Creation Care at St. Stephen
The St. Stephen 2022 Strategic Plan included the need for the congregation to focus on the environment. Specifically, the Strategic Plan required:
- The start of a Creation Care Team using the guidelines provided by the Western North Carolina Conference Creation Care Ministry.
- All groups, teams and committees should consider the effects on the environment in their decisions and actions.
- Adopt the UMC Green Initiative by developing a ministry, education and facilities that plan to improve creation stewardship of St. Stephen’s water and energy consumption, waste production, food and landscaping.
- The responsibility for carrying out these initiatives lie with the Church Council, The Creation Care Team and the Facilities Committee
Creation Care Ministry is about growing an attitude of caring for God’s “very good” creation, and then translating this attitude of caring into intentional acts of caring and justice. The Lord created the world we live in for ALL – humans and non-humans alike – to have equal access to its bounty and life-giving abundance. Our Creator then entrusted its care to humanity, giving us the role of loving stewards of this remarkable gift. Through our intentional acts of caring and justice, we are witnessing to others our obedience to, and love of, God – showing our neighbors in a very visible way that we value what God gave us, that we are willing to take care of it, and that we will work to assure that the Lord’s bounty is shared with everyone!
The St. Stephen Creation Care Team has been in existence for almost two years. In that time, the team has started the plastic film recycling program. This film goes towards the making of plastic building materials including the bench that was donated to Eastway Middle School. We instituted an electronic recycling initiative for the annual Treasure Sale: various electronics are recycled and reused through Goodwill Industries GRID program instead of heading for a landfill. We wrote policies for the church kitchen that included the exclusive use of compostable dinnerware and reusable dinnerware when practical (such as Room in the Inn).
The team completed an energy audit of the church’s facilities that showed a 30 percent decrease in electrical use annually (about $20,000) due to the installation of LED lighting in the sanctuary, hallways, some outdoor lighting and the natural replacement of old HVAC units with more efficient units.
Creation Care initiatives have been completed along the four major areas required for a Green Church Certification: worship, mission, stewardship, and discipleship and evangelism. The Green Church Initiative is a covenant congregation program that empowers our church to live out its faith, given Biblical mandate to care for and be good stewards of all that God has so lovingly created. We are well along the way to becoming a Green Certified Church in the next year.
There are many more things going on with Creation Care at St. Stephen. There will be monthly articles like this one to keep you up to date on our progress and projects as well as tips and ideas to help you do your part in Creation Care. In the meantime, the Creation Care Team can come to your Sunday school class pr or small group to talk about what we are doing. If you are interested in being part of the team, please contact the church office at info@ststephenumc.net.