Learning-Packed Gathering at Daycholah in October

Representatives from about a dozen Wisconsin Conference congregations attended the Creation Care retreat Oct. 13-14 at Daycholah Center to learn about:

• A new way of “doing church” – in Nature! – led by the Rev. Daniel Cooperrider, author of “Speak to the Earth and It Will Teach You.” (Learn more about how to get involved with Daniel in the November 15 edition of Wisconsin Conference Life.)

• Leadership for congregational vitality – Carol Phelps gave an inspiring presentation on how a Creation Care ministry at Middleton Community UCC, near Madison, grew from a small idea into a community-wide event.

• Nuts and bolts of solar savings – Don Debruyn explained the journey of his church, Grace UCC, Two Rivers, to reduce its carbon footprint and cut utility costs through energy-saving measures and a solar installation.

• Native plantings for church grounds – Cindy Halfen told the story of the outdoor transformation of Plymouth UCC in Eau Claire, where Cindy and her crew eradicated invasive plant species, rediscovered and connected with their neighbors, and reintroduced indigenous grasses and a patch of flawn (floral lawn) on their property. Cindy also distributed packets of wildflowers for propagation where we live. (Check out her video here. If you don't have Facebook, you can still watch the video. Just click "not now" when asked to sign up.)

The group also staged Jim Martin's chancel drama “Nice to Meet You, Terra!” (described in detail in the October Kairos Newsletter) and watched the film “The Letter: A Message for Our Earth” (about Pope Francis’ creation care advocacy).

This was the second gathering at Daycholah in what is becoming a regular Creation Care Team activity, and it underscored the growing and deepening role of Daycholah Center as an environmental justice hub for our conference.

Charles Calls for ‘Truth and Conciliation,’ Challenges ‘Dysfunctional Theology’

McFarland UCC and its partners hosted a Nov. 18 presentation by author Mark Charles for the community. Charles, son of an American woman of Dutch heritage and a Navajo man, teaches the complexities of U.S. history regarding race, culture and Christendom in order to help forge a path of healing and conciliation for the nation. An audience of about 75 was joined by viewers on Zoom to hear Charles’ presentation.

The talk was a natural follow-up to the 2019 Wisconsin Conference resolution repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.

A selection of chapter titles from Charles book “Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery,” gives an idea of the close examination he gave to the relationship of Christian thought and practice to justice issues in the Americas:

“The Kingdom of God Is About Relationship Not Empire”

“Dysfunctional Theology and the Spread of Settler Colonialism”

“The Christian Worldview and the Failure of Re-conciliation”

Charles’ talk included testimony about his spiritual practice as a Christian, including some of the things he does to deepen his understanding of Creator. As he explains in “Unsettling Truths”:

“One of the most beautiful, beneficial, and sacred spiritual disciplines I have incorporated into my life is the discipline of watching the sunrise. … to intentionally rise five or six mornings a week and to be in a posture of prayer while watching the sun come up over the horizon.

…

The longer I was privileged to see the masterful and artistic genius of Creator, and the longer I was blessed to stand in the midst of the grandeur of this masterpiece, the easier it became to acknowledge that neither I, nor all of humankind for that matter, were in control.”

A number of Madison-area congregations were represented at the talk, including several that purchased multiple copies of “Unsettling Truths” for use in congregational book reads. Sign up here to join with the group of congregations that will meet again Dec. 8 to follow up on this work.

Charles’ entire talk can be viewed on Youtube. 

Grant Opens Way to More Creation Care Funding for Wisconsin Congregations in 2024

The Creation Care Team received word in mid-November we have been awarded an $8,000 Neighbors In Need grant from the national setting of the UCC. The funds will be used to support Creation Care projects in local churches.

Since we received our first Wisconsin Conference Catalyst Grant funding in 2020, our team has awarded $27,000 in grants of $500 and $1,000 to individual churches.

Our grants have support a wide range or projects, including special events for Earth Day; environmental justice speakers; "water walks" with tribal neighbors; energy efficiency improvements; stormwater treatment; native plantings on church grounds; and partial funding for solar array installations on church buildings. 

Along the way, we have learned that Creation Care ministry raises up new leaders in congregations.  People with skills in planting, energy innovation and other areas can find a way to share their talents on Green Teams. In some cases, people who are reluctant to serve as readers during worship, teach Sunday School or lead Bible studies can find a way to contribute or provide leadership through Creation Care projects. 

Recipients of grants from this new pool of funds will be asked to provide permission for use of photos and grant report excerpts that the national setting may use to promote creation justice ministries.  

Thanks to every congregation for your support for Creation Care grants and other important initiatives through your donations to Our Church’s Wider Mission. Thanks also to all of the congregations working to protect our earthly home, both with grant assistance or through your own funds and efforts.

Mutual Accountability: New Year’s Resolutions on Creation Care

Memorial UCC in Fitchburg recently earned the “Creation Justice Church” designation from the national setting. (To learn more about the process, go to the UCC Creation Justice Church page.) One of the ways the congregation will live into its new designation in 2024 is with a new approach to New Year’s Resolutions for 2024. 

Memorial will be asking its community members to make resolutions that support Creation Care for 2024, beginning with announcements at church starting mid-December. They will hand out note cards with an envelope for people to write their Creation Care Resolutions down, seal the envelope, write their name on the envelope, and put them in a basket. 

Some ideas for the resolutions include:

• Reduce plastic by using bar soap, bar shampoo or laundry detergent sheets
• Use reusable grocery bags if you are not doing so already 
• Go meatless one day a week
• Reduce food waste in the home by eating leftovers and planning meals better
• Take your own containers for leftovers when eating out 
• Turn your furnace down 2 degrees for the winter
• Get an energy audit for your home
• Replace an old appliance with a newer energy efficient model
• Replace any fossil fuel-using appliance or equipment with electric 
• Remember that anything you do no matter how small makes a difference

The plan is to give people their envelopes back around Easter to remind everyone of their commitment to a better environment. 

A Journey Through Advent - A Creation Care Perspective

Advent is quickly approaching. Have you created your Advent liturgy? Does it have a Creation Care focus? The Rev. Dr. Sandra Graham sent us this one. 

Week One: Hope (Prophecy)

Today we light the candle of Hope. Born of prophecy, we attend to the prophets of today: Call us to tenderly nurture a planet whose climate is in critical need of our attention, our restoration and our care. The very mountains quake and valleys run with a river of tears. As we light this first Advent candle, we listen for the call in the wilderness; the call of Creation, yearning, groaning as in childbirth. We light this candle as a vow to keep our hope active, as a living offering to God’s Creation.

Click HERE for the whole liturgy.

2024 Creation Care Webinars

Your Creation Care Team is preparing a great lineup of monthly webinars that will take place the second Thursday of each month from February through May. The webinars will include information presented at our October retreats that deserves to reach a wider audience. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.

Solar for Your Congregation:

Let There Be Light!

Recordings available for two part webinar series!

In this online program, our experts guide you through the solar process, discussing the benefits, installation, and maintenance of solar panels. We discuss new solar opportunities, how solar works and your building needs, new financial incentives, and current grant opportunities. Discover how your congregation can look to the future and save on energy costs.



Don't miss out on this enlightening session!

Watch Here

Find more information and the other webinar HERE.

Have you ever heard of the Japanese practice of shinrin yoku, or “forest bathing”? It is a practice that has been shown to promote physical, mental and emotional well-being.  Learn more about this practice at the Wisdom and Wonder website created by the Rev. Zayna Thomley, pastor of Middleton UCC and a certified forest therapy guide. 

Zayna will lead a group in this practice at the Wisconsin Council of Churches annual meeting on Dec. 5 on the grounds of Holy Wisdom Monastery, using poetry, ancient wisdom and contemplative prayer.

Cathy Putman, a member of Union Congregational UCC in Green Bay and participant in October’s Creation Care retreat at Daycholah Center, shared this reflection:

Theologian Sallie McFague, in “A New Climate for Christology,” expresses the growing notion that we need a new origin story, one which does not put humans in a utilitarian relationship with nature, as either masters or stewards. Author Daniel Cooperrider, in his book, “Speak with the Earth and It will Teach You,” places humans in the role of students of nature: sometimes as “scientists,” but more as those who seek meaning through our mindful attention to what our natural world has to teach.

Don DeBruyn, a member of Grace Congregational UCC in Two Rivers, shared these thoughts on “Milked: How an American Crisis Brought Together Midwestern Dairy Farmers and Mexican Workers” by Ruth Conniff:

“‘Milked’ was displayed at my local library this summer, and the subtitle got my attention: ‘How an American Crisis Brought Together Midwestern Dairy Farmers and Mexican Workers.’ The author is a Wisconsin journalist (and former editor-in-chief of The Progressive), and in the book she interviews a dozen Mexican migrants who traveled to work on Wisconsin dairy farms, as well as talking with their employers. The dairy farmers were participants in a program called Puentes/Bridges which takes delegations of farmers to Mexico to get to know the families of the people who work for them. The personal stories she tells helped to humanize the migration issue for me and dispel misconceptions. Conniff also analyzes the economic issues in Mexico and in the U.S. dairy industry contributing to migration and explores potential solutions. ‘Milked’ is a well-researched look at a timely issue in our own state and an interesting read.”

“Milked” was published by The New Press in 2022. The publisher’s website says the book describes “how two seemingly disparate groups of people have come to rely on each other,” with “undocumented immigrants, mostly from Mexico, accounting for an estimated 80 percent of employees on the dairy farms of western Wisconsin.”