United Church of Christ - Survey - Green Justice Congregation

Green Justice Congregation

We challenge all our United Church of Christ congregations to become Green Justice Congregations. It is about a transformation of our hearts and minds to see God's creation in new ways that lead to living in new ways. It is about acting on new values in your life and in the life of your community.

*1.

Question - Required - Congregation

*2.

Question - Required - City

*3.

Question - Required - State

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Question - Not Required - Worship and Education

	Preach an environmental stewardship sermon * (1)
	Hold annual Earth Day Sunday with appropriate liturgy and hymns (2)
	Conduct a 6 week bible, book, or small group study on stewardship of creation (4)
	Show an Environmental Justice film * (1)
	Invite speakers on environmental justice to special church events * (1)
	Take a "toxic tour" and report back to congregation (2)
	Measure the carbon footprint of the church facility and staff and pledge to reduce it by 10% a year (3)
	Set up a program to measure the carbon foot print of each family in the congregation (5)
	Send a member of your congregation to a UCC Center for Environmental Justice Workshop or a Justice LED training * (3)

Question - Not Required - Coordination & Communication

	Form an on-going church "Green Justice Team" (5)
	Include a "Green Justice" column in your church newsletter (2)
	Shift church communications from paper to electronic media - as much as possible (1)
	Sign up at least 50% of your congregational households to the Justice and Peace Action network (3)

Question - Not Required - Equipment

	Put office machines on power strips and unplug rarely used appliances(1)
	Replace old heating/air conditioning units with energy efficient models * (5)
	Buy Energy Star appliances * (1)
	Install water saver or dual-flush toilets throughout the facility * (1)
	Install tankless or solar water heater(s) (4)
	Install ceiling fans in rooms for circulation and reset thermostat (2)

Question - Not Required - Stewardship

	Assist members in reducing junk mail (1)
	Recycle paper/bottles/cans (2)
	Shift to reusable dishes/utensils in church kitchens and rooms (2)
	Shift to environmentally sensitive cleaning products (1)
	Review church investments for environmental justice impact (3)
	Shift to "fair trade" and environmentally friendly items for regular consumption (2)
	Shift to locally grown food as much as possible for church events (1)

10.

Question - Not Required - Energy Use

	Conduct a professional energy audit of the church facility (5)
	Clean radiators/heating ducts/refrigerator coils regularly (1)
	Turn off computers and other appliances overnight or when not in use (1)
	Install and use programmable thermostats (3)
	Replace incandescent bulbs with CFL's (2)
	Insulate/weather strip church pipes/wills/ceilings/doors/water heaters/wall outlets (2)
	Install energy efficient fluorescent lights/ballasts (2)
	Use blinds to help regulate temperature (1)
	Purchase "clean" or "green power" for the church (1)
	Replace old windows with energy-efficient windows (1)
	Replace old doors with energy0efficient doors or install storm doors (1)
	Install solar panels for electricity generation (5)

11.

Question - Not Required - Transportation

	Institute "walk/bike/carpool to church" days (1)
	Develop a car pool system for church activities (2)
	Install bike racks at your church (3)
	Intentionally carpool to local, regional, or stat church events of meetings (2)

12.

Question - Not Required - Natural Surroundings

	Shift to organic lawn/landscape care (4)
	Establish a community garden at the church (5)
	Build a rainwater garden or landscape (5)
	Utilize xeriscaping for lawns/landscaping (4)
	Plant deciduous trees on south and west sides of church buildings (3)

13.

Question - Not Required - Advocacy

	As a congregation, join your state's interfaith power and light organization (4)
	Hold a letter-writing campaign to elected officials at local, state, or national levels to tell them that environmental justice should be reflected in public policy decisions * (1)
	Visit your elected officials at the local, State, or national levels to tell them that environmental justice should be reflected in public policy decisions * (1)
	Join with other congregations to pool resources and energy for community efforts towards environmental justice (3)
	Hold an educational/advocacy event about such groups as 350.org or Transition Towns (2)

14.

Question - Not Required - Other events, items, or actions can earn points. We encourage creativity and actions customized for your setting. Write a brief description and estimate the points based on comparison with other criteria.

15.

Question - Not Required - *NOTE* Some of these tasks can be repeated for additional points. If your congregation has participated in the starred activities more than once, please list the activity and the number of points earned for that activity here.