St Alban’s Episcopal Church Covenant to Care of Creation
Activities Update from Earth Keeper Team Feb. 2023 – Aug. 2023
In Jesus, God so loved the whole world. We follow Jesus, so we love the world God loves. Concerned about the global climate emergency, drawing from a range of approaches for our diverse contexts, we commit to Form and restore Loving, Liberating, Life-giving relationships with all of Creation.
- LOVING FORMATION For God’s sake, we will grow our love for the Earth and all of life through preaching, teaching, storytelling, and prayer.
- LIBERATING ADVOCACY For God’s, standing alongside marginalized, vulnerable peoples, we will advocate and act to repair Creation and seek the Liberation and Flourishing of all people.
- LIFE-GIVING CONSERVATION For God’s sake, we will adopt practical ways of reducing our climate impact and living more humbly and gently on Earth as individuals, households, congregations, institutions, and dioceses.
LOVING FORMATION
- Embed the principles of the Covenant to Care of Creation in all parish sponsored activities across the congregation. All relevant parish ministries have been introduced to the CoC principles, assessed in partnership with each, and all findings noted with Earth Keeper Team.
- Provide congregation information and education on all aspects of climate care. Provide resources and opportunities for community partnerships. Findings of the ministries audit actions recommendations include St. Alban’s community introduction to the Covenant of Care document, earth care children’s programming, congregational education of good climate citizenship, clear signage for all climate care activities conducted @ 885 Shore Rd. property i.e. recycling.
- Afford/create opportunities for multi-generational activities for Earth Day and Season of Creation. Leverage association with other community organizations with like-minded climate programs, collaborate with other parishes on Season of Creation activities, share resources, contacts, and programming.
LIBERATING ADVOCACY
- Introduce congregation to Diocesan Resources including Maine Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) and Diocesan Climate Justice Council.
- Include monthly environmental messaging in the E-news.
- Identify partners to collaborate with on community level environmental service projects.
LIFE-GIVING CONSERVATION
- Conduct an energy use audit to set priorities and direction.
- Engage in climate control assessments of ministries, parish operations and committees to identify needed action. Initial data collection has begun, findings have been reported back to affected ministries. First roll out focused on the kitchen and climate care. Efforts are underway to significantly improve recycling, signage, equipment and supply storage through complete labeling, gradual replacement of non-reusable storage items, dishware, and utensils. Future users of the kitchen will be guided by posted policies for all kitchen activities.
- Evaluate our carbon footprint based upon the energy audit. Consider a parish/congregation carbon tracker with a focus on energy, water, materials (remove and discontinue all disposable plastic usage and serve only climate friendly food. Additionally, continued collaboration with Building and Grounds in their work to improve the ability of our interior and exterior spaces to reduce our carbon footprint. In partnership with the altar flower and garden committees design and plant spaces specifically for altar usage that reflects our Maine heritage.
- Commit to St. Albans Covenant to Care of Creation in all parish-sponsored activities across the congregation.
- Shepherd parish-wide agreement and involvement in the covenant.
- Interface Covenant to Care of Creation to the ethos of St. Alban.
Pictured above: St. Alban’s successful recycling activities include these wheat grass reuseable, recycleable, dishwasher safe drinking vessels and all of the unused church keys they’ve gathered to recycle the metal.