The UCC: Eco-Justice and Stewardship of Creation

1. Winter A • 2010-2011
The UCC: Eco-Justice
and Stewardship of Creation
We are stewards of God’s creation. The United Church ◆ Find out how local congregations have reduced their
of Christ takes that responsibility seriously by raising carbon footprint. The Hancock Church, Lexington,
awareness of environmental justice. MA, reduced its carbon footprint by 42% and saved
money! That means dollars that would have gone to
When a natural disaster occurs, the UCC responds with fill an oil tank can fill a child’s stomach instead.
help for those whose lives are impacted by drought or
flood or earthquake or landslide. Most recently, the ◆ Connect with Interfaith Power and Light (www.inter-
United Church of Christ has provided assistance to faithpowerandlight.org) which provides many practical
those affected by the oil spill in the US Gulf and to those tools for things like finding out what your carbon
suffering the devastating floods in Pakistan. footprint is to networking with the 10,000 congrega-
tions already represented in the effort of reduce global
Those aid efforts are supported by the UCC’s One Great warming.
Hour of Sharing and through direct donations from
individuals and churches designated for those purposes, ◆ Find worship resources and suggestions about
including a $300,000 appeal for Pakistan relief. conserving energy for your congregation.
But the UCC also recognizes that the world is responding Natural disasters will continue and the United Church
to the ways that humanity has neglected our air, waters, of Christ, along with others, will respond. But there
forests, and wildlife. We are called to care for these things are also crises in the making which might be able to be
as well as for our brothers and sisters. avoided. They are technology-caused disasters, and they
will only get significant press if they are catastrophic on
The UCC’s Environmental Justice Ministries provides a large scale, like the 1979 disaster at Three Mile Island
information, ideas, and inspiration for individuals and Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania or in 1986
churches as they consider the impact of humanity on the at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine.
world. The long-term costs of those disasters still are not fully
Being thoughtful consumers and living ‘green’ benefits known.
both people and the environment. Before it was Hazardous materials or dangerous manufacturing
fashionable, eco-justice simply was right. In the church, processes touch lives and property, creating health,
the word we use for that is righteousness. More than economic, and political challenges for individuals,
100,000 organizations, many of them grass-roots efforts, communities, and even nations. These hazardous
are involved in doing the right thing for the environment. materials can become the source of an acute event or be
The UCC’s Environmental Justice Ministries (EJM) released as part of a natural disaster. Raising awareness
Website (www.ucc.org/environmental-ministries) provides about this risk is an important concern for the UCC’s
a portal to perspectives from pastors, scientists, and Environmental Justice Ministries.
environmentalists. Practical suggestions and important The UCC’s EJM provides a way to raise awareness and
theoretical discussion are both part of meeting the call for to prepare for technology/human-caused catastrophe,
stewardship of the earth, sky, sea, and creatures. also known as The Silent Disaster, through an emergency
Understanding the impact of our choices is the first step fund much like the kind you and your family may have.
in becoming better stewards. From the EJM homepage, More information about the Silent Disaster, the fund,
you can do all of the following: and donating to it can be found at the UCC’s EJM
◆ Take 20 minutes and look at Annie Leonard’s, “The Website: www.ucc.org/disaster/technology-disasters/.
Story of Stuff” (www.thestoryofstuff.com).
SR-00-WA-10-U-The UCC and the Environment
©2010 by Morehouse Education Resources • All rights reserved • www.livingthegoodnews.com • 1-800-242-1918