The 2024 Synod Assembly set the goal of 100% of synod congregations will at least take the first steps of a creation care initiative prior to the 2025 Synod Assembly. It is possible that information is news to you, or that you had forgetting about it. Don’t worry; it’s never too late to begin, and the synod’s Stewards of Creation team is here to help.
The first step is bringing this goal to the attention of your congregation’s Council. You may want to remind them this isn’t a mandate, just a goal that every congregation will take the first steps of pursuing an initiative together. Perhaps this can begin by having individuals write down some ideas, then sharing those ideas as a group; that sharing will often culminate in even more ideas.
If you want to peruse some tried and true ideas, the Lutherans Restoring Creation website has a helpful page with some initiatives that congregations can implement for their buildings and grounds: https://lutheransrestoringcreation.org/building-and-grounds-ideas/
An ongoing initiative that All Saints Lutheran Church in Mt Pleasant began over five years ago is a food composting project. It is run by a small team of volunteers, and it was funded by a small grant. Two twin-tumblers are used to collect and mix green and brown materials. After several days and numerous spins, a compost is produced that is added to the beds of the congregation’s community vegetable garden. The produce of this garden – totaling hundreds of pounds each year – is given to a local food pantry.
Could a compost initiative work at your congregation? Could it exist on site, or would it need to be located elsewhere? Is there a place on site where the finished compost can be used, or could a nearby organization use it? The initial investment is the only cost, and the items can be purchased for less than $500. What financial resources are available that can make a composting project (or another initiative) a reality? Questions like those can get the ball rolling in your congregation.
