Conservation Corps. The Eco-Stewards program seeks to train and inspire young adults in the ways of eco-stewardship within the wider context of Christian faith.

Southern Energy & Environment Expo, August 21-23, Western N.C. Agricultural Center, Fletcher, NC
The annual S.E.E. Expo provides the general public an opportunity to see and learn about - first hand- the practical and presently available options for utilizing clean, renewable sources of energy, protecting our natural environment and working towards a sustainable economy for the region. For more information click here.

Experiential Learning Tours, hosted by the New Community Project will challenge and change you while you connect with our global neighbors and the endangered earth -and are open to people of all ages.
Arctic Village, AK (August 7-14) Learn about native concerns over drilling in ANWR, eat native foods, experience one of the most spectacular areas in North America.

West Virginia (October 2-5) Tom Benevento leads this trip to explore the environmental and human impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining.
For more information click here.

Climate and Energy Resources:
The world's reliance on energy has enhanced technology and the way we live our lives. It also comes at a cost to God's planet. The nation's dependence on energy threatens the economy, public health, and security. We were put here to preserve and protect God's Creation and the precious natural resource. Learn more on what you can do by checking out our webpage.

Eco-Justice Working Group

Church of the Brethren

Environmental Justice Office of Presbyterian Church (USA)

Presbyterian Washington Office

Episcopal Ecological Network

Greek Orthodox Church in America

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Reformed Church in America

United Church of Christ

United Methodist Board of Church and Society

Make a Big Impact With a Small Footprint!

Nearly ½ of America’s energy goes toward powering our buildings, and much of that energy is wasted! By saving energy in our homes and churches, we can answer God’s call to be stewards of Creation and our financial resources. Click here to check out the Carbon Reduction Campaign and find out how individuals, churches and youth groups can take quantifiable, actions to reduce energy use. Find out where and how to get started and see step by step instructions for easy projects that will save money and reduce climate change pollution.

National Council of Churches Affirms Commitment to Environmental Health

At the recent Governing Board meeting of the National Council of Churches, the Council voted to approve a new resolution on environmental health that calls on the churches to protect the most vulnerable and God’s Creation from toxic chemicals. Click here to read the resolution.

Christians Speak Out on the Health Impacts of Climate Change

Approximately 25 religious leaders took the stage at a rally outside of the Environmental Protection Agency’s May 21st public hearing in Seattle to speak on the EPA’s preliminary finding that greenhouse gases are a form of pollution. Seven religious leaders from various denominations and traditions testified at the EPA’s first hearing in Arlington, VA on May 18th. You can add your voice to the climate change debate by submitting public comment by June 23rd, 2009. Click here to learn more.

Evensong and Ecology: Our Greater Earth Community

The Bishop of New York and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine hosted “Evensong and Ecology: Our Greater Earth Community” on May 17, 2009. The event, which was the first in a series of Sunday afternoon programs on faith and the environment, included a screening of the documentary film “Renewal: Stories from America’s Religious-Environmental Movement.” The first full-length documentary to tell the stories of America's growing diverse religious-environmental movement.

Genesis Covenant

The Genesis Covenant is an invitation to every community of faith to take action to reverse global warming by committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all of their facilities by 50 percent in 10 years. Visit genesiscovenant.org to learn more.

Connecting Children and Creation: Seeking Hope for the Future in the Midst of a Changing Climate

Dedicate Sunday, October 11, 2009 to exploring the impacts of climate change on God’s children and God’s creation. Reflect on Jesus’ words “for God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27) and their meaning for us in these challenging times. Email Lizzie at elizabeth@nccecojustice.org for worship service resources that include prayers, liturgy, sermon starters, a children’s sermon and a sample bulletin.

Eco-Theologian and Priest Thomas Berry, Dies

Thomas Berry, the acclaimed environmentalist priest and cultural historian, passed away on the morning of June 1st. A public memorial service will be held in New York in September at the Cathedral of St John the Divine. Thomas Berry was born in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1914 and was an influential thinker on the religious implications of relationship between humans and the natural world.

For two decades, he directed the Riverdale Center of Religious Research along the Hudson River and wrote several books and essays on the environment. For more information about Thomas Berry you can go to his website www.thomasberry.org and read this article that was published in the National Catholic Reporter.

Earth Words: Recognizing Faith Messages that Inspire Change

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s Interfaith Network for Earth Concerns and the Oregon Interfaith Power and Light project are sponsoring the second Earth Words recognition. This is an opportunity for congregations of all faiths to recognize outstanding inspirational sermons, homilies, or other faith messages given on Earth Care this year. The recognition is an opportunity to celebrate and recognize great clergy and lay speakers that have reminded the faith community of their deep connection to the Earth and inspire sustainable living. The deadline for the Earth Words recognition has been extended to July 15th 2009. For more information please click here or email awarren@emoregon.org.

Paid Internships in Environmental Ministry and Energy

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is seeking Faith and Environment Program Interns to provide support in outreach, education, advocacy, materials preparation, coordination and research for Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s (EMO) Interfaith Network for Earth Concerns (INEC) and Oregon Interfaith Power and Light. To apply send resume to Jenny Holmes, EMO/INEC, 0245 SW Bancroft, Suite B, Portland, OR 97239 or fax to (503) 223-7007 or e-mail to ksharinghousen@emoregon.org by June 15th. Call (503) 221-1054, ext. 214, if you have any questions. To learn more about EMO visit www.emoregon.org.