A Climate Change Action History at First Congregational Church
2008
Budgeting proposed for solar panels on the church’s roof.
2011
Retrofits were recommended by the Community Energy Challenge’s energy audit.
2010-2013
The Green Team:
1) Collected and recycled plastic bags and hard plastic packaging
2) Sewed reusable shopping bags
3) “Share Rides to Church” initiative
4) ”Bike to Church Day” promotion
5) Gleaned for Bellingham Food Bank
6) Helped at Growing Veterans nonprofit farm
7) Shifted Weekly Announcements on paper to Friday email
8) Two Green Team members completed the WSU Carbon Masters program
9) Coffee Hour food waste and paper plates were composted
The entire service on Sunday, April 22—Earth Day 2012—was devoted to Creation Care.
2013-2014
We participated in an interfaith group convened by Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship to support Lummi Nation rights in the fight against coal port expansion.
The 2014 All-Church Read, Take This Bread by Sara Miles, drew attention to food charity systemic injustice.
“Justice at the Table,” a food system educational initiative, led to an all-church picnic using locally sourced food.
2017-2018
Our Environmental Justice Action group worked on the I-1631 campaign’s signature gathering—advocacy on the state level.
A plan for funding solar panels on the church’s roof was proposed.
2021
An initial “Call for Action for Climate Justice” was posted on our website.
We renewed and strengthened its memberships with Earth Ministries, Seattle and the Multifaith Network for Climate Justice (MNCJ), Bellingham.
2022
The Mission & Justice “Creation Care” theme was developed, and there were three Sunday after-worship forums on Climate Justice in January.
The push for solar panels on our roof was renewed—and supported!
We were actively involved in the Multifaith Network for Climate Justice (MNCJ) Board’s Sacred Earth Fair on July 31.
The Mission & Justice Board is involved in MNCJ’s ongoing legislative advocacy. Mission & Justice sponsored a zero-waste “Share Fair” in August.
The 2022 All-Church Read: Climate Church, Climate World by Rev. Dr. Jim Antal.
Our “Climate Revival Seminar” on November 5 featured Rev. Dr. Jim Antal via Zoom and two local guest panelists. He also spoke at our service November 6.
Adult Forum participants also read Katharine Hayhoe’s Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.
2023
Adult Forum participants began the new year with Daniel Cooperrider’s Speak with the Earth and It Will Teach You: A Field Guide to the Bible and engaged in a Zoom discussion with the author.
Our Green Team was revived in February—come join us!
Church members and friends committed to the church roof Solar Panel Project at the March 12 service!
(Special thanks to Jean Waight and Sharon Camblin for compiling this list of our past and present Climate Justice actions.)
