Creation Care Team
The St. James UMC Creation Care Team encourages environmental awareness and responsibility through education; strives to help St. James become a green church; and promotes community creation care activities. The Team evolved from the former Environmental Stewardship group.
Creation Care Mission Statement
The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. Therefore, our mission is to encourage stewardship of all God's creation through inspiration, education, and practical means, and to encourage action for positive change in systems that perpetuate injustice and harm to the environment.
Goals of the Creation Care Team
01
Plan one or more worship experiences each year celebrating God's creation which connect creation care and justice to the scriptural call to love God and neighbor; and weekly confessing our failure to be good stewards of God's creation.
03
Plan one or more positive changes each year in the practices of the church's life, grounds, or building in order to support the conference emissions goals.
02
Plan one or more educational opportunities each year for the church and community related to creation care.
04
Plan one or more actions that advocate for change to systems that support injustice and/or environmental harm.
St. James Creation Care Activities
• Pollinator garden
• Paper recycling
• In stitches reuses fabric and other donated items
• Backpack ministry reuses donated plastic bags
• Kitchens uses reusable utensils and dishes
• Children's ministry reuses plastic Easter eggs each year
• TGIW occasional classes on environmental/justice issue
Creation Care Suggestions from Church Members
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GUC recommends setting your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher during summer and 68 degrees or lower during the winter. Wear sweaters and sweatshirts for comfort.
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Try to combine as many stops as possible when driving to complete your errands.
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Americans make up 5 percent of the world’s population and use 26 percent of the world’s energy consumption.
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LED and fluorescent light bulbs use about one quarter the energy of standard lightbulbs and last up to ten times longer.
Did You Know?
• Switching to LED lights can save you up to 80% energy over incandescent bulbs. Plus they last more than ten times longer and reduce your cooling systems heat load during summer months.
• For every 1600 KwH of electricity used, one ton of CO2 is emitted by fossil fuel power plants.
• More than 100 million trees’ worth of junk mail arrives in American mailboxes each year. To reduce junk mail and junk emails go to www.dmachoice.org.
• Gallon for Gallon, bottled water can cost more than twice as much as gasoline! (0.89 to 8.26 per gallon) Filtered pitcher water between 0.10 and 0.20 per gallon.
• If each family in America consumed one less gallon of gasoline this holiday season (cutting out about 20 miles of travel), we’d reduce greenhouse gases by one million tons.
• It takes 1,500 gallons of water to produce the average (misnamed) “value meal”; Hamburger, French fries, and a soda. Skip the fast food and eat at home. It is healthier, cost less and is better for the planet.
• Food: Worldwide meat production releases more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector combined (Source: UN Environment Programme). Start small by eliminating meat one day per week, or challenge yourself by taking a week-long vegetarian pledge. See www.meatlessmonday.org or www.vegetariantimes.com for good recipes and more information. Eco-tip provided by GreenFaith: www.greenfaith.org
• Energy: The United Nations estimates that by 2050 there will be more refugees from climate change than from war. To fight climate change and reduce your carbon footprint (and your energy bills), complete a home energy audit: http://hes.lbl.gov/
Eco-tip provided by GreenFaith: www.greenfaith.org
• Food: A typical carrot travels 1,838 miles to reach your dinner table (Sustainable Table). Support your farmers close to home and reduce your carbon footprint by visiting farmers’ markets or participating in Community Supported Agriculture: www.localharvest.org
Eco-tip provided by GreenFaith: www.greenfaith.org