Earth Ministry Team
Montreat
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
About
the Earth Ministry Team
The mission of the Earth Ministry
Team
of the Montreat Presbyterian Church is to lead, enhance and enable the
involvement of Montreat Presbyterian Church in responsible stewardship
of God’s created Earth. The team functions as a part of the Mission and
Outreach Committee yet will emphasize work with and on behalf of all
the Session committees to facilitate their individual grass-roots
efforts. The Team has three goals: (1) To reduce the environmental
footprint of the congregation. (2) To provide leadership and education
to the greater community (on the local and the global level) on ways
that respect the Earth and all inhabitants. (3) To foster awareness and
action with related organizations as appropriate.
Formally organized in April
2010, the
Team’s initial objectives are to:
- (1) Create a
mission
statement to serve as a foundation for short and long-range planning;
- (2) inform the
pastor and
session committees of the statement of policy on the environment from
the 1990 General Assembly;
- (3) dialog with
each MPC
session committee to gather ideas for and raise awareness of the
mission of this committee;
- (4) identify
resources for
determining how to implement “eco-congregation” practices;
- (5) identify
related
interests and skills among the MPC congregation through a survey; and,
- (6) initiate an
“Earth celebration” in the spring of 2010 as a part of worship at
MPC/PCUSA.
On a longer-term basis, the Earth
Ministry Team will be
addressing what it means to be an “eco-congregation” in spiritual and
everyday matters, both as its members gather and also in their
individual lives. It will work with colleagues within the Presbyterian
Church USA, such as Presbyterians for Earth Care (http://www.presbyearthcare.org/) and the Environmental
Ministries
effort of the national denomination (http://www.pcusa.org/environment/), and with other religious
faiths as
well.
Some Sermons
about Earth and
Creation at Our Montreat Presbyterian Church
The
Origins
of
Presbyterian
Environmental
Ministry
To learn more about the Presbyterian “heritage” in this area,
see the 1990 General Assembly report, Restoring Creation for
Ecology and Justice. It provides a profile of environmental issues
and crises, with biblical affirmations and ethical norms for response
by the church. A study guide is included to help groups move into
community-based reflection and action. It is publication PDS #OGA90002
(cost $1.50). A 15-minute DVD is available also, which may be used
alone or as a helpful companion piece to the General Assembly report.
In it, positive responses of faithful people are set amid scenes of the
beauty of nature, contrasted with examples of environmental damage and
social justice. Order PDS # 2436010001.
The
Presbyterian Church (USA) issued a statement that “the church has
powerful reason for engagement in restoring God's creation:
- God's work in creation is
too wonderful, too ancient, too beautiful, too good to be desecrated.
- Restoring creation is God's
own work in our time, in which God comes both to judge and to restore.
- The Creator-Redeemer calls
faithful people to become engaged with God in keeping and healing the
creation, human and non-human.
- Human life and well-being
depend upon the flourishing of other life and the integrity of the
life-supporting processes that God has ordained.
- The love of neighbor,
particularly "the least" of Christ's brothers and sisters, requires
action to stop the poisoning, the erosion, the wastefulness that are
causing suffering and death.
- The future of our children
and their children and all who come after is at stake.
Some Information and Resources
from the Presbyterian Church (USA)
Order free DVDs from
Environmental Ministries
Environmental Ministries is
offering two free DVDs about Earth Care. “Restoring Creation for
Ecology and Justice” offers an overview of the environmental crisis and
the environmental policy passed by the General Assembly in
1990. “Cherishing God’s Earth” looks at five components of
environmental issues: earth, air, water, habitat and people. Study
guides are available for both DVDs. Learn
more
and
order.
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