Current Ideas in Eco-Stewardship

In the previous article, I discussed how the ministry of eco-stewardship is an important mission to churches because of our interconnections to God and the world around us. In this final article, I would like to share three ways in which faith communities can promote a strong eco-stewardship ministry. The ideas am sharing are also presented in “Greening Our Churches,” an article by David Rhoads and Andrea Orcutt in the July issue of Sojourners magazine.

The first is seeking ways to integrate nature into our worship services. Our church’s tradition already practices a “Rural Life” Sunday which reminds us of the gifts and responsibilities that God has given to us on Earth. Also, our hymnals contain many new and familiar tunes that reflect on the wonders of God’s Creation. There are also many good worship resources available from Christian organizations (The Sojourner’s article gives two good websites, www.webofcreation.org and www.earthministry.org). Overall, an inclusion of nature in worship helps us to remember the earthly blessings our Father gives and increases our value in taking care of it.

A second way promotes the education of current environmental concerns and looks into the ethical use of nature. Learn what you can about being ‘green’ from articles, books, TV, or even your own experience. I would also encourage you to read the 1991 Annual Conference Statement “Creation: Called to Care” for our denomination’s view on eco-stewardship. Be open to share these ideas and concerns with each other as it helps everyone in increasing their range of knowledge.

Finally, be active in the congregation and community to reduce our environmental impact. Find ways to reduce energy use in your home and the church. For example, our church is already active in highway cleanup. Also, the York Center Church of the Brethren is currently discussing ways to reduce their building’s energy consumption through efficient lighting and heating methods. Urge the government, at all levels, to support funding toward conservation and sustainable policies.

The eco-stewardship movement is growing among churches, and I see a capability that the Church of the Brethren can perform within it. Our rural heritage along with values of simplicity, compassion, and justice gives us a strong role to share with other denominations. God be with us as we seek ways to be part of His plan for restoration.

The Importance of Eco-Stewardship

Everything that we choose to do has consequences on the world around us. The conveniences that our modern society provides us often come at a cost somewhere else down the line. For example, a lot the food that we buy from the store requires a collaborative effort between farmers, manufacturers, and freight carriers. More often today the food has to travel over hundreds of miles until it reaches your plate, all the while consuming fuel that adds to polluting the air along the way. While obtaining food is beneficial, the means by which it is delivered can be negative on the environment.

The social, economic, and environmental concerns apparent in this world are undoubtedly connected to our lifestyle choices. If we take just a moment explore where our clothes come from, how our bananas are grown, or where our trash goes, we begin to find a chain of world-wide interactions. We all have heard stories and seen pictures from guest speakers who address the inconsistencies of wealth and necessity around the world. How would you feel if even the choices we made here at home affected those communities? If you knew how to adapt your lifestyle to be more beneficial to other people and the earth, would you be willing to do it?

The ministry of Eco-Stewardship desires to address these and similar concerns, and gives us ways in which witnessing God’s love can be done through our daily decisions. Growing some of your own food or buying locally at the farmers market are a couple solutions to the example I gave above, and only a fraction of the options that eco-stewardship encourages us to explore. As followers of Christ, we need to examine our choices and seek ways to extend the Golden Rule everyday, everywhere.

There are a growing number of examples where churches have demonstrated eco-stewardship in the world. Next month, I hope to share some of these cases and help discuss other possible ways in which our congregations could contribute.

The Church and Environmentalism

On July 21, the York Center Church of the Brethren (located near Lombard, IL) held their first Green Fair. The idea for the event is connected to the church’s goal of reducing total carbon emissions by 80% in building and congregational use by the year 2050. The purpose of the fair was to invite faith communities in the Western Chicago area and provide discussion on ways to reduce the impact our lifestyles take on the environment. Five presenters were invited to give information and answer questions that address the most important environmental concerns pressing faith communities.

I was invited to present as a representative of the Illinois Renewable Energy Association (IREA). The organization is a non-profit coalition of Illinois residents who seek to inform and discuss ways that renewable energy and sustainable technology can become implemented in Illinois. Since 2001, they have held their own fair in August at the Ogle County Fairgrounds and more information is posted on our church’s bulletin board.

The sustainable choices we make in the faith community are a part of a growing ministry movement known as eco-stewardship. Cleaning trash up alongside our roads and Rural Life Sunday are the most familiar actions our church currently takes, so isn’t anything totally new. What is new is a broader focus on how congregations can seek to care for creation. York Center is one of many churches that are exploring ways to work in this ministry. I am also becoming interested because of my interests in sustainable energy.

Now what does sustainability mean? Generally speaking, it is the means that our lifestyle choices will ultimately have the least impact on our surroundings both now and in future generations. One way this can be done is by using renewable energy to power our homes and vehicles (examples include solar, wind, and biofuels). It can also include the ways you get your food and clothing.

In the next issue of the church newsletter I will reflect more on the importance of having an eco-steward ministry. Stay tuned.

Purpose for this Blog

I created this blog to post my reflections on Eco-Stewardship, a concept that looks at how Environmentalism and the Christian faith can work together. I will begin by posting three articles I originally wrote in the fall of 2007 for the newsletter published at my home congregation.

I plan to post other reflections on this topic as God wills they come about.

Note: I am a member of the Church of the Brethren. For more information on the denomination, please click here.