Welcome!

What is the Green Church Initiative and

what do we hope to accomplish today?
 It’s an incredible vision.
and
It’s only what we choose to make of it.
With the earth and all of its inhabitants facing an unprecedented ecological crisis, our
spirituality compels us to take practical steps toward sustainability in all aspects of our
lives.
It seems deeply moving and appropriate for our two spiritual communities to come together
to talk about sustainability as a living art, the key to our children’s future, and the
inspiration for renewing our sacred relationships with the Divine, with our Earth and with
each other.

It is inherent to both our spiritual traditions to seek to paths to living respectfully and
harmoniously with fellow human beings and with our beautiful and endangered Earth.

To this end Comox United Church Council and Comox Valley

Unitarian Fellowship Board have enthusiastically endorsed the idea
of forming a sub-committee inclusive of both spiritual communities,
to explore the meaning and actions of a Green Church Initiative.
 We wouldn’t be starting
from square one.

Greening Sacred Spaces is a practical programme developed by Faith & the Common Good to
assist faith communities with both the educational and spiritual dimensions of greening as well
as the "how-to" side of audits, retrofits and generally reducing the faith community's footprint.
This program has developed a whole resource kit – with workshops, posters, music, and more–
to help faith groups become community leaders in working towards a more sustainable future.
The United Church of Canada and the
Canadian Unitarian Council are
supporting congregations in developing
green church programs
 ean t o
es i t m
ha t do
W
you?
 Spiritual
Dimensions
Sustainability is fundamentally
a spiritual Concern
Core questions of who we are, our purpose in life, how we relate to each other
and the natural world, and our vision of a healthy, peaceful, just and caring
existence for all need to be understood and lived if we are to achieve a
sustainable future. Without the primary motivation to connect our purpose in life
with the well being and goodness of the cosmos then there is often not the
courage to change. Each of us needs to feel loved, inspired, and hopeful that we
can contribute to making the world a better place.

A Green Church Initiative would open us to deeper spiritual

quests and identify practical ways to express our spirituality
in our own backyard.
 Our Building
• Our Church building is much
more than simply a structure
to protect us from the natural
environment. Indeed, it is an
integral part of our
relationship with the planet,
or even the entire Universe.
Are there ways we could
improve our sacred space to
help us interact in inspiring
ways with creation while
becoming more energy
efficient and eco-friendly?
 A Sustainability Audit
Does the church have an energy policy?
Has the church established energy reduction targets?
Ventilation Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reduce Operating Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Domestic Hot Water Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Refrigerators and Freezers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reduce Operating Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insulation . . . . . . .
Lights . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
Appliances/Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General Water Conservation Priorities . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Leaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.Landscaping Best Management Practices.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps
 Our Building and Grounds
• First Impressions
• An average first time
visitor will make up
their mind about
returning to your church
within the first ten
minutes of their arrival.
 Our Lives

This is a serious topic, but will also be fun, as it ranges from

discussions on fair trade, to facilitating friendships within
congregations through ride sharing, or a “blessing of the
bicycles”. In dialogue with our congregations the initiative
could encourage the big vision green church plan, as well as
consider some possible local and personal actions.
 Healthy People on a Healthy Planet

Our actions are now threatening the biospheric systems on which all life depends,
causing climate change and the worldwide destruction of forests, fisheries and
wildlife

The great spiritual and political leader of India, Mahatma Gandhi,

said, "We must be the change we want to see in the world."
Anthropologist Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group
of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is
the only thing that ever has." These quotes from two people who
worked to change the world can encourage us all to take action as we
re-envision and renew the world.
 An example: Cedar Park United
“Our Covenant with Creation”

• Cedar Park United Church covenants to make every

effort possible to practice responsible
environmentalism by reusing, reducing, recycling,
composting, redistributing, and continually seeking
new ways to improve our environmental practices in
our church home and in our community.
• In committing ourselves to this ministry of ecology,
Cedar Park United Church has adopted the following
specific practices.
 An example: Cedar Park United
“Our Covenant with Creation”

• In our WORSHIP, we commit to…

• Developing a theology of worship that
reflects our call to live with respect in creation;
• Raising awareness of ecological concerns in
a theological context;
• Challenging our members to be partners in
this sacred mission of caring for creation.
 An example: Cedar Park United
“Our Covenant with Creation”
• In our BUILDING, we commit to…
• Surveying our energy consumption and fossil fuel use in the
three sections of our building (sanctuary, Christian Education
Centre, daycare);
• Evaluating heavy users of energy with a view to reducing
usage;
• Finding ways to rebalance the use of oil and electricity;
• Exploring alternative energy sources (solar, geothermal);
• Changing high-energy use appliances to higher efficiency
appliances;
• Identifying or creating venues within the community where
used products and appliances can be reused and/or exchanged.
 An example: Cedar Park United
“Our Covenant with Creation”

• In our KITCHEN and FOOD CHOICES, we

commit to…
• Using “green” products for cleaning
whenever possible;
• Engaging in wet-waste pickup programs as
they are developed by the municipality;
• Using fair trade coffee and tea;
• Encouraging fair trade and local food
consumption.
 An example: Cedar Park United
“Our Covenant with Creation”
• In our PRODUCT CONSUMPTION, we commit to…
• Encouraging all users of our building to use recycling bins;
• Using products made from post-consumer materials;
• Meeting with tenants to encourage them to use chemical-free
“green” products and to reduce the use of disposable products;
• Reducing our use of packaging materials, Styrofoam and
plastics and asking the same of our suppliers, caterers, tenants,
etc.;
• Recycling printer cartridges;
• Increasing awareness about hazardous waste disposal and
municipal eco-programs through our website calendar;
• Discouraging the use of bottled water.
 An example: Cedar Park United
“Our Covenant with Creation”
• In our TRANSPORT, we commit to…
• Encouraging carpooling programs and use of
alternative forms of transport in our community;
• Encouraging members of the community to buy and
to advocate for cleaner cars;
• Encouraging members to make a conscious effort to
reduce their carbon footprint;
• Emphasizing the benefits of alternative forms of
transport;
• Reducing car usage through teleconferencing or
emailing in lieu of meetings.
 Working together in common purpose to green our
spiritual home will deepen relations between our two
congregations and could be transformative.

You are warmly invited to join us.

 Sources/Resources
• The Green Sanctuary program,
http://www.uuministryforearth.org
• Greening Sacred Spaces,
http://www.greeningsacredspaces.net
• The Green Church Program, offered by the
Canadian Centre for Ecumenism
http://www.greenchurchproject.org/green/