Faith Community Outreach Resources

In the video below, Nalini Nadkarni talks about her work speaking to faith communities about ecological issues:

The following resources have been useful for ESA members in their outreach to faith communities.

• “Ecological outreach to faith-based communities” by Nalini Nadkarni from ESA’s Frontiers journal; “Not preaching to the choir…” from Conservation Biology.
• Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life – US Religious Landscape Survey. View page 12 for specifics on “Religious Composition of the U.S.”
• Biodiversity Project’s “Building Partnerships with the Faith Community” document. “Tips for Outreach” (p. 87-93)
• Links to climate change statements of world religions, compiled by the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology; Links to environmental statements and activities of US faith communities, compiled by the National Religious Partnership for the Environment – view by denomination or by issue.
• The National Association of Evangelicals – Loving the Least of These: Addressing a Changing Environment; Dorothy Boorse, lead author.
  
• Climate Change Education for Faith Based Groups by Greg Hitzhusen, National Research Council white paper.

Other related projects and opportunities:

• Earth Day 2014 (planning events, pre-education events, Earth week events)
• Thanksgiving (food, sufficiency, justice themes; UU Ethical Eating; IPL Cool Harvest; Jewish themes; Hazon Food Conference; Faith in Place Zabeeha meat, Dec 6-9, 2012)
• Local Judicatory/community and congregation: committees (e.g., SOS; DSO; Cinci Archdiocese)
• National Denominational Programs and Resources: PresbyEcoStewardsMGregory (powerpoint about Presbyterian EcoStewards program)
• General Resources: FORE; IPL; NRPE.

Religious Holidays:

• Jewish:Tu B’ Shevat 2013 (New Year of Trees, Jan. 25-26), Shmittah starting in 2014 (see http://coejl.org/jecc/declaration/), High Holidays (ideas here)
• Christian: $100 Holiday/adventconspiracy.org (clean water and reducing consumer waste), Lenten Carbon Fast (TearFund,Ecumenical)
• Muslim: Green Ramadan (and other ideas)
• Buddhist: Green Sangha (awakened action)

Denomination-specific resources (key resources recommended by national staff of the following faith communities as indicative of their community’s views) :

• Presbyterian Church (PCUSA): PCUSA Policy Brief (summarizes the environmental policies of the denomination); PCUSA Denominational Statements (lists all of the past environmental policy statements of the denomination).
• United Church of Christ (UCC): several recent environmental resolutions of the denomination will be posted soon.