Be part of the new Care for Creation team! This open group welcomes all who are energized about caring for all of God's creation. 

Decenber 2024: In this season of joy, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel – God with Us - we give thanks for the gift of God’s great love for us. We know, too, that in response to this great love, we are called to love not only our neighbor, but also God’s beautiful world. In the excitement of this holiday season, let us remember to Care for God’s creation in the choices we make, the gifts that we give and how we celebrate.

Did you know?

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, household waste increases by more than 25%. This contributes an additional 1 million tons to our landfills each year from wrapping paper, packaging and food waste.

Want to aim for a greener Christmas this year? Here are some suggestions from the Sierra Club for having an eco-friendlier holiday season.

Buy smart.

1. Opt for locally made gifts: Locally produced items more directly support your community (and don’t require resource-intensive shipping!).

2. Look for recycled/upcycled gifts: Many companies make beautiful items out of recyclable materials or turn discarded items into original artworks and more.

3. Check for Fair-Trade-certified labels: Fair-trade-certified producers must meet established standards for sustainable production practices and fair wages for workers. 

4. Go battery-free: Batteries are an environmental hazard, so choose gifts that don’t require batteries.

Lower the holiday lights.

If decorating the outside of your residence with lights is a tradition, choose LED lights. They use 95% less energy than incandescent holiday bulbs. 

Skip the wrapping paper.

In the United States, gift wrap and shopping bags add an additional 4 tons of waste (and 38,000 miles of ribbons) to landfills each year. 

To reduce your environmental impact, consider the following

1. Wrap creatively with newspaper or magazine cutouts.

2. Reuse wrapping paper, gift bags and other packaging.

3. Skip the wrapping paper altogether!  Questions? Please contact Vicar Emily at vicaremily@oursaviours.com or Susan Hanford at sehanford@gmail.com.