The Conference will record and lift up the names of covenanted congregations. By doing so, we can form a community to share knowledge and resources, and celebrate and strengthen our collective work for climate justice. Below is an example of a covenant your church can use as a foundation to develop your own covenant. If you’d like some guidance on how to get started, contact the Rev. Lisa Hart, and consult the resources below and on other Kairos web pages.
Once your church has created its Covenant of Creation Care, please send a copy to the Wisconsin Conference via email to the Rev. Lisa Hart or mail it to the Wisconsin Conference office at W1000 Spring Grove Road, Ripon, WI, 54971.
EXAMPLE KAIROS CALL TO ACTION COVENANT
We, the members of ______________ pledge to be devoted stewards of Creation.
We are called by God our Creator to take action personally and in community to help sustain our earth. Recognizing the many threats to pure air, clean water, productive land, and the health of all living beings, we covenant with each other and the greater church.
We will join in the United Church of Christ Kairos Call to Action and assess every possible way we can work toward climate recovery within our church and community.
We will strive to understand the causes and issues threatening the earth and take responsible action personally and as a church to work toward recovery and sustainability.
We will ensure appreciation and care for creation is part of all of the work of the church: in worship, church activities, community outreach, and upkeep of our buildings.
We make this covenant together because we believe that peace and justice are God’s plan for all creation. The earth and all creation are God’s. God calls us to be careful, humble stewards of this earth, and to protect and restore it for its own sake, and for a safe, healthy, and peaceful future home for all. As God offers all people the special gift of peace through Jesus Christ, and through Christ reconciles all to God, we are called to deal justly with one another and the earth.
Adopted by the Members of ________________
Date: _____________________
[Add signatures of all members]
Resources to help get started:
- Wisconsin Conference Kairos Call to Action background
- 10 Ways Churches Can Mobilize, with suggested actions for each step.
- “How To Start a Green Team at Your Church” from Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Missioner for Creation Care for both the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts and the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ.
- “How to Form a Green Team at Church” – Tips from Codi Norred, Program Director of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light
- Green Team Tips – “Starting a Crew of Ripple Makers (Also known as starting a Green Team)” from the United Church of Christ.
- Webinar: Forming a Green Team, from the Wisconsin Conference’s Creation Care Team, featuring two Wisconsin congregations with green teams of both short and long tenure.
- The Interfaith Power and Light website has many resources for churches wanting to begin or expand their creation care efforts. Download their Cool Congregations Start-up Kit