Several weeks ago, a group of parishioners gathered together to talk about Creation Care, and how Good Shepherd might be better stewards of God’s creation. We brainstormed A LOT of ideas, and some of them may already be in place!
Recycling: Currently, we have several individuals who take the paper recycling home to add to their curbside pick-up. And one committed soul tries to collect plastic, cans and bottles from the kitchen . . . but often finds that the mix of trash and recyclables makes that difficult. How can we move forward on this? (Good Shepherd can’t participate in curbside recycling, because we’re not a residential customer, and to get a large bin is cost-prohibitive.)
Disposables: How much of what we use for coffee hour and other events is re-usable, rather than disposable? How much is single serve? And, if we were to make a change, who would help with the clean-up?
Garden & Composting: (1) What if we did a better job of composting our kitchen waste? Are there parishioners who’d be interested in helping maintain a compost bin at Church (either for our landscaping use, or for folks to take home?) (2) What kinds of efforts might we make (or have we made) to help provide pollen-producing plants for bees and butterflies?
Education: Do parishioners know how to separate recyclables? Do we know what our individual HOA’s/municipalities will accept? Are folks interested in taking a “field trip” to a recycling center? What are eco-friendly alternatives to common pesticides and herbicides?
Energy Audit: How well do we do at reducing our energy usage? We’ve had new furnaces and air conditioners installed; they’re more energy efficient! Yay! But how about our light bulbs? Our weather-stripping?
And, then there was the question of SOLAR!
So much came out of the discussion! And it was just the beginning. We didn’t even scratch the subject of eco-justice, or how our decisions affect folks outside the congregation.
And, so the question remains: Are you (or do you want to be) a Green Sheep? Let Fr. Gary know if you’re interested in carrying the conversation further. And watch for more information about ways to get involved!