EarthCare Resource Packet
Presbytery of Santa Fe
February 2023
An urgent call to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Loving God requires that we love and care for the creation God has made.
Loving our neighbor requires that we love and care for all our neighbors (two-legged, four-legged, winged, gilled, and pollinators), especially those who suffer most from climate change.
INTRODUCTION:
To the Members and Friends of the Presbytery of Santa Fe:
We, the members of the Presbytery's EarthCare Team, began meeting in 2019 by Zoom. We have met nearly monthly during the pandemic and only recently (September 2022) met for a retreat in person. Over the course of this time, we have shared ideas about climate change and what we as people of faith can do to help--to help lower carbon emissions, to help adapt to changing realities (such as severe weather incidents, fires, drought, and many others), and to be hopeful that every good act of an individual or a community/congregation is worthwhile.
Today, we THANK YOU, and thank Moderator Harry Eberts, for focusing the first Presbytery meeting of 2023 on this critically important topic. In many ways it is more important to the future generations of grandchildren and great grandchildren than to those of us who are in the late fall, early winter of our lives. And, as in the Johnny Appleseed story we learned in elementary school, we do what we can without seeing some "direct" benefit. It is those who follow us who will benefit most.
This EarthCare Resource offers information about the ever-evolving story of a changing climate. It is not intended to be an encyclopedia about climate change and EarthCare. Rather, it highlights some of the best resources we know, those we believe can be helpful to you and your congregation as we seek to fulfill our calling to be faithful stewards of God’s creation.
We offer these ideas in humility and hope:
The resource includes information about:
Assessing the current state of climate change in New Mexico and the Southwest;
Educating via resources (print and video) that tell pieces of the story, about hard realities but also about realistic hope;
Connecting groups of climate change actors in the church, in the nation, in our state-- not all of them, but the ones we are comfortable suggesting. Many of these will also provide help as you build connections locally--e.g. hosting an Earth Day event at your church.
Advocating through the legislative process, knowing what stands before our governing bodies, where to find information, and how to invite our elected leaders to do the best for our space-traveling home.
Action involving first-step actions you and your congregation can take to further your journey in caring for the Earth and addressing Climate Change.
Other Resources include scripture and worship suggestions, significant quotes about climate change, and six recommended children’s books.
Again, thank you for your willingness to focus this part of the church on the central challenge of our time, on this particular day.
Andrew Black, Leland Bowen, Bonnie Crispin, Fred Dennis, Dewey Johnson, Marlin Johnson, Tom Lee, Jim Roghair, Consuelo Walker, Dave Wasserman, San Williams
pdf Click here for the full Earthcare Resource Packet (PDF) (1.41 MB)
CONTENTS:
1.
pdf
Jump-starting Climate Change in Your Church
(704 KB)
2.
pdf
Assessing the State of Climate Change
(1.45 MB)
3.
pdf
Educational Resources
(1.58 MB)
4.
pdf
Climate Change Groups to Connect WIth
(1.01 MB)
5.
pdf
Advocating for Climate Change Legislation
(776 KB)
6.
pdf
Climate Change Actions Any One of Us Can Take
(904 KB)
7.
pdf
Other Resources
(1.10 MB)
Contact the Earth Care Team by emailing santafeearthcareteam@gmail.
