Creation Care Ministry

 

“Will you cherish the wondrous works of God,
and protect and restore the beauty and integrity of all creation?”

 

Join us in a new ministry at St Stephens

Creation Care was recognized as a new St. Stephen’s ministry at the Vestry’s October meeting, 2024. We take as our purpose and focus the call in the 2018 baptismal vow “to cherish the wondrous works of God, and protect and restore the beauty and integrity of all creation.”

In 2025 we’ll be focusing on green HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) options, as the parish and Vestry (the ultimate deciders) consider the choice of new HVAC system as part of St. Stephen’s renovation.

Alongside our concern for the earth’s climate crisis, we want to engage with joy, given the awe-inspiring nature that surrounds us. On April 6, we’ll be leading a Contemplative Walk at Spirit and Nature. We're collaborating with Music Director Robert Ludwig and local composer Alex Van Sant on a new composition for the 2025 Season of Creation. We hope to offer a reflection, sharing and discussion series on Creation spirituality sometime in the coming year.

Thoughts, questions, ideas? Talk to any of our current members: Co-chairs Dan Beaupré & Gaen Murphree, TM Baird, Theresa Gleason, Sarah Horton, Elizabeth Oettinger, Heather Pask. LEARN MORE

 

Events Spring 2025

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  • April 6. Contemplative Nature Walk at Spirit in Nature, Ripton, Sunday, April 6, 2-3:30pm (rain date April 12). Meet in the parking lot at Spirit and Nature.

  • May 11. “Understanding the Climate Crisis: A Faith-Based Call to Action” presentation by Vermont Interfaith Power & Light, with Q&A. Sunday, May 11, Noon-1pm, St. Stephen’s nave. Grab your coffee and snacks and come join us.

  • May 18. St. Stephen’s HVAC Options (heating, ventilation & air conditioning) presentation with Sean Flynn, Silver Maple Construction, engineer George Martin, and other special guests, followed by Q&A. Sunday, May 18, noon-1pm, St. Stephen’s nave. This presentation will focus on the three HVAC options developed by engineer George Martin through his deep analysis of our needs and our building. Grab your coffee and snacks and come join us.

  • June 1. Sacred Listening Circle led by Rev. Sarah Horton, Sunday, June 1, noon-1pm. While the Vestry remain the ultimate deciders on St. Stephen’s HVAC choice, this sacred listening circle provides an opportunity for all parishioners to reflect, share their thoughts, and listen to others.

 

“The Episcopal Church, in keeping with our following a living Christ, . . . is a learning, evolving body. Thus, as the latest climate change science and the results of the 2023 Global Stocktake
have demonstrated, it is no longer sufficient to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
we must phase out the use of fossil fuels.”

— from Resolution A098, General Convention 2024

 

Understanding the Climate Crisis: A Faith-Based Call to Action

The Creation Care Ministry began as a response to the climate crisis: parishioners asking the Vestry for the opportunity to investigate green HVAC (heating, ventilation & air-conditioning) options, as part of St. Stephen’s ongoing renovation.

As Vermonters, we’ve lived through the destruction of recent floods, we’ve seen our winters change, we’ve witnessed the spread of lyme disease (heading north as seasons warmed), we’ve read about the hurricanes and the wildfires and the rising sea levels, but what can we do about it?

In 2024, the Episcopal Church passed a resolution calling on us to eliminate fossil fuels from our buildings, transportation, and investments by 2034. This is a call to action with hands-on, practical steps. The following resources provide context for the choice we are now facing.

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Mark Gibson, of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal, helps us understand how we can love God and love creation by bringing our churches to zero emissions

 
 
 

We strive to be awake to God, listening to the still small voice in each of us and to the words of our sacred text.