PC(USA) Earth Care Congregations must apply annually for recertification, showing their continuing commitment to taking concrete actions in each of the four areas specified in the Earth Care Pledge. Lewinsville Presbyterian Church, first certified in 2019, has undertaken a wide array of earth care actions as summarized below. The ECC application forms and other materials about the program can be found HERE.
Earth Care Pledge
Peace and justice is God’s plan for all creation. The earth and all creation are God’s. God calls us to be careful, humble stewards of this earth, and to protect and restore it for its own sake, and for the future use and enjoyment of the human family. As God offers all people the special gift of peace through Jesus Christ, and through Christ reconciles all to God, we are called to deal justly with one another and the earth.
Our WORSHIP and DISCIPLESHIP will celebrate God’s grace and glory in creation and declare that God calls us to cherish, protect and restore this earth.
How Lewinsville fulfills this pledge:
- We include earth care content periodically in our worship services (prayers, confessions, hymns) and the Earth Care logo is included on our weekly bulletin.
- We have an Earth Care Service annually. All elements of the service reflect an earth care theme.
- We use Eco-Palms for Palm Sunday.
- We regularly perform communion by intinction
- We use locally grown flowers and greenery in floral offerings when possible.
- We provide an Earth Care Lenten discipline annually.
In EDUCATION, we will seek learning and teaching opportunities to know and understand the threats to God’s creation and the damage already inflicted. We will encourage and support each other in finding ways of keeping and healing the creation in response to God’s call to earth-keeping, justice and community.
How Lewinsville fulfills this pledge:
- We offer Earth Care modules/classes in our adult education program. Past examples include: discussion class concerning the United Nations Sustainability Goals; “Earth Care: A Call for Faithful Stewardship of God’s Creation”; and “Christian Simplicity Lenten study”.
- We offer discussion group opportunities for earth care-themed books (examples: The Overstory by Richard Power and The Songs of Trees by David George Haskell).
- On Earth Care Sunday we provide interactive stations to inform and encourage individual Earth Care actions.
- Our website includes Earth Care pages.
- We include Earth Care as a discussion topic for our Youth Group.
- We include Earth Care at Lewinsville as a topic in our Inquirers (new members) class.
- We feature regular newsletter articles on earth care topics.
- We host a Fair Trade sale and Alternative Gifts sale annually in our facility (including a table of environmentally friendly products).
- We have a collection of books relating to earth care topics in our library.
Our FACILITIES will be managed, maintained and upgraded in a manner that respects and cherishes all creation, human and non-human, while meeting equitably the needs of all people. In our buildings and on our grounds we will use energy efficiently, conserve resources, and share what we have in abundance so that God’s holy creation will be sustainable for all life and future generations.
How Lewinsville fulfills this pledge:
- As part of our building renovation design, a Sustainable Building Practices Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was developed by representatives of the architects, the building task force and the Earth Care team and accepted by the Session to assure that our renovation is sensitive to environmental concerns.
- We directed an energy audit of our facility in 2010 and subsequently implemented many of the recommended actions regarding more efficient windows, lighting heating/cooling.
- We will complete a professional energy audit in 2020 using thermographic imagery. The audit will focus on portions of the facility not being renovated, to provide data for future efficiency improvements to these areas.
- We serve Fair Trade coffee at our gatherings.
- We offer electronic distribution of our Newsletter and many other church communications.
- We limit use of single use plastic bottles by providing water and lemonade served in pitchers for large gatherings.
- Our HVAC systems are inspected (pre-season) annually.
- We are working to install LED lights where possible.
- We installed additional, improved collection bins for recycling throughout our facility, clearly labeled with what can go in these bins.
- We are increasing our use of compostable or recycled paper products for gatherings.
- We use re-usable table cloths, plates and flatware when possible instead of disposables.
- We encourage vegetarian food choices at gatherings where food is offered.
Our OUTREACH will encourage public policy and community involvement that protect and restore the vulnerable and degraded earth as well as oppressed and neglected people. We will be mindful that our personal and collective actions can positively or negatively affect our neighborhood, region, nation and world. We will seek to achieve environmental justice through coalitions and ecumenical partnerships.
How Lewinsville fulfills this pledge:
- We donate used material for reuse in social justice projects.
- We share space with other nonprofits, maximizing the use of our facility.
- We conduct service projects related to sustainable landscaping at our partner school, Westgate Elementary.
- We conduct nature walks.
- We are a member of Presbyterians for Earth Care.
- We actively participate in the National Capital Presbytery Earth Care Network.
- We work and share information with ecumenical partners such as Interfaith Power and Light (DMV, and Virginia), as well as Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.
- We periodically display a large banner outside our church declaring that Lewinsville is an Earth Care Congregation.
For more information about PC(USA)’s Earth Care Congregation program, CLICK HERE .
Join Lewinsville’s Earth Care steering committee
and help create a sustainable future at Lewinsville.
Click here to contact the Earth Care team!
Header Photo on this page by Cindy Speas, Lewinsville