Caring for Creation Conference

I attended the fourth annual Caring for Creation conference at Lake Junaluska, NC last weekend. This conference continues to grow each year and we had a 20% increase in participation this year.

Eight people from South Carolina attended but they only represented three churches. There is still more work to be done in spreading the word to South Carolina churches. That is going to be one of my missions this year.

Plenary speakers included Matthew Sleeth, author of Serve God, Save the Planet, Dr. Norman Wirzba, professor of Theology, Ecology and Rural Life at the Duke Divinity School, and Dr. Michael Battle, President of the Interdenominational Theological Center and chair of the Sustainable Atlanta Committee.

In an evaluation meeting after the conference the overall feeling of the leadership team was this year's conference was a success. Planning was begun to make next year even better.

Environmental Evangelism

I had an opportunity to do some environmental evangelism at the South Carolina United Methodist Annual Conference last week. It gave me a chance to promote the 4th annual Lake Junaluska Caring for Creation Conference and provide some handouts with tips on greening the church.

Christians Care About the Climate

I was glad that our Caring for Creation conference participated in the Step It Up 2007 campaign on April 14th - National Day of Climate Action. People gathered in all 50 states and 1,400 locations and were united in a common action: "Step It Up Congress: Cut Carbon 80% by 2050."

The power of the Internet allowed people everywhere to be a part of a national action right in their own communities. This is definitely more environmentally friendly than transporting thousands of people to a big march in Washington, DC.

I'm the guy with the letter "I".

Reflections

Now that I am home, I have reflected on this year's Caring for Creation conference. The number of participants at this year's event was about the same as last year (approx. 50). There were people from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and even Arkansas. More than a dozen of those attending were there last year and it was nice to see some familiar faces.

I was hoping for a greater attendance and I feel badly that I didn't do more to promote the event in our district and conference. I have resolved to do more to spread the word about this event and how it has been the catalyst for our church's Environmental Stewardship team. Maybe it would help inspire other churches to get involved.

The two things that really stood out:

• The perfect setting - the lake and surrounding mountains helped everyone focus on what God has created and importance of protecting it for future generations.

• The people - being in the company of others with a real passion for the environment was a delight. No one had all the answers but we are all striving to learn more each day.

My batteries have been recharged. Now it's time to get to work.

Saturday Highlights

This morning we had a presentation on "Local Food Systems" which really pointed out the need for getting back to local sustainable agriculture. This was followed by a workshop on "Ways of Involving Your Congregation in Caring for Creation" which verified some of the actions our team has already taken and provide some new ideas.

After lunch we went to a native wildlife presentation which I will post about tomorrow.
In the afternoon there was a presentation on Environmental Justice which is becoming a important topic. The afternoon workshop on political advocacy explored ways the faith community can speak to elected officials on the importance of caring for creation.

Here is a photo of the Caring for Creation participants. We are sending photos with banners to Bill McKibben's Stepitup2007 website for the "April 14th -National Day for Climate Action"

Friday Highlights

This morning we took a tour through a native plant garden here at Lake Junaluska. They have approximately 500 species of plants but only a few were in bloom this time of year. Most are labeled which makes this a very educational habitat.


We also toured a solar/wind powered home on a nearby mountain peak. It had solar water heating system with pipes in the floor. Electricity was generated with a wind turbine and solar panels. Most of the time they are able to sell excess electricity back to the power company.


































The keynote speaker was John Hill, Director of Economic and Environmental Justice for the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society. He did a nice presentation entitled "A Religious Answer to Global Warming". A second speaker tonight did a presentation about climate change and the story of Noah. One thing that became evident in all of this is that the faith community must get more involved in the problem of climate change. We must lead the way in caring for creation.

Check-in and Registration

Lambuth Inn, Lake Junaluska, NC

It was a nice drive across the state and into the western North Carolina mountains. I was able to have lunch with my son, Robert, who works in Greenville. We ate at a Whole Foods Market which seem to fit in well with this environmentally focused weekend.

After checking into the Lambuth Inn, I took a walk around the lake. It was sunny with a little breeze and it felt good to stretch the legs.

Tonight was registration and about an hour of videos. The first video was a 60 Minute TV segment on global warming. The second video was a documentary called "Killowatt Ours" and takes a look at the consequences of our coal powered economy. It provides ideas for employing energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. Everyone was impressed with it and it would be a good one to show at our church.

The evening ended with a demonstration of singing bowls. A potter from Asheville produces clay bowls that resonate with a soothing sound when the edge is rubbed with a piece of wood. I will try to get a video tomorrow.

Off to Lake Junaluska

I am looking forward to this year's Caring for Creation conference. The inaugural conference last year was a catalyst to start an Environmental Stewardship team at First Church. Hopefully this year will lead to more ways to grow our environmental focus within the church and beyond.

I will try to post a short summary of each day's activities.