We believe that God charged humankind with stewardship of the Earth (Genesis 2:15), and the earth and all creation are God’s (Psalm 24:1). We accept the call of the United Methodist Social Principles that “All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it” (from The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church 2016. Copyright © 2016). We also accept the environmental resolution passed by the North Carolina Conference of the UMC at their 2023 annual conference that “urges every local church to create a Creation Care Team or strengthen an existing one for action in four areas each year—Worship, Education, Practice, and Advocacy…” and “…to lift up creation care and justice in all areas of ministry and mission, including preaching, liturgy, communications, education, outreach, and advocacy”. (from the Resolution on Creation Care Teams in Local Churches, Approved by the NC Conference of The United Methodist Church 6/17/2023- see full document below.)
God calls us to be caring, humble stewards of this earth, and to protect and restore it for its own sake, as well as for the future earthly life of all God’s family. The importance of caring for our planet has never been greater. Right now, although the burdens of the climate crisis are falling more heavily upon the least of us, all of us are suffering because of environmental degradation. We can, and must, act swiftly and decisively to face the climate crisis that threatens our planetary home. By acting together, there is hope for repairing and healing God’s Earth.
If you are a parishioner who shares our concern for the care of God’s Creation and wants to learn more about actions we can take to protect our environment, please consider joining the Environmental Stewardship Team. Contact Pastor Lindsay to learn more.
The University United Methodist Church Council, at the request of University United Methodist Church’s Environmental Stewardship Team, formally adopted an “Environmental Stewardship Covenant” at their September 2023 meeting.
Environmental Stewardship Resources
Recycling
(Source: The Chapel of the Cross –thechapelofthecross.org)
Why recycle? Recycling diverts reusable materials from the landfill and reduces the need for extraction of new materials such as aluminum or steel. The recycling industry provides material for manufacturers in North Carolina and jobs. In 2018 China stopped accepting low-quality recyclables from the U.S.; since then, it’s been increasingly important for collected recyclables to be high quality—no food contamination, plastic bags, or unaccepted items. When in doubt, throw it out!
Our parish uses curbside recycling provided by Orange County Solid Waste. Recycling is encouraged and collection bins are placed in the kitchen, classrooms, and offices. We strongly encourage all groups who use our church building to recycle according to Orange County guidelines.
Local Recycling Programs
Composting
Why compost? “Composting is recycling! Composting is the natural process that decomposes yard waste and food waste to make a brown, crumbly soil additive that enhances the health of your lawn and gardens…helps soil retain moisture, reduces run-off, and naturally increases nutrient content to help sustain healthy plants” (source). Composting also helps to reduce methane gas emissions from landfills. Methane gas and carbon dioxide (CO2) are produced by landfills due to the decomposition of organic material. Methane is a very potent contributor to global warming as it traps heat more effectively than CO2.from landfills (source).
Composting is easy!
Home Composting How-To Guides:
