Action Plan for Greening Your Seminary
Suggestions for Action: Study your Social Statement
Have a Plan: It is important to have a plan for greening your seminary. Otherwise, the process will be scattered-shot and haphazard. It is also important for the plan to be comprehensive. Otherwise the actions will be quite limited. We recommend the following model to use when making an action plan. It has five areas: Worship, Education, Building and Grounds, Discipleship, and Public Ministry. Be visionary!
Be a Catalyst We remind you that it is not the work of the planning committee to carry out all of the actions. Rather, it is the goal of the “Green Team” to be a catalyst for the whole community to become engaged. Work with the various people responsible in different areas of seminary life—provide ideas, resources, and support—so that they incorporate care for creation into their arena of responsibilities. This way, the work is shared and many people take ownership for the greening of the seminary.
Make it policy: Institutionalize and regularlize the actions as quickly as possible. This way, it will not depend on the committee to suggest them anew each year. For example, if you celebrate Earth Week one year, seek to make it a regular part of the worship schedule for every year. Do not reinvent the wheel each year!
Do not try to do it all at once: Do not be overwhelmed by all that there is to do or all that could be done. The idea is to choose projects that are manageable and that have a good chance of coming to fruition. You cannot do all of them at once. So pick and choose. You will find that there are good starter projects. Then, as you reach a threshold of interest and support, other more ambitious projects will be possible. Celebrate what you get done without worrying about what does not get done. You can only do what you can do!
Revisit the model: We encourage you to keep coming back to this action plan so that you keep the larger picture before you and that you keep the process of brainstorming and planning as an ongoing part of your work. Keep the vision alive!
Check out the action plans in each of these areas:
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Policy: We seek to worship throughout the year so that we express our gratitude and praise to God the creator and so that we glorify God intentionally together with all creation. In worship, we will celebrate creation, confess our sins against creation, grieve the losses of creation, and commit ourselves to care for the earth.
People: The chaplain, the chapel staff, the worship committee of the seminary, leaders of worship, and the whole worshipping community, as well as the teaching faculty. It will be helpful to bring everyone on board, seeking guidance and leadership from them and providing resources and training where appropriate.
Goal: To make “care for creation” worship an integral part of the policies and practices of seminary worship.
Actions: Here are some ideas to carry out these commitments:
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Policy: We seek to learn about the biblical, theological, and ecclesial traditions concerning creation, including the mandate from God for us to care for the earth. We will seek also to learn about the present degradations of creation due to human activity, how we as religious people are implicated in this degradation, and what we as Christians can do to heal and restore creation for future generations. We will seek to train people to be leaders for the church and the community in their efforts to care for creation.
People: Academic Dean; curriculum committee; faculty members; adjunct faculty; library director and staff; field education director and staff; contextual education supervisors; internship supervisors; leaders of workshop/experiences.
Goal: To incorporate “care for creation” into the academic program and educational opportunities of the seminary.
Actions: Here are some actions that carry out these commitments.
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Policy/pledge: We agree to assess the destructive impact that our activities and the use and maintenance of our property may have upon creation—in such matters as energy use, toxic products, paper use, water use, waste, transportation, among others. We will strive to make choices that lessen our negative impact on the earth and that serve to renew and restore earth community.
People: Director of Building and Grounds; Maintenance staff; head of the cafeteria; all members of the community—students, faculty, staff.
Goal: To reduce the ecological imprint of the seminary in regard to every aspect of the physical area of the seminary that has an impact on the environment.
Actions: Here are some things that can be done to carry out these commitments.
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Policy: We encourage ourselves as individual members of this seminary—students, staff and faculty—to care for creation in our offices and in our homes, knowing that our habits and practices are connected to key environmental issues. We seek to foster a closer relationship with nature so that we can live simply and walk lightly upon the earth.
People: Dean of Community Life; Chaplain; faculty in spirituality; spiritual directors; leaders of small group processes; all members of the community—students, faculty, and staff.
Goals: To foster a personal commitment to disciplines that respect earth community, that seek to restore creation from human degradation, and that enable us to relate closely with nature.
Actions: Here are some ideas to carry out these commitments:
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Policy: We seek to change the systems that foster the degradation of creation and to rectify the injustices that result from it. And we seek to alert our members to environmental legislation that protects creation and to encourage their active participation in the development of public policy. We encourage members to participate in civic activities that foster environmental health. We seek to let our care for creation be known to others.
People: Faculty members engaged in issues of ethics and society; director of publicity; director of admissions; conference organizers; all students, faculty, and staff.
Goals: To promote eco-justice and care for creation beyond the walls of the seminary through hands-on involvement, political advocacy, publicity, conferences, websites, and publications.
Actions: Here are some suggested actions to take to fulfill these commitments
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