Green Group
In the past year the Green Group continued to work to make St. Ann’s and its parishioners more environmentally aware and responsible, and to provide an example to the entire community. Toward those ends, steps included:
1. Being a co-sponsor of the June Moral Ground: A Discussion of Global Environmental Ethics event at the McHenry County College Conference Center. At this event we also sold hosta plants with the proceeds all going to Heifer International.
2. Accepting the offer of Jack Porter’s LandKeepers company to maintain our three rain gardens. The gardens, which are designed to collect the run-off from our parking lot, filter it, and then return the clean water to the McHenry County water table, have needed this kind of expert care in order to become more self-sustaining. The trained environmental professionals of LandKeepers are making this possible.
3. Encouraging people to use the energy efficient dishwasher in the parish kitchen.
4. Attending the Diocesan Bishop’s Task Force on Sustainability Energy Audit workshop, and completed the audit for St. Ann’s. Also completed the Faith in Place Carbon Checklist as a preliminary energy audit for St. Ann’s.
5. Continuing to explore new opportunities for St. Ann’s.
The Green Group continues to welcome your ideas for projects, as well as your participation.
Stewardship of the Environment
What is our environment? Our church facility… our home… our community… our parks… our natural resources… the Earth. Stewardship of our environment challenges us to care for the world around us as the precious gift from God that it truly is. Good stewards of this gift protect and care for the environment. Treat the earth well — it was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children. From an Ancient Proverb
Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth, you made us fellow workers in your creation: Give us wisdom and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer, pg. 827)