Tuesday, April 01, 2008

APRIL 19 ENVIRONMENTAL WORKSHOP AT YORK CENTER

Representatives from churches in the IL/WI District are invited to an all day workshop on April 19 on Environmentally Sustainable Living hosted by the York Center Church.

Tom Benevento of the New Community Project will lead the workshop. The workshop objective will help people see what actions have the greatest positive impact on the environment and deepen our connection to God and creation. The preliminary agenda is:

9:00 - 12:00
Discussion of environmentally friendly actions for churches and individuals.
  1. Christian perspectives of care for creation
  2. Our planetary crisis and climate change
  3. Consumer culture and impacts on our planet
  4. Reasons for hope and the emerging movement of mutual partnership with the earth
  5. Most effective actions; personal and public
Noon - Lunch

1:00 - 4:00
Energy efficiency for church buildings. (The focus will be on the York Center Church but the discussion will apply to other church buildings.)
  1. Exploration of goals, current resources, and what has been done.
  2. Discussion of what other churches have done and how we can learn from them.
  3. Walk through the church building structure, systems and appliances, and outside.
  4. Setting a list of priorities regarding effective carbon reduction and cost savings.
Tom Benevento, the workshop leader, has a degree in Sustainable Systems and has extensive experience in development work and community organizing. His work with New Community Project involves leading Undoing Global Warming workshops for congregations and other groups, and developing a model sustainable living center at his home in Harrisonburg, Virginia. You can learn more about NCP work from their website, newcommunityproject.org.

There is no charge for attending the workshop, however space is limited so we ask that you register in advance by calling the York Center office at 630-627-7441, or jomiller071@comcast.net For more information, contact Loren Habegger at 630-852-7515, or habegger4@comcast.net.