On Sunday September 17, at the 10:10 a.m. forum, Forest Steward Robert Hayden led a tour through the Greenbelt for all ages. He spoke about restoration that’s been done over the years, the partnership with the City of Seattle and the ecosystem. Check out a few photos from the tour here and below!

Those who want to participate in the continuing recovery and restoration of this woodland by pulling ivy, blackberry, and other invasive weeds or through planting native plants can join Greenbelt work parties led by Robert as well as the other Forest Steward, Joey Baumgartner. Confirmed dates are September 30, October 14, October 28 and November 18, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Find the link to register for each date here. Work parties are limited to 18 participants, with a minimum age of 12. More details can be found on the Green Seattle Partnership website. Please contact Saint Mark’s Greenbelt Work Party Volunteer Coordinator Guy Oram at creationcare@saintmarks.org for additional information. Thanks to Guy for stepping into this important role. Either he or I will be at most work parties.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 3–4 P.M., Leffler Garden. Hosted in collaboration with Creation Care.

Representatives from the City of Seattle’s Master Composter Program and Nurturing Roots Farm will guide this interactive discussion. Learn about composting basics and how to use compost in your home or garden. Snacks and refreshments will be provided, the Blessing of the Animals service will occur right after the workshop, at 4:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 10:10–10:50 A.M., Bloedel Hall

The Creation Care Ministry will host a Sunday morning forum that asks the question: How do we cultivate a deepening, evolving relationship with God that gives us the strength, vision, and courage to face climate changes in our world? Presenters will explore practices of the Spirit, and actions we can all take to nourish the planet. Be prepared to touch the roots of hope, community, and joy.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 7:30–10 P.M., Leffler House

Brian Sellers-Petersen of Good News Gardens will facilitate a conversation for 20s/30s on how food practices can reflect Christ in how we cultivate diversity, stewardship and support the land and feed mind, body and spirit. This is part of the monthly Questioning Together + Compline Learn more about Brian’s work with Good News Gardens and Agrarian ministries.

THIRD TUESDAYS, 6:30–8 P.M., via Zoom 

Everyone is welcome to join the Saint Mark’s Creation Care Ministry meeting on the third Tuesday evening of every month from 6:30–8 p.m. via Zoom. Notes from past meetings can be found here under Ministry Meetings.

SECOND THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH, 6:30–7:30 P.M., online via Zoom  

Join us for Conversations on environmentally friendly Zoom on the 2nd Thursday every month. Join using this link (same link each month).

The Creation Care Ministry hosts a table in the nave on the last Sunday of each month to explain the Ministry to members of the congregation and to encourage people to participate in Creation Care activities. Please encourage parishioners to stop by, and please volunteer to assist if you have time. Please contact Marjorie Ringness at marjorie@ringness.org if you’d like to sign up to help host the table.

Elizabeth Clark-Stern shared quotes from Cynthia Bourgeault and Richard Rohr, then summarized our time of sharing: “In our circle of hope, in person and on Zoom, we can process the tragedy and loss of our Mother Earth—as the animals, plants and humans of our earth live through climate change—in tandem with promoting and acknowledging the positive action that is happening in our midst, and around the world.” Many shared their thoughts, and all appreciated the rich conversation.

Recordings and copies of the presentations from past Climate Conversations sessions can be found here.  Recent topics include Simple Seattle Solutions to be a Voice for Conservation and Creation Care; Practical Ideas to Use Renewable Energy; Plan, Cook, and Eat Great Meals; and over a dozen more!

Yet I, and others like me who attend church regularly, may no longer be part of the majority in America. Indeed, the state of Christianity in America can sound dire. The percentage of Americans who say they are Christian dropped from 90 percent a generation ago to 64 percent in 2020 and is continuing downwards, Pew Research showed, while the percentage of ‘nones’ is 30 percent and rising. Church attendance has dropped among Protestants from 44 percent to 40 percent and among Catholics from 37 percent to 30 percent just since 2020, Gallup found. 

At the same time, though, many people who have left the church miss the community. When New York Times reporter Jessica Grose surveyed readers for their views on attending church, nearly a third of respondents mentioned “community.” As one reader told her, “I desperately miss the community” of church.

—by Richard Hartung

A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll found that nearly 6 in 10 Americans think recycling will have a lot or some impact on climate change. About a third say using an electric stove instead of a gas stove has high impact and 24 percent say driving slower is impactful. However, experts said those actions are unlikely to make much of a difference.

About three-quarters say not eating meat or dairy would have little or no effect. 51 percent say flying less would make a little or no difference, Climate experts say they’re wrong. Experts say flying less and cutting out meat and dairy are among the best steps people can take to reduce climate change.

The Carbon Tracker for Saint Mark’s explains that cattle, sheep, and goats all create methane gas, a very powerful greenhouse gas, through their normal digestion process. This process is called rumination—they “burp” methane. Methane is over 30 times more powerful and harmful than carbon dioxide. Methane is also created from the manure of cattle and other animals. If you replace beef or lamb with low impact foods like beans, grains or nuts for a family of four once a week, you can save emissions equivalent to nearly 1,500 car miles. If you replace beef or pork with poultry, fish or eggs once a week, the impact is closer to 1,200 car miles. Recent studies have shown that substituting one serving per day of red meat with other foods like fish, poultry, nuts, legumes (beans), low-fat dairy and whole grains could lower the risk of premature death from heart disease, cancer or other causes by 7–19%.

We’ve started collecting stories from members of the St Mark’s community about what they are doing to care for creation, from saving water or eating something new to commuting differently and more, so we can inspire more people to take action. Some stories are below, and you can read more on the Creation Care section of the Saint Mark’s website here or here.

—Judy Raunig-Graham

Nicole Thompson created a delightful video on why not to idle your car, as part of a project she completed for the Girl Scouts.

If you would like to contribute a story or would like more information, please send a story or contact Richard Hartung at richard@transcarta.com. Stories can be written articles, short videos taken with your phone, photos, infographics or on other media. We’ll put stories on our Creation Care page on the Saint Mark’s website.