Earth & Spirit at Grace

Go to the Earth & Spirit network site.

Environmental stewardship is a fundamental response to our covenant with God to care for creation. The mission of The Earth and Spirit Program at Grace is to raise the environmental awareness of everyone in the parish as it connects to our spiritual covenant, to care about all of God’s creation, to act to protect and restore its integrity, and to facilitate the adoption of more earth friendly practices within the parish and in our personal lives. The Earth and Spirit Program seeks to promote this mission within our personal lives, our congregation, and the larger community.

"The bad news first: The climate is changing.
        The good news: So are people of faith."
— The Rev Canon Sally G. Bingham
in Love God Heal Earth

The Episcopal Environmental Network (an on-line group) recently asked this potent question following our Episcopal General Convention:

"What do these resolutions mean in your spiritual life and in the life of your congregation and your diocese."

They were referring to the environmental resolutions passed at Convention, including the Genesis Covenant to reduce our institutional carbon emissions by 50% in the next 10 years. Our answer, personal and congregational, will take time for us to discern.

There is a growing opportunity on Bainbridge Island for all of our households to participate in cutting energy use (and carbon emissions, where that energy comes from a fossil fuel such as coal, natural gas, or oil – greater than 50% of Puget Sound Energy’s sources). A diverse group of Islanders, including citizens and representatives from community non-profit organizations, religious organizations, local government, the school district, the business community, Conservation Services Group (CSG), and Puget Sound Energy (PSE) have formed the Bainbridge Island Energy Challenge. This is a broad-based, community-wide effort to substantially reduce Bainbridge Island’s consumption of electricity by targeting comprehensive, deep efficiency in residential and commercial facilities, implementing demand response management, and developing clean, renewable power generation and storage alternatives. Hilary Franz, a Grace parishioner, is a leader of this group, and the Rev. Jaco ten Hove, of Cedars UU Church, is on the task force.

The Challenge will be looking for residents to sign up for home energy audits and implementation of energy efficiency and conservation measures. More information about the Challenge and how you can participate will be provided in October when the Challenge launches. Additionally, Puget Sound Energy is looking for volunteers for their Demand Response Management system. If you are interested in learning more or participating in the pilot, please email Hilary Franz at hilary@hilaryfranz.com.

VIEW Bainbridge Island Energy Challenge