As a community of faith that recognizes the interconnectedness of all God’s creation, we try hard to make sure our environmental stewardship practices are reflective of our faith commitments. While there is always more that can be done, GPMC has taken the following actions over the past three years.
Replaced lawn pesticides and fertilizers with organic fertilizers
- Initiated curb-side recycling
- Switched to 100% recyled paper
- Reduced the number of paper mailings, increasing the use of electronic transmission
- Switched to ogranic, shade grown, fairly traded coffee
- Eliminated styrofoam and plastic, choosing bio-degradable cups and cutlery and paper plates and napkins made from recycled material
- Reduced the use of disposable products, choosing to use china and silverware
- Ceased the use of plastic water bottles in ministry areas
- Conducted an energy audit of the building
- Connected members to local organic farmers through a farm share system
- Started an organic garden to teach children about growing food for soup kitchens and doing so in environmentally sustainable ways
Recognizing that there is still more to do, GPMC has a Caring for Creation Taskforce. Its focus is on identifying further areas of improvement in our environmental stewardship and raising awareness of this issue to the attention of the congregation. Over the past three years, the CFC task force has
- Introduced Caring for Creation shopping bags
- Organized and led Caring for Creation Sundays
- Collected and recycled electronic resources
- Taught Christian education courses on environmentally-conscious theology
- Designed and/or distributed season-specific resources such as a 40 day carbon fast in Lent and the 12 days of caring for creation Christmas.
For more about Christians and Presbyterians who work on this intersection between faith and the environment, visit the following sites:
The National Council of Churches Eco-Justice program
Environmental Ministries Office of the PC (USA)
