Global Warming & Your Congregation

A Response in Faith

Presentation by Bethany JewellFebruary 2007

Our Agenda for Today

• Understanding The Greenhouse Effect

• Current Trends of Global Warming• PC(USA) Response – Denominational

Outreach• Taking this Home.. “How can we as

a church respond to Global Warming?”

• Seven steps for a faithful response• Tools for the Journey

The Greenhouse Effect

Trends In Global Warming• Elevated gas levels since the

Industrial Revolution• From 1860-2006 Carbon-

Dioxide in the atmosphere rose from 280ppm to 380ppm

• Current trends project 450ppm to 550ppm by 2050. (Source: The

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)

• Sea Level Rise

Sea Level Rise Greenland’s Warming

Greenland 1986 Greenland 2007

Coastal Georgia Sea Level Trends

Sea Level Rise at Fort Pulaski, near Tybee Island, GA

(1900 – 2000)

- Courtesy of NOAA

Hammock & Island Transition (due to Sea Level Rise)

Coastal Georgia Sea Level Trends

- Courtesy of Dr. Clark Alexander

PC(USA) Denominational Response• 217th General Assembly Resolution calling all institutions

and governing bodies to go Carbon Neutral• “This appears to be the first time that a major

religious denomination in any nation has called on each of its members to bear witness to their faith by becoming Carbon Neutral.” 

John Topping, President of the Climate Institute in Washington, D.C.

Did You Know?

If all of America’s more than 300,000 houses of worship cut their energy use and costs 25%:

• Nearly $500 million would be saved • More than 13.5 billion kWh of electricity

would be available with no new power plants

• More than 5 million tons of CO2 emissions would be prevented, equivalent to removing the pollution of about 1 million cars or planting 1.4 million acres of trees . (EPA Energy Star for Congregations)

Where Do We Go Now?

Organize your congregation

Seven Steps for Your Congregation

Leg Work

• Do some background work: – Visit:

http://www.pcusa.org/hunger/features/climate.htm

– Create a Carbon Footprint for your congregation by visiting

– http://www.footprintnetwork.org/

– www.co2.org or– www.safeclimate.net/calculator*You may need help from your office

administrator, secretary, or treasurer.

Meet with Interested Members• Publicize a day and time for you to

come together as a church family to discuss the humanitarian & environmental issues and your congregations response.

• Be creative with your timing. Pair it up with another event, such as a women’s bible study, a brief session meeting, or immediately following Sunday services.

Topics for Meeting

• Education: Newspaper clippings, General Assembly’s Resolution on Global Warming, a chosen scripture to share.

• Share your congregation’s carbon footprint and the implications that this means.

• Share some biblical scripture supporting creation care.

• Prepare a Sign-up Sheet to form a Creation Care Committee or Group

• Show the video "The Ecological Footprint: Accounting for a Small Planet" (can be obtained from Andrew Kang Bartlett of PC(USA) Hunger Program)

Goals from the Meeting• Education and Awareness • An open forum for every opinion to be accepted• A committee that can transform these issues

into action.• Set a goal for including all members of the

congregation. – (You do not want to be an isolated committee…you

want to involve everyone, of every age, of every ability.)

**Some may already have this committee.

Your Creation Care Committee• Step 1. Create a Mission Statement• Step 2. Establish 6 Measurable Goals• Step 3. Prioritize Your Goals Work

with• Step 4. Create a Goal Timeline• Step 5. Discuss Individual Roles• Step 6. Publicize The Goal and Its

Success• Step 7. Implement the ministry into

other areas of Christian Educator

Some Possible Goals

• Congregational Recycling Program• Sunday morning Park & Ride van

service• Letter Campaign to Local, State &

Federal government leaders (Bread for the World style)

• Become an Energy Star Partner: Weatherizing windows, doors, etc. for energy efficiency– Changing to LCD light bulbs and LED exit signs– Purchasing Energy Star appliances for any

upgrade

An Example• Goal: Replace all incandescent

lighting with energy efficient bulbs– Task 1. Perform research on the cost

savings.• Example

An Example

– Task 2. Go before the Session and ask for their commitment by investing in these bulbs.

– Present the Mission of the Committee– Present savings documents (Energy Star

has many available.)– Present the Committee’s commitment to

helping to follow this through.

An Example

– Task 3. Work with building committee or staff to get the goal implemented.

– Avoid isolating congregational members.– Educate them and assist in every way you

can.– If necessary, help them see the costs and

benefits not only from a practical view, but also biblical…sound stewardship.

An Example

– Task 4. Celebrate and Publicize to the full congregation.

– Create Awareness.» Newsletters, Bulletin Boards, Sunday

Bulletin, Minute for Mission update, etc. – If the Goal is cost oriented (as in example)

calculate savings after a time period & publicize.– Host a Global Warming Dinner Party to publicize

the changes and successes of the congregation.» Invite members to prepare or buy food from

local growers or restaurants that do.

Spreading the Awareness

Involve Youth Groups (Adults enjoy these

also!)• Adopt-a-Wetland Program• Adopt-a-Stream Program• Adopt-a-Highway Program• River Cleanups

These are Everywhere. Look for them in your area.

Special Interest Groups

Dinner Groups – Preparing food grown locally

Women’s Bible Study - Curriculum devoted to Creation Care or specific topics such as Global Warming

Curriculum & Sermon GuidanceAll Age CurriculumsEco-Justice Ministry: http://www.eco-justice.org/CurricReview.asp59 Titled Curriculum Reviews

SermonEco-Justice Ministry: Three Layers of Environmental PreachingRev. Peter Sawtell, Executive Director, Eco-Justice Ministries (Categorical Breakdowns & Examples) http://www.eco-justice.org/3layers.asp