The document introduces a curriculum called "Healthy Kids, Healthy Churches, Healthy Communities" created by the Massachusetts Council of Churches to educate congregations about environmental health hazards, making healthy choices, and advocating for policies that promote community well-being. The curriculum consists of 8 study sessions that provide background on environmental health and justice issues and suggest actions congregations can take to protect the health of children, church facilities, and broader communities. The goal is for Christians to live out their faith through caring for their own health and that of their neighbors.

1. Healthy Kids,Healthy
Churches,Healthy
Communities
An Adult Christian Education
Curriculum for Churches
in Massachusetts
A project of the Strategy and Action Commission of the Massachusetts Council of Churches, in
partnership with the National Council of Churches, funded in part by the John Merck Fund, the
Ruth & Allen Moore Fund for Social Justice and Old South Church in Boston.
s people of faith, we believe that, indeed, there is a balm in Gilead and
that the Creator, the Great Physician, cares for the health and well-being
of all people. Like the speaker in the book of Jeremiah, we also won-
der “why then has the health of my poor people not been
restored?” So as Christians and as citizens of the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, we here seek to educate ourselves about
health hazards in our community, make healthy choices,
and advocate for just public policies.
The Massachusetts Council of Churches is pleased
to bring the Healthy Kids, Healthy Churches, Healthy
Communities curriculum to the churches of the Com-
monwealth. We hope and pray that these activities
and study sessions will help Christians in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts live out
a faithful witness of health and whole-
ness, love of creation, and love of
neighbor as we strive for a more just
world in which to live and move and
have our being.
Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?
Jeremiah 8.22
A
Study Session Guide

2. 2
Massachusetts Council of Churches
14 Beacon Street, Suite 416
Boston, MA 02139
617-523-2771
www.masscouncilofchurches.org
council@masscouncilofchurches.org
Copyright 2008 Massachusetts Council of Churches
All rights reserved
Ms. Laura Everett, writer
The Rev. Lise Hildebrandt, editor
Strategy and Action Commissioners 2005-2008, editors of the Healthy Churches Curriculum
and “A Call to Protect Health and Community: A Christian Response to the Health Effects of
Environmental Racism”
Dr. Paul Baxter, Chair
Ms. Rachel Anderson
Ms. Nancy Banks
Sr. Tess Browne
Deana Chase
Ms. Tina Clarke
Rev. Dr. Norman Faramelli
Ms. Elizabeth Green
Rev. Debora Jackson
Rev. Jim McPhee
Rev. Dr. Stephen Mott
Rev. Dr. Rodney Petersen
Mrs. Emadel Ramsay
Rev. Canon Edward Rodman
Rev. Dr. Tina Saxon
Mr. Bob Schmalz
Rev. Kristin White
Rev. Cindy Williams
An Adult Christian Education
Curriculum for Churches
in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Council of Churches is the state ecumenical body made up of 17 Orthodox
and Protestant member denominations, with more than 1700 congregations across the state.
Formed in 1902, the Massachusetts Council of Churches has a long history of helping the
churches address social issues together. The Strategy and Action Commission is the social
research, education, and action arm of the Council. The Strategy and Action Commission is
composed of representatives of MCC member denominations and directs work on the Council’s
priority issues.
Healthy Kids,Healthy
Churches,Healthy
Communities Study Session Guide

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Table of Contents
Welcome 4
Introduction to the Curriculum 6
Leader’s Guide: Eight Study Sessions
1. Creation, environmental pollution, and our health 9
2. Identifying environmental injustice through Hurricane Katrina 11
3. The Biblical witness on Creation and community 14
4. Applying our faith to environmental health and justice 15
5. Healthy kids: Protecting the most vulnerable in our homes 17
6. Healthy churches: Making our churches safer 19
7 Healthy communities: Mapping our communities and responding 20
8. Safer for all: Legislative advocacy for a healthier Massachusetts 22
ONLINE Appendix
The most current resources are available at: www.masscouncilofchurches.org/healthychurches
Handouts for study sessions
Resources for congregational participation
Worship and liturgical resources

4. 4
Welcome
“As inheritors of God’s good earth, bound to all creation
by our own place within the created cosmos, we affirm the interdependence
of a healthy Creation and healthy people, knowing we cannot live
without clean water, breathable air, nourishing food and safe homes.
As people of faith, bound together by our common commitment
to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we confess the whole
human family is inextricably linked.”
from “A Call to Protect Health and
Community: A Christian Response to
the Health Effects of Environmental
Racism,” Strategy and Action
Commission of the Massachusetts
Council of Churches, 2006.

5. 5
The purpose of the Healthy Kids, Healthy Churches, Healthy
Communities Curriculum is to provide Christian congrega-
tions and parishes with an easy-to-use guide for beginning
a conversation in your community. The curriculum allows
people to draw on their own experiences, think theologi-
cally about care for our health and the health of others,
become informed, and take action. We hope that this
resource will be useful for your church as you learn together
how to make healthier decisions for your kids, your church,
and your community.
When a can of vegetables for our family dinner is grown
in California, packaged in Ohio, and sold in Massachusetts,
we can recall that we are inextricably linked to other people
and places. When pesticide is sprayed along the highway,
and toxins are transferred to the worker who does the spray-
ing, and released to the person washing the uniform, we
can recall that we are inextricably linked. When we throw
an old computer away in Massachusetts and the ‘e-waste’ is
dumped in Nigeria, we can recall that we are we are inex-
tricably linked.
What we learn when we dig into the issues of environ-
mental health and injustice is that we are all linked, but
some communities bear the initial burden of toxic environ-
ments sooner than others. Buses that spew exhaust when
parked in an urban bus depot will still spew exhaust as they
make their way through the countryside. Workers who
manufacture PVC vinyl are exposed to toxins in plastics;
children who chew on the plastic toys are exposed too. Yet,
we are not left powerless or without hope. We can commit
to educating ourselves and making decisions that protect
ourselves and those vulnerable to toxics, wherever they are.
As Christians, we have particular resources to offer in
our efforts to make our homes, churches, and communities
healthier. We are communities of faith—as organizations,
we have access to resources, networks, and support systems.
As people of the Gospel, we hold onto hope and the belief
in God’s power of resurrection, even in the face of evil and
death. We know the power of prayer, and we have a long
tradition of prophetic witness and social action. We hope,
we pray, we work for the healing of bodies, communities,
and the Earth.
The writers of the Healthy Churches curriculum and
the theological piece that underscores it (A Call to Protect
Health and Community: A Christian Response to the Health
Effects of Environmental Racism, see appendix) hope that
this curriculum can begin a conversation in your church
and empower your community to make healthier decisions.
As you begin this curriculum, know that you are linked
with other Christians around the state and across the global
Church who are reflecting anew on what it means to be
stewards of God’s Creation.
“We confess the
whole human family is
inextricably linked...
”
Blessings on your journey to building up a healthier Church,
The Strategy and Action Commission of the Massachusetts Council of Churches
September 1, 2008

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Course Overview
The Healthy Churches Curriculum is intended as an eight-
week adult Christian education course on protecting health
and community wellbeing in Massachusetts.
The eight study sessions are in two parts:
I. Four sessions provide a framework for understanding
environmental health and environmental justice from a
faith perspective:
1. Creation, environmental pollution, and our health
2. Identifying environmental injustice through Hurricane
Katrina
3. The Biblical witness on Creation and community
4. Applying our faith to environmental health and justice
II. Four sessions address the question: What can we do?
5. Healthy kids: Protecting the most vulnerable in our
homes
6. Healthy churches: Making our churches safer
7. Healthy communities: Mapping our communities and
responding
8. Safer for all: Legislative advocacy for a healthier
Massachusetts
Each of the eight sessions can stand alone, be used as a two-
part series (sessions 1-4 and 5-8), or be used successively.
Another possibility is to follow each “understanding” lesson
with an “action” lesson. For example 1, 5, 3, 6, 2, 7, 4, 8.
The full lessons will take between 1 and 1½ hours each,
but can be tailored to the time available. While the single
sessions can be used for an adult education class before or
after worship, two sessions can also be put together (with
a break in between) for an evening study series extending
over four weeks.
Healthy Kids, Healthy Churches, Healthy Communities is
appropriate for use in:
• An adult Christian education class
• A women’s or men’s fellowship
• A retreat setting
• An Advent or Lenten study
• An inter-generational setting with adults and high-
school students
Introduction to the Curriculum
• A youth group
• A social concerns committee
• An ecumenical clergy group
• An ecumenical gathering with other churches in your
community
• A parenting group
• An outreach program
About Each Session
Each session begins and ends with prayer. Included in the
guide for each session is a suggestion for a prayer, found in
the Online Appendix. These prayers and liturgical resources
may also be incorporated into your church’s worship life, as
appropriate.
Each session has activities and discussion questions for
the 1-1½ hour session, with a list of the items you will
need. Photocopy-ready materials for each session can be
found in the Online Appendix on the Massachusetts Coun-
cil of Churches website, www.masscouncilofchurches.org/
healthychurches. At the beginning of each session in the
section labelled “Tools,” you will find a list of handouts you
will need from the Online Appendix. Other materials, such
as pens, paper, and markers may also be required.
Suggestions for further exploration are included at the
end of each lesson and links are provided in the Appendix.
Often, there will be more topics to cover in a session than
you have time for. You are welcome to pick and choose the
parts of each session that will fit with your time constraints
and the interests of your study group.
Working Ecumenically
The curriculum was designed for use in many different
Christian communities. Consider offering the curriculum
in an ecumenical setting, inviting others from churches in
your town to join in. Churches can alternate sessions at
different churches in town or meet at one central location
for the series with one or more churches sharing leadership.
Decide what works best for your community.
The curriculum utilizes statements and resources from
various denominations and churches to further our ecu-
menical understanding of our common Christian witness.

7. 7
If you would like to find out more about what your church
and other churches have said and done on these issues, visit
the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs’
Anthology of Policy Statements at www.nccecojustice.org/
anthohome.htm.
For the Pastor or Christian
Education Director
Who should lead the course?
No specific educational background is needed to lead a
session. You may choose to have one leader over all eight
sessions, to rotate the task, or to invite persons with partic-
ular skills/interests to lead a particular session. Leadership
shared between two or three people lightens the load and
ensures continuity, should time conflicts arise for a leader.
Leaders can divide up tasks according to leadership gifts,
such as materials preparations, discussion facilitation, and
prayer. Someone with interest in the issue will bring energy
and background information to the course.
For The Course Leaders
How should you begin?
Prayer is always a good way to begin. Pray for the leaders,
pray for the right time and space, pray for ways of reaching
people who will benefit from the course and add to it. Pray
for God’s guidance during the course.
Decide on the number of sessions, the day and time of
the class, and which people the course is especially aimed
at. Church members? Parents? People in other churches?
The community as a whole? The “who” should also deter-
mine the “when.”
Decide how you will publicize the event within the
church and outside, if this series is being used for outreach
to families in your community. The curriculum includes
resources to help your church communicate this project
to the whole congregation. In the Online Appendix, you
will find the Healthy Kids, Healthy Churches, Healthy Com-
munities Bulletin Insert which can be customized for your
church. Additionally, you will find communication resource
page from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s
“ELCA Environmental Audit Guide for congregations, schools
and other groups” that offers some helpful suggestions about
how to share what you are learning with others in your
church. Working and praying through the eight sessions
will be a positive experience for the people who participate
in the study sessions, but you can also ensure that others in
your church are positively affected.
Inviting key people who have experience with illness
causedbytoxics,whohaveenvironmentalscienceormedical
backgrounds, who have experienced environmental injus-
tice, or who have worked in community organizing may
be especially fruitful. Allowing them to speak from their
experience during one of the sessions (and/or help recruit
participants) can be a powerful addition to the series.
What should leaders do for each session?
• Read the entire lesson’s guide beforehand. Photocopy
prayers and handouts. Gather necessary supplies.
• Welcome participants and introduce the opening and
closing prayer.
• Facilitate the activities and conversation.
• Monitor the time and ensure that all people have an
opportunity to participate.
• Make sure that a session leader is scheduled for the next
meeting.
• Be aware of possible emotional and/or spiritual issues
that will arise, and be prepared to provide support and
pastoral care.
• Pray for the success of the course and for those who are
participating. The issues can be large, painful, and scary;
staying grounded in our faith and our relationships to
one another will be crucial in this journey together.
Resources
See Online Appendix
This curriculum draws on three main resources in addition
to the Bible:
1. “A Call to Protect Health and Community: A Christian
Response to the Health Effects of Environmental
Racism,” from the Strategy and Action Commission,
MA Council of Churches, from the Fall 2006 Intersect,
in the Online Appendix.

8. 8
2. Resources from the Eco-Justice Programs of the
National Council of Churches, including “Mindful
Living: Human Health, Pollution, and Toxics,” and
“Through the eye of the Hurricane: Rebuilding Just
Communities.” These, and other great resources can be
found at www.nccecojustice.org/resources.html.
3. Fact sheets from the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow
www.healthytomorrow.org/resources.html.
In addition, leaders are encouraged to explore and inte-
grate their own church or denominational resources into
the study sessions, including statements of environmental
policy (see www.nccecojustice.org/anthohome.htm), lit-
urgy and worship resources, denominational confessions or
catechisms, and so on.
Staying up-to-date
While you are moving through the curriculum and after
you are finished, you may want to learn more about these
issues. This will be especially important for the final
lesson on legislative advocacy. Please visit www.masscoun-
cilofchurches.org/healthychurches to find out where we
are in the legislative process and what your group can do.
For further information about what is going on in Mas-
sachusetts, visit the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow www.
healthytomorrow.org. The Alliance for a Healthy Tomor-
row is a Massachusetts coalition of citizens, scientists, health
professionals, workers, people of faith, and educators seek-
ing preventive action on toxic hazards.
Upon Conclusion
After the class is finished, your experience can provide
valuable assistance to others as we work to modify the cur-
riculum and share it with others. Download the Response
Form found in the Online Appendix and send it back to
the Massachusetts Council of Churches.
Massachusetts Council of Churches
14 Beacon Street, Suite 416
Boston, MA 02139
617-523-2771
www.masscouncilofchurches.org
council@masscouncilofchurches.org

9. 9
Goal to understand and share our own experiences with
health and pollution in creation
Tools From the Online Appendix: article “Report Details
Toxins in Home”, the Boston Globe; “Scientists Sound the
Alarm for our Health” from the Alliance for a Healthy Tomor-
row; “Mindful Living: Human Health, Pollution and Toxics”
from the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs.
Make one copy for each participant. (Note: Copying on
both sides of each page conserves paper and trees.)
Items: large paper, Bibles, markers, pens or pencils, pho-
tocopied map of your city/town
PreparationRetrieve a map of your town at http://maps.
massgis.state.ma.us/EJ/viewer.htm. On the left side of the
screen, scroll down and click on your town. In the bottom
left corner, click on the printer icon to create a printable
map, (if your internet server has a pop-up blocker, hold
down the ‘Ctrl’ key when you click on the button “create
print page”). Make enough photocopies for the group.
Begin session with Prayer (see Appendix) 5 minutes
Part 1: Talking about our
church’s health 10 minutes
Invite participants to respond to the following
questions
Q Which health problems most affect this church? This
community?
During the response to this question, the leader can
write these health problems on large paper so that all
can see the common areas of health concern. Health
problems can include physical, mental, spiritual issues.
Creation, environmental
pollution, and our health
Have someone read the following
“A study by the British Medical Journal concluded that
seventy-five percent of most cancers are caused by environ-
mental and lifestyle factors. In fact, most Americans have
between 400 to 800 chemicals stored in their bodies, typi-
cally in fat cells. Health effects of toxic chemicals include
cancer, asthma, birth defects, and autism. According to
a 2002 report by the Environmental Protection Agency,
in the year 2000, over 7.1 billion pounds of 650 differ-
ent industrial chemicals were released in the air and water;
266 of these are linked to birth defects.” “Mindful Living:
Human Health, Pollution, and Toxics,” from the National
Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs, p. 3.
Part 2: Environmental health
and our church community’s
environment 25 minutes
The leader reads: “Environmental health is concerned
with exposure to and the health effects of toxic substances.
Exposure questions are: Who was exposed? How did the
chemical or substance travel from its source into the body
of the exposed person (the exposure pathway)? How large
was the exposure? Was it once, several times, or on-going?
Health effects may include no effects, a one-time illness, or
a chronic condition; some persons or populations may be
very vulnerable to effects, while others are less so. We will
now look at exposure pathways in our own community.”
“We will now take some time to think carefully about
our environment in this community.”
Pass out photocopies of a map of your city or town.
Invite participants to mark such locations as your church,
schools, your home. After this is completed, invite partici-
pants to mark areas such as town dumps, manufacturing
plants, major highways and bus depots.
Invite participants to respond to the following
questions
Q Where are there dumps, manufacturing plants, major
highways, bus depots? What are the pathways for
toxins in the community?
Q Where are the farms, gardens, parks, waterways, or
green space? Is it well cared for? What contributes to
health in this community?
Q Would you call this town a place that contributes to
good health or a place that does harm to your health?
Q Have you ever lived somewhere that you felt was
unhealthy? What did that feel like?
Session 1

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If time permits, ask participants to also mark grocery
stores, bars, fast food restaurants, health care facilities, bike
paths, etc. Additional questions: How easy is it for residents
to buy healthy food, to exercise, have access to health care?
To move around without a car? Are there usable sidewalks
or bike paths? Does the town or city structure encourage or
inhibit health?
Part 3: Expanding our
understanding: The indoor
environment 20 minutes
Leader reads: “Sources of toxic contamination do not just
come from things outside our homes and schools. The great
scientific progress of the past century has created tens of
thousands of synthetic chemicals with a wide range of uses
in millions of products. These chemicals have made our
homes more comfortable and secure, eased our workloads,
contributed to our wealth, and made our lives more conve-
nient and fun. However, the use of these chemicals has also
had an unintended and unexpected consequence; many of
them have turned out to be toxic to our health.” from ‘Sci-
entists Sound Alarm for Our Health, from the Alliance for a
Healthy Tomorrow.
Pass out copies, Report Details Toxins in Home, by Steven
Rosenberg, The Boston Globe, March 24, 2005.
Give the group a few minutes to read the
article. Ask the following questions
Q Were you surprised by any of this information?
Q Does this information resonate with you and your
family? In what ways?
Q What are the exposure pathway of these toxic
chemicals into our bodies? Who is affected? Who is
most affected? (Don’t forget to mention those who are
exposed during manufacture and those who may be
using toxic chemicals during their work.)
Q What is the likely effect of exposure to multiple
chemicals?
Part 4: Environment or
Creation? 20 minutes
Invite a participant to read aloud Genesis 1:26-31 to con-
sider the relationship between God and Creation, God and
human, human and Creation. Use the following questions
to generate conversation
Q What does the Creation story say about the nature of
God? The origin of Earth and all living beings?
Q According to the story, what is the place of humans
in the Creation? How do we understand our primary
relationships (to God, other people, and the rest of the
created order)?
Q How does God see Creation? How do we see God’s
Creation? How have we treated it?
Q How does being made in the image of God inform our
role with respect to the rest of Creation?
Q What difference would it make to treat the world we
live in as Creation, not just our environment?
The discussion should center on the Judeo-Christian
concept of Creation, which presupposes the Creator. All
created things have a primary relationship with God the
Creator; humans have a special relationship as beloved
Creatures, but also as caretakers for and stewards of other
created beings.
End with Prayer (see Appendix) 5 minutes.
Pray for those suffering from health problems of any kind
in your church and community.
For Further Study
See the Online Appendix for additional handouts and
reading suggestions.

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Goal to explore the connections between our health, the
environment and racism.
Tools From the Online Appendix: “Through the Eye of the
Hurricane: Rebuilding Just Communities” from the National
Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs; “A Call to Protect
Health and Community: A Christian Response to the Health
Effects of Environmental Racism.” Make one copy for each
participant, using both sides of the page.
Items: large sheet of paper, markers. For pictures from
Hurricane Katrina, visit www.HurricaneKatrina.com. A brief
video of the hurricane (search for “Hurricane Katrina,” 4
minutes, 4 seconds) can be viewed on www.YouTube.com.
Have a laptop and possibly a LCD projector on hand to
watch it with your group. An outstanding National Geo-
graphic Special Edition on Katrina is available at http://ngm.
nationalgeographic.com/ngm/katrina/ or call 800 777 2800
to order a copy.
Note: If you can, invite someone from the church or com-
munity who has visited New Orleans since Katrina to be
present and speak briefly about conditions there in Part 1.
Begin with Prayer (see Appendix) 5 minutes
Part 1: Remembering Hurricane
Katrina 15 minutes
Take a few moments of silence and ask the group to close
their eyes and remember the images of Hurricane Katrina.
(Have on hand some pictures from that time, especially if
participants are young. Or use this opportunity to watch
Identifying environmental
injustice through Hurricane
Katrina
Session 2
the video clip on YouTube.)
Q What do you most remember about Hurricane
Katrina?
Q Who was affected? Who was most severely affected?
Pass out copies of resource “Through the Eye of the Hurri-
cane: Rebuilding Just Communities” from the National Coun-
cil of Churches Eco-Justice Programs. Invite someone to read
aloud the following section from page 2, last paragraph:
“Vulnerable Land And People: Connections: The
death, destruction, and environmental degradation
in New Orleans and throughout the Gulf of Mexico
region brought to light the need for a renewed cov-
enant of community. The wind and waters that bat-
tered the Gulf States stripped away our collective
blindness to the plight of the poor and marginalized
among us and awakened us anew to the challenges fac-
ing environmental racism. We were reminded of our
dependence on God’s Creation and recognized that
too often our lifestyle choices despoil the Earth and
expose communities to greater natural harm and envi-
ronmental threats.” (adapted from United Methodist
General Board of Church and Society statement)
Part 2: Creating a working
definition for environmental
INJUSTICE 30 minutes
Have someone read aloud the following section (page 2,
last paragraph) of “A Call to Protect Health and Community:
A Christian Response to the Health Effects of Environmental
Racism,” Naming the Sins: Health Effects of Environmen-
tal Racism:
“The term ‘environmental racism’ was coined in 1987,
when the United Church of Christ Commission on
Racial Justice issued “A Report on Race and Toxic Waste
in the United States,” in which they demonstrated that
the racial makeup of an area was a determining fac-
tor in choosing locations for toxic sites. Although the
term was new, the problem was old. The convergence
of the sins of racism and destruction of the environ-
ment had been occurring for years before the report in
many different forms.”
The Leader reads: “Since that time, despite or because
of debate about whether ethnicity, poverty, or population
density is the determining factor in facility sitting and other
environmental issues, what has emerged is a broader picture

12. 12
that understands environmental injustice as the inequitable
distribution of environmental hazards due to skin color,
ethnicity, economic status, and/or immigration status,
among other things. Environmental injustice is not only
fueled by overt discrimination, but by “white privilege” (or
white Anglo-Saxon Protestant privilege), special advantages
granted to white people, which can lead, for instance, to
being able to move away from industrial areas into the sub-
urbs. The environmental justice movement is concerned
with giving all people a voice in environmental decisions,
and looking not only at how to dispose waste, but also how
to reduce waste creation.
“Hear one definition of white privilege: ‘an invisible
package of unearned assets that [a white person] can count
on cashing in each day, but about which [that person] was
“meant” to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invis-
ible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, pass-
ports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks.’”
“White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming To See
Correspondences through Work in Women’s Studies” (1988), by Peggy McIntosh,
Independent School, Winter 1990.
Part A Environmental injustice and Hurricane
Katrina
Leader invites one person to be a scribe and then reads:
“Let’s explore some of the ways ethnicity, poverty, or privi-
lege combined with environmental issues to lead to envi-
ronmental injustice during and after Hurricane Katrina.”
On a large sheet of paper, ask the scribe to write down the
responses to these questions.
Leader asks:
Q What were the environmental problems that
contributed to or resulted from the devastation?
Q What health concerns resulted from the hurricane?
(contaminated soil, reduced medical capacity, mold)
(begin a new piece of paper)
Q How did environmental injustice manifest itself in
New Orleans? Who made the decisions?
Q Are there stories from the aftermath and clean-up
that reveal environmental racism or injustice?
(slow response, FEMA trailers with high levels of
formaldehyde, slow rebuilding in impoverished areas)
Part B Other examples of Environmental
Injustice (new sheet of paper)
Leader asks: “As we work to build a definition of environ-
mental injustice, can you think of other examples of times
or places where environmental injustice occurred?”
Continue to list examples on the large paper. To prompt
conversation, the group leader can augment the conversa-
tion with some examples from A Call to Protect Health and
Community: A Christian Response to the Health Effects of
Environmental Racism, pg 1 or excerpted below:
“The effect on our health of environmental racism
can be seen across the United States and its territories.
Urban toxic waste and industrial sites raise carcinogen
exposure rates for communities of color. Fifteen-mega-
ton hydrogen bomb testing in the Marshall Islands
have been related to pervasive cancer and generations
of birth defects. The location of low-income housing
in areas with poor air quality has led to increases in
childhood asthma. Pesticide exposure in fields sickens
migrant farm workers. Low-wage workers in unregu-
lated workplaces often are subject to toxic environ-
ments. Native Americans have been forced to move to
inhospi­table and contaminated rural lands. Then US
companies ship their toxic materials to other countries
with less strict environmental regulations for process-
ing. From the mountains to the prairies to the oceans,
we are sick­ening the land, polluting ourselves and our
neighbors.”
Part C Why does Environmental Injustice
occur? (new sheet of paper)
Leader asks: “As we work to build a definition of envi-
ronmental injustice, can you think of reasons why environ-
mental injustices occur?”
To prompt ideas, the group leader can also offer examples
from the text of A Call to Protect Health and Community:
A Christian Response to the Health Effects of Environmental
Racism, pg 2 or excerpted below:
“Environmental racism [injustice]” covers a broad range of
issues:
• Barriers to information and power that people of color
[poverty, etc.] face when toxic chemicals are introduced
into the environment in their communities.
• Biased location of toxic sites, manufacturing facili­ties,
landfills, oil refineries, and chemical facilities.
• Less competent cleanup and response from regula­tory
agencies.
• Disregard for the beliefs about Creation from multiple

13. 13
ethnic groups, such as those of Native Americans in the
United States.
• Lack of leadership opportunity within the environ­
mental justice movement for people of color [and the
poor].
• Lack of economic opportunities that lead to jobs in
environmentally dangerous and poorly regulated jobs
(migrant labor, sweat-shops, cleaning services)
Part 3: Bringing it Home 20 minutes
The leader can choose one or more of the following ways
to bring environmental injustice closer to home—showing
the link with American consumption habits, the link with
Massachusetts, and/or the Biblical link.
Option A American Consumption
Leader invites someone to read “Lifestyle Choices Con-
nection” on page 4 of “Through the Eye of a Hurricane:
Rebuilding Just Communities”
“Although Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were natural
disasters, the lifestyle choices that we have made as
a United States population compounded the storms’
devastation. An industrial area along the Mississippi
River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, nick-
named “Cancer Alley,” contains chemical plants that
sustained damage from the storms. The plants were
located along the Mississippi to facilitate shipping,
but have now resulted in Louisiana, one of the most
impoverished areas of the country, becoming the most
polluted. The area, which contains hundreds of haz-
ardous waste sites from mines, factories, and chemical
plants, houses the very industrial sites that produce
many of our consumer goods such as vinyl siding,
plastics, and oil.”
Q How did/does American consumerism contribute to
environmental injustice in the Gulf Coast area?
Option B Linking environmental racism and
our state
Leader invites someone to read the following from “A
Call to Protect Health and Community: A Christian Response
to the Health Effects of Environmental Racism,” p.2:
“But the health effects of environmental racism
are not limited to the Gulf; they are present here in
Massachusetts:
‘If you live in a community of color in Massachusetts,
chances are 39 times higher that you live in one of the
30 most environmentally hazardous communities in
the state than if you lived in a predominantly white
community.This unfair health burden is compounded
by barriers to healthcare and uneven responses from
regulatory agencies to communities of color that are
trying to make their communities healthy.’”
Q How have you witnessed or experienced
environmental racism or injustice in Massachusetts?
Option C Thinking about environmental
injustice and Scripture
For the link with Christian faith, choose one of the fol-
lowing Scripture passages and have it read by one or more
participants:
• Discuss how Jesus identifies with those who are
vulnerable and powerless and how this should shape
Christian relationships with “the least of these,” not only
after a Katrina-type disaster, but in daily life. Matthew
25:31-45, the sheep and the goats, or James 2:1-9, the
preference for the poor.
• The story is based on deep animosity between Jews
and Samaritans of the time. Each group claimed to be
the true descendents of Abraham and to hold to the
true faith; Jewish hearers of the story would not have
expected a Samaritan to have crossed the great divides
between groups to tend a hurt Jew. Discuss how Jesus
changed the definition of “neighbor” from qualities of
the recipient to qualities of the giver of love. How does
that change our relationships? If participants are familiar
with recovery work in the Gulf Coast, have them reflect
on who has given and received mercy in the efforts.
Luke 10:25-37, the Good Samaritan.
End with Prayer (see Appendix) 5 minutes
Pray for environmental justice.
For Further Study
See the Online Appendix for additional handouts and read-
ing suggestions.

14. 14
Goalto discover what the Scriptures say about our relation-
ships to God, others, and Creation, and how they inform
our decisions and actions on environmental justice issues.
Tools From the Online Appendix: “A Call to Protect
Health and Community: A Christian Response to the Health
Effects of Environmental Racism.” Make one copy for each
participant.
Items: Bibles, markers, pens, small sticky notes, ten large
(5½ x 8 or larger) sticky notes or pieces of paper.
Preparation Write out each of the ten “Guiding Norms
for Church and Society” from p. 6 and 7 on one of the large
sticky notes or papers in marker.
Begin with Prayer (see Appendix) 5 minutes
Part 1: Introduction 5 minutes
Leader Reads: The theological document from the Mas-
sachusetts Council of Churches, “A Call to Protect Health
and Community: A Christian Response to the Health Effects
of Environmental Racism,” states: “In Deuteronomy, God
declares, ‘I call heaven and Earth to witness against you today
that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.
Choose life so that you and your descendants may live.’ (Deut
30:19). As people of faith, we are compelled to choose the
ways of life, both for ourselves and out descendants.”
“In our session today, we’ll look at various passages of
Scriptures to come to a better understanding of the dynamic
relationship between God and humans as we consider the Cre-
ation, health, and justice for all, especially the marginalized.”
Part 2: Small Group Bible Study
35 minutes
For the Bible study, break up into small groups of two to
Session 3
The Biblical witness on
Creation and community
four people. Assign each group one of the topic headings
(Creation, Sabbath, Justice, etc.) and allow each group to
choose one of the Scripture passages to study. Feel free to
add or use other passages of Scripture as appropriate.
Creation—Genesis 1-:26-2:4 or Genesis 2:4b-17
God’s relationship to Creation
Genesis 3 Humans fall, God responds
Mark 4:35-41 Jesus stilling the storm
Sabbath—Exodus 20:8-11 God’s relationship to Creation
Leviticus 25:1-7, 18-22 Humans’ relationship
to the earth
Justice—Psalm 103, Psalm 107, Psalm 46, Psalm 43
Matthew 23:1-14, 23-25 The greatest is the
servant of others
Luke 1:46-55 The Magnificat
Luke 4:14-22 Spirit of the Lord on Jesus
Luke 6:20-31 Sermon on the Plain
Mark 10: 3-16 Children and Jesus
James 2: 1-9 Treatment of the poor
Healing and Redemption—Isaiah 65:17-25 New heavens
and a new Earth
Matthew 8:1-17 Jesus heals a leper
Matthew 9:9-13 Calling of Matthew
Romans 8:18-27 Waiting for the redemption of
our bodies
Stewardship—Mark 6:30-44 Feeding of the Five Thousand
Matthew 25:14-30 The Talents
Matthew 25:31-46 Sheep and Goats
I Corinthians 6:12-20 Our bodies as Temples
I Corinthians 12:12-27 The Church as the
body of Christ
Bible Study Method
• Invite someone in the group to read the Scripture aloud
slowly.
• Let the small group silently meditate on the text for a
minute.
• Allow the group to respond to the question: How
does the text speak to the relationships between God,
Creation, and humans?
• Have another person read the Scripture for a second
time.
• Let the small group silently meditate on the text for a
minute.
• Respond to the question: What is a modern example of
what is being taught in this text?
• Read the Scripture for a final time.
• Let the small group silently meditate on the text for a
minute.

15. 15
• Respond to the questions: What are the characteristics
of Christian faith illustrated by your Bible passage?
What characteristics or traits (for example: gentleness
or perseverance) are we being invited to adopt in our
relationships with God, others, and/or Creation?
• Have each small group write the characteristics down on
the small sticky notes, one trait per note.
Part 3: Reconvening and
reflection on “Guiding Norms
for Church and Society” 15 minutes
Invite the groups to reconvene as one large group. Have
each small group briefly report on its passage and the
group’s discussion.
Give participants “A Call to Protect Health and Com-
munity.” Go around the room, with each person reading a
paragraph from the section on “Guiding Norms for Church
and Society” from pp. 6-7 (through “Equality”). Make sure
everyone understands the concepts. Place the large (sticky)
notes with the ten guiding norms around the tables or on
the walls of the room, and invite participants to assign the
traits from their Bible passages (small sticky notes) to the
guiding norm which seems closest. If a trait does not seem
to fit with one of the norms, put it in a new category. When
all are done, invite discussion. Are there guiding norms that
the Scripture didn’t seem to address? Did you come up with
other norms? Do you agree with these guides for decision-
making?
End Session with Prayer (see Appendix) 5 minutes
Pray for good stewardship of Creation.
For Further Study
See Online Appendix for additional handouts and reading
suggestions.
Session 4
Applying our faith to
Environmental Health
and Justice
Goal to see how Christian faith can be applied to finding
a way to dispose of toxic products in the community, while
taking into account practical issues and priorities.
Tools From the Online Appendix: “A Call to Protect Health
and Community: A Christian Response to the Health Effects
of Environmental Racism, from the Massachusetts Council of
Churches; “List of Characters for Role Play;” “Map of your
Community.” Make one copy for each participant.
Items: paper, pens
PreparationRetrieve a map of your town at http://maps.
massgis.state.ma.us/EJ/viewer.htm. On the left side of the
screen, scroll down and click on your town. In the bottom
left corner, click on the printer icon to create a printable
map, (if your internet server has a pop-up blocker, hold
down the ‘Ctrl’ key when you click on the button “create
print page”). Make enough photocopies for the group.
Begin with Prayer (see Appendix ) 5 minutes
Part 1: Cooperative Activity
30 minutes
Leader Reads: “In this lesson, we will consider how our
faith impacts our decisions about our environment.
“Do you think about where your waste goes? When you
‘throw something away,’ where is ‘away?’ Where does it go?
If we are to take toxic products out of our homes, schools,
work places, factories, and stores, where do they end up?
Who gets to decide? In this simulation, we are going to
work together (in groups not larger than 5 people) to find a
waste dump site in the community.”
Divide the group up, and assign each participant a char-
acter from “List of Characters for Role Play” and hand out
copies of a map of your town.
Leader reads: “Let me set the stage for you. You each
have a role to play. Assume that people are trying to rid
their homes and workplaces of toxic products, and previous
landfills are now closed to your community’s toxic product

16. 16
waste. Where will it go? Your task is to find a new site for
a waste dump in your community. Each of you has been
given a role and priorities for the site; you may choose your
age or ethnicity as you wish. As you begin negotiations, each
person should start by making a case for a site according to
his or her own priorities, but your task is to work together
to come to agreement. Use your maps to make your case for
the best location. You are to assume that everyone lives in
the community, and that you will be responsible for your
population’s share of toxic products that have been used
while serving medical, agricultural, and workplace needs,
even if these hospitals, farms, and industries are not located
in your community.
“Consider how your faith might inform or change your
perspective. How will you appeal to those of other faiths or
no religious beliefs?
“You may consider actions to reduce the creation or
disposal of waste, and are encouraged to consider creative
solutions that will benefit all (including job creation).
“Pay attention to how you are making decisions: whose
voice carries most weight in the town? What principles seem
to guide your decision most? How do you engage your faith
around this issue? What kind of power do you have?
“Before you begin to locate this waste site, consider this
definition of environmental justice:
“‘A condition of environmental justice exists when envi-
ronmental risks and hazards and investments and benefits
are equally distributed without direct or indirect discrimi-
nation at all jurisdictional levels and when access to envi-
ronmental investments, benefits, and natural resources are
equally distributed; and when access to information, par-
ticipation in decision making, and access to justice in envi-
ronment-related matters are enjoyed by all.’” Participants of
Central and Eastern European Workshop on Environmental
Justice, (Budapest, December 2003) taken from “Through the
Eye of the Storm,” p.4
“You will have about 25 minutes to do this exercise. Start
by allowing each person 1-2 minutes to make his or her case
about what kinds of waste should be accepted and where to
locate the site in your town.”
Part 2: Reflection on the role
play 10-20 minutes
Reflect as one group on the experience. Use as questions:
Q Did you come to a decision as a group? What could
you agree on? What were your guiding principles?
Q What was surprising? Difficult?
Q What priorities seemed most to conflict with each
other?
Q How did your faith inform your conversation?
Q What other information or points of view did you
need?
Q Any other insights?
Part 3: Reflection on the
Church’s role 20-30 minutes
Go around the room and have each person read the section
of “A Call to Protect Health and Community” entitled “Mak-
ing the connection between Christian Faith and Environ-
mental Racism,” beginning on page 5.
Leader says: “Let’s consider what power faith communi-
ties have and what role they can take in promoting environ-
mental justice.”
Ask for a volunteer scribe, and attach a large piece of paper
to the wall. Record the answers to the following question.
Leader asks: “What kind of power do Christians have
access to? What kinds of power do churches have, when
addressing community needs?” Have the group list their
suggestions. Suggested responses:
• Power of God to bring change, healing, new life
• Power of a community who believes in resurrection,
hope, reconciliation
• Prayer—prayer teams, prayer resources, etc. Prayer grounds,
enlightens, guides, connects Christians to God, others.
• Ritual and liturgy—these strengthen community, give
meaning to joyful and sorrowful occasions, connect
people to God. Weekly worship and sacraments are
especially important rituals.
• Preaching and prophetic witness—calling people to
changed behaviors, relationships
• Christian education, education in the community
• Member resources—education, finances, connections to
others
• Connections to other churches; judicatory or church/
denomination resources at a district, state, national level
• Connections to secular local, state, and national
organizations; members involved in these
• Outreach avenues
• Public policy advocacy
End Session with Prayer (see Appendix ) 5 minutes
Pray for the church and its power.
For Further Study:
See Online Appendix for additional handouts and reading
suggestions.

17. 17
Session 5
Healthy kids: Protecting the most
vulnerable in our homes
Goals to talk about why protecting all children’s health
is of particular concern to Christians, to educate ourselves
about toxic exposure and children, and to consider how we
can keep our homes safe for all.
Tools: From the Online Appendix: “Our Most Precious,
Most at Risk” from the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow; cop-
ies of “Mindful Living Human Health, Pollution, and Toxics,”
from the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program.
Make one copy for each participant. By now using both sides of
each sheet of paper should be natural to you.
Items: Large sheets of paper, small sheets of paper, pens
or pencils, assorted children’s toys (some from the church’s
Sunday school space, if available), plastic bottles, children’s
sleepwear, children’s backpacks or lunchboxes, and/or per-
sonal care products that children might use (shampoo,
lotion, toothpaste).
Preparation Use a piece of tape to label each toy and
personal care product with a number.
Video Option: Use the first 7.5 minutes of the “Contami-
nated without Consent” video in Part 2 instead of read-
ing “Our Most Precious, Most at Risk.” The video can be
viewed online at: www.contaminatedwithoutconsent.org
or contact the MCC for a DVD.
Begin with Prayer (Appendix) 5 minutes
Part 1: Christians and care for
children’s health 5 minutes
Leader reads: “The Biblical visions of a redeemed and
restored Creation often make special note of the security
and well-being of children. Isaiah foresees a time when even
the most vulnerable children, nursing babes and toddlers,
play safely in the presence of the asp and the adder (Isaiah
11:8.) People will no longer labor in vain or bear children
for calamity, but they and their descendants yet to come
shall be blessed by the Lord (Isaiah 65:23.) Zechariah has
a vision of a restored Jerusalem where old men and women
sit on their porches and the city is full of boys and girls
playing safely in the streets (Zechariah 8:5.)…
“Children are among God’s most precious—and most
vulnerable—gifts. They are the hope of the future, but
theirs is a future threatened by environmental pollution.
People of faith are called to work together to help safeguard
children’s health and their future. We can work together to
help make Zechariah's dream a reality, where children play
safely in their homes and schools, on their playgrounds,
and even in our city streets.” From the National Council of
Churches Eco-Justice Program, for Earth Day 2002 “Caring
for God’s Creation: Making the World Safe for Children.”
Part 2: Why are children so
vulnerable to toxic chemicals?
15 minutes
Hand out the article from the Alliance for a Healthy Tomor-
row, “Our Most Precious, Most at Risk” and have partici-
pants take turns reading out loud the introduction and
“We’re Uniquely Vulnerable in Early Life.”
Have the group summarize, and one participant take notes
on the large paper, the reasons why young children may suf-
fer more from toxic chemical exposure than older persons.
Leader reads: “As the article states, children are more
affected by toxic chemicals and may be more exposed.
Why is the health of children more sensitive to toxins
than adults?”
Answers might include: Organs are still developing,
chemicals may disrupt normal development; immature
bodies can’t repair toxin damage; early exposure may result
in disease many years later; children have smaller bodies
and smaller doses may affect children more than adults.
Leader reads: “How and in what situations might chil-
dren be more exposed to toxins than adults?”
Answers might include: Children have more years left to
be exposed; exposure may start before or soon after birth;
children might have eating habits or other behaviors that
cause greater exposure (eating one kind of food, sleeping
more, eating lead-contaminated paint chips)
Leader reads: “We are called to protect the most vul-
nerable in our communities, including our children. This
starts in our homes; as parents, grandparents, aunts and
uncles, and friends of children, we are conscious of mak-
ing our homes child-proof. In addition to covering electri-
cal outlets, keeping dangerous tools locked up, and putting
medicines where they can’t be reached, we need to toxic-
proof our homes. The next exercise will teach us how to
do that.”

18. 18
Part 3: Sorting out the Good
from the Toxic 25 minutes
Place the children’s toys and household items on the table.
Give each person a sheet of paper and a pen or pencil. Allow
the group to briefly look over the articles.
When they have finished, pass out copies of the “Mind-
ful Living” resource, and have them all turn to pages 6 and
7. Invite a different person to read each paragraph; include
paragraphs on Bisphenol-A, Lead, PFCs, Phthalates, and
PBDEs (and formaldehyde if you have wood products or
time permits). When you read about lead, be sure to add
that some children’s toys and jewelry have been found to
contain lead, which is often added to metals or to polyvi-
nyl chloride (PVC) plastic (see www.healthytoys.org/about.
findings.php). You might want to mention that some cos-
metics have been shown to contain lead or mercury as well
(see www.safecosmetics.org ).
After the sections have been read, have participants num-
ber their papers according to the numbers on the household
items. As they again look over the items, have them write
down whether they judge each article to be “toxic” or “non-
toxic.” Encourage the group to work fairly quickly.
When all are finished, compare answers. Encourage a
discussion using such questions as:
Q Who thinks that item #1 (2, 3, etc.) is toxic? Non-
toxic? Why? What toxic chemicals may it contain?
How do you know?
(Things to consider: Soft plastics often contain
phthalates (pronounced “thal-ates”) and may contain
lead. Personal care products that contain “fragrance”
usually contain phthalates. Children’s bedclothes,
especially those made of synthetics, are treated with
flame retardants. Hard plastic baby bottles, water
bottles, and sippy cups may contain Bisphenol-A.)
Q How confident are you about your answers? Why?
If your group has immediate access to the world
wide web, you could check several of the toys at
www.healthytoys.org and compare their results to
participants’ assessments.
Leader reads: “The truth is, it is often impossible to deter-
mine which everyday items are toxic and which are safer.
Plastic toys don't come with labels fully disclosing the
materials used, the chemicals workers were exposed to in
the manufacturing, or the toxic ‘off-gassing’ that will occur
after the toy is in your home. We should not need a degree
in toxicology to purchase a toy for a child. The fact that it
is so hard to tell the toxic items from the safer ones should
alert us to the depth of this problem. Listen to this descrip-
tion of the problem from the Alliance for a Healthy Tomor-
row: ‘Wrinkle-free clothes, stain-resistant carpet, life-saving
medical devices, bountiful plastic toys—there’s no doubt
synthetic chemicals have brought a wealth of convenience,
comfort and fun to our lives. But what about the hidden
impacts? With no government agency watching the store,
these modern comforts and conveniences have come at a
high price to our health. Governments around the world
recognize the dangers of these products, and many other
countries have taken decisive action to protect their con-
sumers. Regulations in the U.S., however, are either lax or
non-existent.’ That leads us to ask, as consumers and as
Christians, what can we do?” “No One Minding the Store,”
The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow.
Part 4: Christians as
Consumers—How to Make our
Homes Safe for Children 15 minutes
Direct the class to turn to page 11 in “Mindful Living” and
read the “Fourteen Personal Actions” out loud or silently.
Leader asks:
Q What do you need in order to make healthy choices
as a consumer? (List on a large piece of paper.) These
might include:
• Accurate information about products
• Healthy, accessible, affordable alternatives to products
containing toxic chemicals
• Social support to change lifestyle. (What products can
we do without? Who do we need support from?)
• Prayer and discernment
• Time and energy to invest in change
Q How can this church support its members in changing
products at home? How can the church encourage
gradual but sustained change (to keep people from
feeling overwhelmed?)
Q How can churches aid those with fewer resources and/
or higher risks to change consumption habits?
Q Should personal consumption habits be the focus of
our efforts as Christians? Why or why not?
Q What will happen to the toxic materials we discard in
an effort to clean up our homes?
End Session with Prayer (Appendix) 5 Minutes
Pray for the children of the church and community.
For Further Study
See Online Appendix for additional handouts and reading
suggestions.

19. 19
Healthy churches: Making
our churches safer
Session 6
Goal to monitor our own churches for cleaning products
and plastics that could impact our health and that of others
who work, meet, and worship in our church.
Tools From the Online Appendix: “Smart Plastics Guide,”
“Cleaning to Protect Your Health” fact sheet; “A Healthy
Environment Starts at Home: A Guide to reducing our use of
household hazardous products, (hard copies of this resource
can be requested from the Massachusetts Water Resource
Authority at (617) 242-6000). Make one copy for each
participant.
Items: paper and pens
Begin with Prayer (see Appendix): 5 minutes
Part 1: Toxic Products
Scavenger Hunt 35 minutes
Break the group up into two teams: the Cleaning Chemicals
team and the Plastics team. Each team has 30 minutes to
scour the church and write down all the things they find.
Give the Cleaning Chemicals Team the “Cleaning to Pro-
tect your Health” fact sheet.This team is looking for all clean-
ing products. Write down the name of the product, where
you found it, and the names of potentially toxic chemicals
in the products. Remember to check under sinks, in the
janitor/sexton’s closet, or in the church basement or attic.
Give the PlasticsTeam the Smart Plastics Guide.The Plas-
tics Team is looking for things made of plastic, especially
soft plastics like vinyl. They should be sure to check rooms
used for children’s programs. Write down what rooms your
find these items in, and the full name of the object or prod-
uct. If you can find it on the item, write down the number
on the recycling symbol.
After 30 minutes, have teams return to report on what
they found.
Part 2: Alternates to Toxics
Discussion 15 minutes
Invite both teams to reflect on what they just found. Ask:
Q Did you find anything you could identify as toxic?
Q Did you find anything that was a ‘safer’ option?
Q Was there anything that you couldn’t identify as toxic
or safer?
Q Who would these products most affect?
Q How could the church reduce or eliminate exposure?
Ask the Cleaning Chemicals Team:
Q Do you know the person or persons who use cleaning
products in this church?
Q Have you ever felt dizzy or nauseous from using
cleaning chemicals?
Q What might be done in this church to lessen the
chemical exposure here?
Ask the Plastics Team:
Q What plastic or vinyl products were found and where ?
Q Where they all numbered? Did you find more toxic or
non-toxic plastics?
Q Was it easy or difficult to tell which items were toxic?
Q What effect might they have on children? Who else
might be affected?
Q How could the church reduce children’s or adults’
exposure to these toxins?
Pass out copies of “A Healthy Environment Starts at Home:
A guide to reducing our use of household hazardous prod-
ucts” from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
to everyone, the Smart Plastics Guide, and the “Cleaning to
Protect Your Health” fact sheet to those who have not yet
received it.
Part 3: Developing a Church
Policy on Toxics 20 minutes
Leader reads: “Let’s think about how our church could
develop a policy around the use and storage of toxic materi-
als. Many churches and church judicatories have adopted
a “Safe Church Policy” to ensure that children and vulner-
able persons are safe from abuse. Consider the ancient idea
of church as sanctuary—that the church building and the
church community are safe places that protect and nurture
people both physically and spiritually. A toxics policy can
help promote a safe environment for all who work, meet, or
worship in the church building and can model a toxic-free
sanctuary to the rest of the community.”

20. 20
“A policy is not necessarily a complex legal document,
but is meant to guide behaviors of staff, board members,
and parishioners in the church, to help in decision-making,
and to give continuity of actions as people and staff change.
It should be based on Christian understandings of the issue,
and reflect the mission and values of the parish and denom-
ination, if appropriate.”
Invite a large group to break up into smaller groups of
between three and eight people. Each group can either
answer one question or all four, depending on the time
allotted. Allow each group to answer the questions, and
take notes.
Q Who would draft a toxic policy for the church? Who
should be included in the discussion? Who will make
the final decision about the policy?
Q What will form the theological and ethical basis for
the policy? What principles will guide decisions when
priorities compete (economic realities, priorities of
different groups within or using the church, etc.)?
What faith resources will be used when undertaking
the policy (prayer, Bible study, preaching, etc.)?
Q What issues or potential toxics should be covered
in the policy? (cleaning products, plastics, carpets,
furniture, computers, building and repair supplies,
pesticides, machine fuels, etc.)
Q What is the projected timeline for the policy? How
soon could it get written? Implemented? How could
the new policy be publicized and celebrate?
Invite the small groups to reconvene and share their rec-
ommendations with the large group. If there is interest in
pursuing the policy, have one or several people agree to take
responsibility for bringing the idea to the governing board
of the church.
End Session with Prayer (Appendix) (5 Minutes)
Pray for the Church.
For Further Study
See Online Appendix for additional handouts and reading
suggestions.
Session 7
Healthy communities:
Mapping our communities
and responding
Goals To assess our own community’s health and that of
other communities. To the see the correlation between a com-
munity’s economic level, ethnic makeup, and toxicity. To situ-
ate our community in the context of the rest of the state. To
consider actions to reduce toxic substances in the community.
Tools From the Online Appendix: two copies of a map of
Massachusetts for each participant, “Table 6D: Most Environ-
mentally Overburdened;” “Table 6E: Environmental Rankings
of Low-Income Communities in Massachusetts;” “Table 6F:
Environmental Ranking of Communities of Color in Massa-
chusetts;” “Environmental Health rankings of all MA towns;”
“A Call to Protect Health and Community,” the Massachusetts
Council of Churches”; A map of your town. Make one copy
for each participant, using both sides of each page.
Items: Colored pencils or markers.
Preparation if you have participants with diminished
eyesight, you may want to enlarge the map of Massachusetts
to 8.5 x 17, or 11 x 17.
Begin with Prayer (see Appendix) 5 minutes
Part 1: Mapping Environmental
Hazards and Communities Most
at Risk 30 minutes
Mapping Environmental Hazards
Give each person a map of Massachusetts and a marker. The
leader calls out each of the twenty most environmentally
overburdened populations from the “Table 6D, Most Envi-
ronmentally Overburdened Communities.”
Mapping Low Income Communities and
Communities of Color
Hand out new maps of Massachusetts. The leader calls

21. 21
out the first twenty communities with the lowest income
from “Table 6E: Environmental Rankings of Low-Income
Communities in Massachusetts.” Have participants color in
each of those communities. Next, instruct participants to
switch colors, and call out the twenty communities with
the highest minority population, “Table 6F: Environmen-
tal Rankings of Communities of Color in Massachusetts.” Ask
participants to make a key on their map, labelling which
color indicates low-income and which color indicates a high
minority population.
The leader asks the group to look at the two maps that
have been colored, one with the most environmentally
overburdened populations, and one with the poorest com-
munities and the largest communities of color.
Leader Ask:
Q What similarities and differences do you see between
the two?
Q What did you expect? What surprised you?
Pass out copies of “A Call to Protect Health and Commu-
nity from the Massachusetts Council of Churches.” We will
be looking at the section beginning on the right hand side
of page 1. Invite one person to read the following and for
others to follow along:
“While all people are vulnerable to an increasing num-
ber of toxins, certain groups of people are being sub-
jected to greater exposure than others. Children and
even fetuses in their mothers’ wombs are particularly
vulnerable to toxic substances as their organs form
and develop. From an early age and often from limited
exposure, many toxins are building up in children’s
developingbodieswiththepotentialforunprecedented
impact. For many poor neighborhoods and communi-
ties of color, high levels of toxicity are unavoidable in
neighborhoods near bus depots constantly blowing
exhaust, apartments with lead paint, and incinerators
sending particles of burnt plastic into the air. In Mas-
sachusetts, this means that communities with a median
household income of less than $30,000 average 19.2
hazardous waste sites per square mile while commu-
nities where the median household income is over
$50,000 average 4.6 hazardous waste sites per square
mile; similarly, communities where the population is
25% or more people of color average 297 hazardous
sites per town, in contrast to the average 39 hazardous
sites per town of communities where less than 5% of
the population is made up of people of color. It would
be good to point out that even when you justify for
income, communities of color are disproportionately
exposed. Thus children, poor communities and com-
munities of color bear the initial brunt of toxic expo-
sure that endangers all people.” from A Call to Protect
Health and Community: A Christian Response to the
Health Effects of Environmental Racism, Massachusetts
Council of Churches Strategy and Action Commission.
Leader Asks: What do you think are some of the fac-
tors that lead to the uneven distribution of environmental
hazards?
Our Town Invite participants to return to their maps of
the most overburdened communities. Locating your town:
Invite participants to color in their town on the map if they
haven’t already. Hand out “Environmental Health Ranking
of All MA Towns.” your community on the list.
Leader asks:
Q How does your community rank? Is this surprising to
you?
Q Look for the other cities and towns around you. How
do they rank? Why do you think your town ranks
here?
Part 2: What then can we do?
Action in our community 30 minutes
Pass out a map of your town. Have people work in groups
of three to five people. The task is to think about toxics in
the community, who is most affected, and how the faith
community can address these concerns.
Leader asks:
Q What places in the community are most likely to be
exposed to air, water, or soil contamination? Who is
most likely to be affected?
Q In which businesses, schools, industries, and services
are people most likely to be exposed to toxic chemicals
(especially indoor pollution)? What kinds? Which
populations are most vulnerable to the effects?
Q If your community is relatively pollution-free and/
or has few industries or institutions, consider the
community where most of your population works,
shops, or receives services, and answer the above
questions.
Q What can your church do to serve and empower those
most at risk in your community? Identify 1-2 ideas.
Share the ideas with the group as a whole. Ask people to
continue to consider and pray about these ideas.
Ideas for Community Action
• Listening/witnessing/storytelling—allow those affected
by toxic contamination and/or environmental injustice to

22. 22
tell their stories and make connections to the faith story
• Prayer—stay connected to the source of healing and
empowerment and keep the community, groups, and
persons affected lifted up through prayer
• Education—bring the issue to the attention of others
neighborhood groups, businesses, schools, other
churches, community leaders, etc.
• Organizing—bring together people who want to work
together to reduce production, use, or exposures of
toxics
• Support—supply information, money, training,
emotional, institutional support to persons and groups
addressing the issue
• Building relationships—link with a church with
a different environmental experience for mutual
education, support, and prayer
• Institutional policy work—help institutions or
government groups develop toxic use policies
End Session with Prayer (Appendix) 5 Minutes
Pray for your community.
For Further Study
See Online Appendix for additional handouts and reading
suggestions.
Session 8
Safer for all: Legislative advocacy
for a healthier Massachusetts
Part 1: Past involvement with
the political process 15 minutes
In small groups, have participants each respond to the fol-
lowing questions by writing brief answers on a piece of
paper. Allow time for small group discussion:
Q In what ways have you been politically involved?
Have you ever voted? Written a letter to the editor?
Sent a letter to a legislator? Called an elected official?
Organized others? Protested?
Q What has motivated you to get involved in an issue?
Q What kinds of barriers prevent you from getting
involved in an issue or acting on it as a citizen? as a
Christian?
Part 2: Christian political
responsibility 25 minutes
Hand out copies of “Christian Political Responsibility” from
the Massachusetts Council of Churches. Have someone read
the introduction and the first four bullet points on page 1 of
Christian Political Responsibility out loud in each small group.
Invite the groups to respond to the following. Leader Ask:
Q Do you agree with this understanding of Christian
political responsibility? What parts of this statement
resonate with you? Why? What informs your
understanding?
Q What would you add or change?
Hand out the Guidelines for Congregation and Clergy on
Political Action from the United Church of Christ. Invite
groups to discuss:
Q What are churches allowed to do politically? Not
allowed to do?
Q What are individuals representing churches allowed to
Goals to discuss why Christians should get involved in
public policy and to increase the church’s capacity to do
so. To encourage legislators to vote in favor safer chemical
legislation.
Tools From the Online Appendix: “Christian Political Respon-
sibility,1996APolicyStatement”fromtheMassachusettsCouncil
of Churches; “Legislation Proposes Safer Alternatives for Toxic
Chemicals” from the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow; legis-
lators by town; list of legislative co-sponsors; “Guidelines for
Congregation and Clergy on Political Action” from the United
Church of Christ; “A Call to Protect Health and Community:
A Christian Response to the Health Effects of Environmental
Racism” from the Massachusetts Council of Churches. Make
one copy for each participant.
Items: pens, paper, stamps, and envelopes.
Begin with Prayer (see Appendix ) 5 minutes

23. 23
do? Not allowed to do?
Q What are all citizens allowed to do, regardless of faith
orientation?
Part 3: Christian political
responsibility and a healthier
Massachusetts 20-30 minutes
Leader invite someone else to read from “A Call to Protect
Health and Community: A Christian Response to the Health
Effects of Environmental Racism,” page 11 first full para-
graph in the second column:
While we all want to protect the health of ourselves,
our children and our community, for many reasons,
some communities are less able to than others. A
family may not have access to the information about
which plastic children’s toys contain phthalates, chem-
icals linked to memory damage and prostate cancer. A
recent immigrant may not have the choice between
protecting her health and keeping her job cleaning a
church with toxic cleaning products, even though her
job affords her family some health care coverage. A
father may not be able to afford moving to a neigh-
borhood with less traffic and pollution, even though
his son’s asthma seems to be getting worse. All people
in our Commonwealth have the right to a healthy
environment and neighborhood. from A Call to Pro-
tect Health and Community: A Christian Response to
the Health Effects of Environmental Racism, Strategy
and Action Commission of the Massachusetts Council of
Churches, 2006.
Leader reads: Legislation is one of the ways that all people in
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts can have equal access
to a healthier environment. From the lesson on Healthy
Churches, we learned that it is hard to identify all of the
toxins around us. As consumers, we know that we can’t
simply buy our way out of the problem. From the lesson
on Healthy Communities, we saw that some communities
are more affected than others by environmental pollution.
Enacting legislation to make us safer is a way to ensure that
all, and not just some, residents of the Commonwealth are
able to live in healthy homes, work in healthy buildings and
send their children to healthy schools.”
Pass out copies of “Legislation Proposes Safer Alternatives
for Toxic Chemicals” (or other current legislative efforts
around toxic chemicals—check the Online Appendix).
Give participants a few minutes to read over the handout.
Discuss the legislation together.
Leader ask:
Q Are there things that you are excited about? Confused by?
Q Look at the list of legislative co-sponsors--does your
representative support this legislation?
Q After these sessions on Christian responsibility and
environmental justice, how as a Christian would you
explain your support for the principles around this
legislation?
If participants feel supportive about the legislation,
take time to have them draft letters to their legisla-
tors, and address envelopes. If participants do not know
who their State senator and State House members are,
invite participants to go online after the session and visit
www.wheredoivotema.com.
Invite discussion about other ways participants could
support the legislation or influence legislators on the bill.
These could include:
• Speaking with legislators or their aides on the phone or
in person, especially in the district
• Writing e-mails, postcards, or letters
• Writing a letter to the editor of the local paper
• Getting others involved in writing, talking, emailing to
legislators or making a peaceful protest
• Praying for legislators
• Acting as a moral voice on the issue
• If you know that your political representative is a person
of faith, appeal to their beliefs
Next Steps
The leader can invite participants to join the network of
the Massachusetts Council of Churches either by collecting
names and email addresses and sending them on to coun-
cil@masscouncilofchurches.org or by encouraging individ-
uals to sign on to the network at the same address. Network
members will receive action alerts about pending environ-
mental health legislation in Massachusetts. The National
Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs (creators of the
“Mindful Living” and “Though the Eye of the Hurricane”
study guides) has a national network for legislative action
alerts and additional congregational resources. To sign up,
visit www.nccecojustice.org.
End Session with Prayer (see Appendix) 5 Minutes
Pray for elected leaders and those in positions of power.
For Further Study
See Online Appendix for additional handouts and reading
suggestions.

24. Healthy Kids, Healthy Churches, Healthy Communities:
An Adult Christian Education Curriculum for Churches in Massachusetts
Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable,
always excelling in the work of the Lord,
because you know that in the Lord
your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Massachusetts Council of Churches
14 Beacon Street, Suite 416
Boston, MA 02139
617-523-2771
www.masscouncilofchurches.org
council@masscouncilofchurches.org