Growing a Green Church

Through its Growing a Green Church initiative, the York Center Church of the Brethren is working to promote environmentally friendly actions in our church and homes that demonstrate our commitment to care for Creation.

It is our further aim to engage other area residents and faith communities in exchanges to identify opportunities to conserve land, energy, water, and clean air in our neighborhoods, and to undo practices contributing to climate change.

This page is intended to serve as an open forum for sharing of ideas, goals, and successes or roadblocks in pursuing those goals.

Updated 3/9/2008

Partners

Faith in Place partners with a diversity of religious congregations to promote clean energy & sustainable farming.

New Community Project promotes peace through justice, care for creation, and experiential learning.

Friends Committee on National Legislation promotes long-term protection of the environment and elimination of a critical cause of violent conflict by reducing oil consumption and accelerating development and use of renewable energy sources.

York Center Energy Assessment

The Energy Assessment was developed during the Workshop on Environmentally Sustainable Living held at the York Center Church of the Brethren on April 18-19, 2008. The workshop was led by Tom Benevento of the New Community Project.
The assessment includes suggestions for church related transportation, food, heating, electricity, and outdoors land use.

York Center CoB has committed to reducing CO2 emissions from its activities by 80% by 2050.

Baseline of gas and electrical use in the York Center Church (2005-06) and related CO2 release.

MPG Challenge: A chart of autmobile miles per gallon achieved by a York CenterCoB member.

Online References

Of the many ways to care for creation and save energy, the Big 5 Ideas for Sewardship are some of the most important changes we can make that will have the biggest impact.

50 simple tips from a year of living the green life (Article from Chicago Tribune, Jan. 15, 2008).

Eating close to home One family's experience with restricting its menu to local, seasonal food. (Article from Chicago Tribune, March 9, 2008).

12 eco-tips Some simple conservation tips for use at home. (Article from Chicago Tribune, April 6, 2008)

YCCoB Green Corner

A compost bin has been placed near the northeast corner of the church building. Your vegetable and fruit scraps are needed to help our compost bin grow.

Remember to recycle your ink cartridges. We have free shipping envelopes available on the bulletin board outside the church offices. The company we use will recycle any cartridges they receive that aren't useable — not many companies do this.

If you don't receive your church newsletter via email, please consider doing so. It saves on paper, ink, and eneergy.

What Others are Saying/Doing

Send your stories, comments, reference material to ChurchesGoingGreen