Becoming a Green Chalice Congregation!
- kateekostecki
- Oct 2
- 3 min read
Hello! My name is Katee Kostecki and I am a student at the University of Montana. My main focus is Forestry but I am also minoring in Climate Change Studies; both of which require some "independent" work before I graduate (in December). As a very active member in the FCC Missoula congregation and a very environmentally conscious person, this Green Chalice program is a perfect opportunity for me to fulfil my school requirements and help the congregation reconnect with creation.
Why does this matter?
There is a growing movement in religious groups and communities, which is, we might have more in common with environmentalist than we thought. I might have lost a couple people there but stay with me.
God tells us to take care of creation; in fact we have a responsibility to do so.
Here are some Bible verses that I found helpful on this topic;
Genesis 2:15: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
Job 12:7-10: “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
Romans 8:19-21: “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”
*There is plenty of scripture on this topic so please explore further!
Environmentalism, considered a philosophy, ideology, and social movement is defined by "a concern about and action aimed at protecting the environment".
Please check out this link https://www.britannica.com/topic/environmentalism if you are interested in learning more about environmentalism.
The main goal of the Green Chalice is to bridge the gap between congregation and environment. The mission statement is as follows...
"Our mission is to connect Christian faith, spiritual practice and creation consciousness in order to demonstrate the fullness of God’s shalom"
What WE, as a congregation, can do!
Under the General FCC Disciples of Christ Church congregations can work to achieve the "Green Chalice" certification. For more History on the program, please see the "History of the Green Chalice" post.
There are two tiers congregations can be in
Green Chalice Congregation/Assembly
CERTIFIED Green Chalice Congregation or Assembly
To become a Green Chalice Congregation/Assembly the congregation must...
Form a Green Team
A couple motivated individuals from the congregation agree to meet and help lead the congregation through this journey
Sign the Green Chalice Covenant
This covenant can be found on the Disciples Home Missions website page OR I have it on the "Green Chalice Update #1" post
Make three changes
You can find specific changes listed on the "changes YOU can make to be more environmentally conscious" post. The congregation will choose 3 of these things and then do them!
*These are the steps we, FCC Missoula, will be focusing on in the next few months.
To become a CERTIFIED Green Chalice Congregation or Assembly the congregation must...
Go through the three steps above
Notify the Green Chalice Minister of your commitment
With the Certification Overview document (below) complete the Five-Step Certification Process
Please check this PDF for more information!
What YOU, as an individual, can do!
Join the Green Team!
Become a climate ambassador (more information coming)
Make three (or more) changes at home
Embrace the changes we will be doing and encourage others to participate
Look into what the Bible says about taking care of creation
Look into what science says about taking care of creation
I will be posting updates every week, as well as posting a Vlog on the FCC Missoula Youtube page so if you would rather hear me talk about this check out the link below! Most, if not all updates, will be much more personal and have much less information regarding the logistics so please refer back to this post if you have any questions.
Peace and Blessings,
Kate
Link to FCC Missoula Youtube page here!
If you want to go to the source,
all the information on Green Chalice (and more) can be found here!
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