In 2011, Saint Andrew’s United Church in Halifax, NS, celebrated a ‘Greening Sunday’ and covenanted with God and each other to be a Green Church. The Green Covenant asks them “to care for our neighbours, ourselves and all of Creation by: integrating the love of Creation in our worship and spiritual lives, increasing environmental awareness and education, practicing stewardship by conservation of natural resources, and working with others for environmental justice. As a congregation and as individuals, we will make every effort possible to reduce our carbon and ecological footprint. We will lead by example and ask those who use our building to partner in this covenant.”
Saint Andrew’s has already been practicing this covenant for the past several years by:
Including climate change and other ecological concerns in worship and celebrating ‘The Season of Creation’ in worship and education for all ages,
Partnering with Shambhala to co-sponsor ‘Sacred Earth Awake’ film series,
Having a professional energy audit on our building,
Converting from oil heat to natural gas, and
Changing the lighting to CFC or LED lights,
Using and promoting Fair Trade coffee and other products,
Organizing climate justice events and supporting First Nations communities as they raise awareness about the effects of the Alberta oil sands on their lives.
They are continuing to invite members, groups – especially youth, staff and neighbours to share suggestions and to act together to more fully integrate our care of Creation in all that we do. Including:
Make every effort to save heat and paper,
Include ‘Green Tips’ in the weekly bulletin,
Increase the number of recycle bins,
Use environmentally friendly cleaning products,
Designate ‘idle free’ areas,
Install bike racks,
Collect/recycle ink cartridges,
Search for a biodegradable alternative to Styrofoam (for the Sunday Supper for the homeless),
Explore the possibilities of a community garden and/or fruit tree planting on church property, and
Advocate to stop the destructive impacts of the Alberta tar sands and work for a provincial moratorium on Hydraulic Fracturing.
Check out more from St. Andrew's United Church on their website: www.standrewshfx.ca