| The Creation
Stewards Committee is a new committee at St. James that
focuses on educating, encouraging and facilitating the protection
of God's Creation within our parish and community. Our ministry
is based upon the following precepts set forth by the Episcopal
Ecological Network: Reflection, Education and Action.
The committee
meets monthly, generally on the fourth Wednesday of the
month, at 6 pm in the Church Library. Since its beginning
in September 2003, the committee has sponsored the following:
- Two nature
hikes at Paris Mountain State Park
- A recycling
information center for the church
- Three Creation
Stewards Coffee Hours in which Fair-Trade Coffee was served
and made available for purchase
- Written a
monthly column in the church newsletter to inform and
educate parishioners about environmental issues
- Conducted
an environmental assessment of the church and church grounds
- Sponsored
a recycling contest and gave the winner a birdfeeder and
birdseeds.
- Collected
money from parishioners to purchase recycling bins in
the Parish Life Center
- Began clearing
a waste area to develop a level activity field and absorbent
parking area.
- Developed
a master plan for planting shade trees on church property,
and for developing a nature sanctuary area on wooded property
recently given to the church.
- Made 5 “Mother
Nature” presentations to Christian Formation Classes-The
Creation Story; Caterpillars and Butterflies; Owls; Owls
and Natural Recycling; A Rotten Place to Live Walk.
- Kept abreast
of community environmental issues and participated in
the Furman Theo-Eco Project.
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