Background

Members of the 2014 Minnesota Annual Conference approved a resolution to reduce the carbon footprint of Minnesota United Methodist church buildings. The legislation (action item 501), proposed by Hopeful EarthKeepers and the Church and Society ministry team, encourages all of our congregations to:

• Estimate the carbon footprint of congregational buildings;
• Determine how to reduce it; and
• Implement those changes.

Six congregations that reduced their carbon footprint by at least 10 percent were recognized at the 2016 Annual Conference. Learn more about what they did.

Ready to become a "cool" congregation?

The Cool Congregations program of Interfaith Power & Light has tools and resources to help you calculate your carbon footprint, create and implement plans to reduce your footprint, and celebrate your success.

Share your story

We want to celebrate with you and share your success! Tell us your story.

Why this is important
 

A healthy planet is essential in order to answer God’s call to love our neighbors and heal a broken world. Food security, effective response to natural disasters, peace between nations, and the elimination of pandemic poverty and disease depend on a healthy planet. By reducing our carbon footprint by 10 percent, we will prevent tons of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere, thereby reducing the severity of global warming for our neighbors around the world and for future generations.

The Council of Bishops’ pastoral letter, God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action, states that “we cannot help the world until we change our way of being in it.” Hopeful EarthKeepers encourages all Minnesota congregations to study the pastoral letter, rededicate themselves to God’s holy vision, practice social and environmental holiness, and live and act in hope.

Resources

Online

• Council of Bishops pastoral letter, God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action

• Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light

• Enerchange

• Clean Energy Resource Teams

Print

• A Hopeful Earth: Faith, Science, and the Message of Jesus by Bishop Sally Dyck and Sarah Ehrman

Contacts

If your church is starting the process of reducing your carbon footprint, if you have questions about anything listed above, or if you're interested in joining Hopeful EarthKeepers, contact Rev. Susan Mullin or Cathy Velasquez Eberhart.

Minnesota UMs, churches highlighted in creation care documentary

Several Minnesota United Methodists and two Minnesota United Methodist churches (Faith UMC in St. Anthony and Prospect Park UMC in Minneapolis) were featured in an 11-minute documentary created by the Climate Reality Project. The video focuses on ways in which a variety of local churches are cutting down on energy use and why religious leaders are embracing creation care and environmental awareness. Watch documentary.