Level One

Getting Started

Educate 

1. Add environmental stewardship worship services to your liturgical calendar, incorporating environmental prayers, hymns and preaching about care for Earth’s Creation.
2. Celebrate Earth Day Sunday with an environmental sermon and follow-up discussion or program.
3. Invite a speaker, show a film and expand your programs for adults and youth to include environmental issues and explore what you can do about what you learn.
4. Incorporate Creation care and environmental justice into faith formation programs for children and youth.
5. Encourage individuals/households to commit to at least 5 of the “Ten Things You Can Do to Fight Climate Change.”

Organize 

1. Identify those members who are inspired and passionate about the environment, gauge prior knowledge and expectations, and organize a “Green Team.”  Also see "Make Some Ripples - Green Team Tips" from the UCC.
2. Promote regular “green” updates through newsletters, bulletin board, worship announcements, and/or social media to inform, celebrate and advocate on sustainability and environmental justice.
3. Develop a butterfly/pollinator highway or an organic garden and share your harvest with the congregation.
4. Plan for regular evaluation of your environmental initiatives and ways to encourage next steps. 

Reduce/Recycle/Rethink (Choose at least four actions)

1. Keep radiators/heating ducts and refrigerator coils clean. 
2. Recycle paper, bottles and cans. 
3. Put office machines on power strips and unplug rarely used appliances and equipment. 
4. Reduce hot water temperature to 120 degrees. Only run dishwasher when full.  Open the door to let the dishes air dry. 
5. Ban Styrofoam products, reduce single use plastic consumption and eliminate bottled water with reusable options.
6. Encourage use of town green spaces and trails and sponsor hikes.
7. Create an electronic newsletter option to reduce paper and encourage the use of opt-out services to reduce junk mail. 
8. Shift to environmentally sensitive cleaning products. 
9. Shift to organic lawn treatments and native grasses and plants.

Connect 

1. Explore UCC Environmental Ministries online resources, subscribe to the Pollinator UCC Environmental Justice Blog, and connect with the SNEUCC’s Environmental Ministries Team on social media, for webinars and at “Super Saturday.”
2. Connect with local environmental advocates and sustainability groups. Join and support your state-based organizations like IREJN, CT IPL, MassIPL or RI IPL.

Advocate 

1. Encourage everyone to take the Creation Care Voter Pledge through announcements in worship, newsletters, social media and Get Out the Vote events.
2. Host discussion groups on how the legislative process in your state works and how to find your representatives and their voting record.
3. Offer a workshop on how to contact your legislators effectively by phone or letter/email.
4. Invite a representative from an environmental advocacy organization or a member of your town’s sustainability team to present current state and local environmental issues.