Environmental Action

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

ABOUT

The mission of the Environmental Action Committee (EAC) of Village Church is to be a bold witness by advocating environmental justice for all creation. We are committed to making Village Church more environmentally aware and sustainable as an institution by reducing its environmental impact and by practicing, modeling and teaching faithful and responsible stewardship of God's Creation. Our call is to promote earth-keeping within and beyond the walls of our church. Our hope is to raise people’s awareness and to stir their conscience so that they might incorporate creation care into their daily living.

Throughout the year, EAC oversees the ongoing recycling efforts of the church and offers environmental education opportunities through Village U, Sunday school classes and displays.

Under the leadership of EAC, Village Church is certified as an Earth Care Congregation. Earth Care Congregations is a program sponsored by PC(USA)'s Department of Environmental Ministries. Certification means our church is one of 124 Presbyterian Churches nationally that have integrated environmental practices and thinking into its church life by completing projects and activities in the four fields of worship, education, facilities and outreach. The purpose of this program is to inspire churches to care for God’s earth in a holistic way by incorporating earth care into their mission and ministry.

JOIN US

The Environmental Action Committee welcomes your participation. We are always looking for new members to join our committee as well as volunteers to help with activities and events. We typically meet at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of every other month at the church. Contact Jerry Rees (913-568-4250) or Al Pugsley (913-226-7225) for more information or to learn how you can get involved.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Monarch Waystation & Butterfly Garden

EAC is in its second year of creating and maintaining a Monarch Waystation & Butterfly Garden west of the Food Pantry. This spring, the following actions occurred: clearing deadwood, pulling weeds, planting milkweeds & nectar plants, building cages, creating a map and establishing a watering rotation of eight people.

In early June, the Village youth showed up unexpectedly and performed the gift of weeding and mulching the path. Thank you to our youth!

If you are interested in helping with this garden, contact Jerry Rees or Dr. Rodger Nishioka.

Let the Sun Shine In!
Solar Panels Can Do Just That

Last October, through donations from the Environmental Action Committee,45 Solar Panels were installed on the south facing roof of the Village Church Child and Family Development Center at 9900 Mission Road. They became operational in late November, and have generated enough electricity to offset 8.72 tons of carbon emissions (the equivalent of 215 trees).

The building has been electrically and structurally designed to accommodate an expandable array of 268 solar panels, capable of supplying about 2/3 of the building's electrical demand. The EAC has set a new goal of installing 30 additional solar panels at a cost of $22,500. The committee is about 77% toward that fundraising goal. Please consider making a contribution by sending a check payable to “Village Presbyterian Church: to the attention of Marianne Weber at 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208. Write “SOLAR PANELS” on the memo line. Contact Al Pugsley at 913-226-7225 with questions.

As an investment that will eventually pay for itself in dollars, the use of solar panels will reduce the annual operating costs of the Center during the 25-year life of the panels, resulting in savings that will support our mission and ministry with children and their families. Not included in the calculation of dollar savings is the significant reduction of so-called indirect costs associated with the consumption of electricity generated by coal-fired power plants. These involve the extraction, transportation, and aftereffects of a variety of harmful emissions that contribute to health problems and climate change.

Since December, these 45 solar panels have generated enough electricity to offset 8.72 tons of carbon emissions (the equivalent of 215 trees).

Ultimately, the installation of solar panels is about faith, hope, and love. As the solar array is expanded to its full capacity, these panels will contribute to the health and wellbeing of future generations of God's people and God's creation. By contributing to the purchase of additional panels, you have the opportunity to make an immediate and tangible investment in clean, renewable, inexhaustible energy. During the 50+ year life of this building, these solar panels will constitute a legacy for the Day Care children and their children.

EARTH CARE CONGREGATION RECERTIFICATION

In March 2016, Village Church was certified as an Earth Care Congregation for the sixth year in a row! Earth Care Congregations is a program sponsored by PC(USA)'s Department of Environmental Ministries. The purpose of this program is to inspire churches to care for God’s earth in a holistic way by incorporating earth care into their mission and ministry.

To become certified, a church affirms an Earth Care Pledge to integrate environmental practices and thinking into all aspects of its church life and to complete projects and activities in the four fields of worship, education, facilities and outreach.

Certification is based on a scoring system that counts sustainable practices and earth care actions. Re-certification requires 50 points with a minimum of 5 points in each category.

Using a scoring sheet, the Environmental Action Committee (EAC) performed an environmental audit of activities and projects between April and December 2015. Village Church earned the following points:

Worship 22
Education 83
Facilities 63
Outreach 104

With 272 total points, re-certification is recognition of what has been accomplished by various groups within the church (not just EAC). The Earth Care Congregation certificate hangs above the drinking fountain between the Chapel and Friendship Hall.

Since the program's launch in July 2010, 191 Presbyterian churches across the U.S. have become certified as an Earth Care Congregation. Four of them are from Heartland Presbytery: Village Church, Grace Covenant, Rolling Hills and Second Presbyterian.

Certification honors churches that make the commitment to be stewards of God’s Good Green earth and encourages other churches to follow their lead. Also, congregational members are invited to participate as individuals by completing similar actions in their homes.

Contact Jerry Rees at 913-568-4250 or reesveenstra@aol.com if you have questions.