We Are Called to Be Stewards of

God’s Creation

Our church cares for God's creation in part through the work of the Green Team. The Team’s goal is to inspire the congregation to work with greater intention toward lessening our environmental impact through both individual and community actions. The church takes its charge to be responsible stewards of God's creation as a call to meaningful action for all of us, and the Green Team seeks to provide information and opportunities to support such action. 


That’s why the Congregational Church of Middlebury UCC is proud to share that we have officially been named a Creation Justice Church. This program provides us with a flexible framework to help us determine the most effective ways to show our love for God by caring for the earth and its most vulnerable people. To learn more about our commitment to supporting environmental justice both within our congregation and on a broader scale, please see our Creation Justice Covenant below.

 

Join us! Contact Su Reid-St.John or Leanna Maglienti if you are interested in becoming a member of the Green Team.


This Lenten Reflection Series is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Bill Fifield, 

a dearly missed founding member of the Green Team.

The Green Team is leaning into the subject of climate justice this Lenten season. Each week of Lent we hope to share a reading or video exploring what environmental racism is, revealing where it exists in our community, or learning how we can be allies in promoting climate justice. The first in this series explores the UCC denomination’s early connections to the environmental justice movement.


Read more...



2023 Green Team Lenten Project: Stepping Up Our Game to Shrink Our Carbon Footprint

Vegan Recipes 

our Creation justice covenant

From the beginning, God entrusted us as stewards of God’s good creation. In fashioning us in God’s image, God bestowed upon us the responsibility to tend to creation as God would: with love and a respect for the needs of all living things. In affirming the divine gifts of creation and our connection to God, each other, and the world around us, the Congregational Church of Middlebury, UCC, commits ourselves to this urgent responsibility. We pledge to increase our awareness of how the abuses of creation cause environmental degradation and human suffering, and to celebrate and support work that preserves or restores ecological processes that benefit all life. We promise to fight the injustices of climate change, supporting and advocating for those most harmed by its effects. Furthermore, as we confront this growing crisis, we resolve that these deeply felt commitments will be reflected in all dimensions of our congregation’s life and extend far beyond our church’s walls. In this way, we acknowledge and honor God’s glory and perfect intent.


Timely Tips for Greener Living

We’re facing a serious climate emergency. Consider these facts:

  • The five years from 2015 to 2019 were the warmest years ever recorded in the 140 years that NOAA has tracked global heat.
  • Thanks to melting glaciers and ocean warming caused by these rising temperatures, sea levels rose faster in the 20th century than in the previous 2700 years, putting up to 216 million people across the planet at risk of losing their homes.
  • One million animal and plant species are on the verge of extinction.

Sources: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United Nations

 

But there is hope. Here are some easy ways you can help reduce your carbon footprint and reduce your climate impact.