Green Chalice Update #7
- kateekostecki
- Nov 24, 2025
- 3 min read
Hello! Hello! Hello!
We are moving right along with our three changes. We left off at the last meeting when we finished discussing the communion cups and started working on the coffee program. At our meeting today, we discussed the coffee program more in depth and started discussion on the Bee Houses and Wildflowers!
Coffee Program
We are going to order the Fellowship Blend for our personal use. We also plan to order a couple packages of tea. Each tea package has 6 boxes; we will take one from each flavor and sell the rest! This way, we can reduce the cost of the program and still support it! We hope to start using the coffee in the new year! For more information check out their website!
Bee Houses
(I recognize that this change will have to happen in the spring but there are some things we can get a head start on!)
It was decided that we (the congregation and Green Team) should start bringing in various supplies we will need to make Bee Houses. Once we have enough supplies we can start making them. We would like to have the whole congregation help make them, put them out and plant the wildflowers in the spring! This can be a part of a preexisting event or we can have a special event for it!
If you would like to start gathering supplies, here is a few ideas to get you started!
Paper towel/ toilet paper rolls
Reeds/ pithy stems
Metal Cans
Paper straws
Wood scraps
If you would like more information on the houses or the very special bees that will be using these homes, please visit these two websites!
Chicago Botanic Garden
CrownBees
P.S. please start bringing supplies to the church; we will be keeping supplies in the YAM Classroom!
Wildflowers
As mentioned above, we will be planting some native, drought-tolerant, wildflowers around the church! This is not only to support the bees, but also to bring natural Montana beauty to the churches gardens. These flowers are native to the area so they will survive on little water and will come back every year!
There are many organizations/businesses we could get Western Montana Wildflower seeds from but the Green Team would like for us to get them locally. We think that supporting our local community aligns with our mission. There are a handful of Montanan-owned businesses we can get seed from and when spring gets closer those decisions can be finalized. Please check out these two websites if you're interested in also planting some native wildflowers!
Native Ideals: Arlee, MT
Great Bear Native Plants: Corvallis, MT
We won't have another Green Team meeting until after the New Year; by then we will have purchased the Fellowship Coffee and hopefully collected some supplies for Bee Houses.
The holidays can be bring a lot of joy but they can also be very stressful. Seeing family and spending time with loved ones is important but the holidays can also remind us of those we have lost through the years. Please check in with friends and family who have lost friends, spouses, siblings, or family because this time may be hard for them. If you, yourself are missing someone through out the holiday season please reach out; we are here for you.
Peace and Blessings,
Kate
Title page picture: This photo was taken in Primm Meadows, just outside of Arlee, MT. This area is one of the few "official" Ponderosa Pine old growth stands left in the US. Through various conservation-oriented owners, it has remained (almost) untouched by large logging companies and remained a vital habitat for Montana wildlife. The Ponderosa Pine in the photo is no longer growing, but it still has a very important role in the ecosystem. "Snags" are dead/dying trees that are still standing; snags provide essential habitat for dozens of wildlife species. It's a good reminder that growth and youth are not always needed in order to have a purpose. Sure, the younger trees might have all there needles still, and the saplings have perfect bark and unharmed branches but snags have years of wisdom trapped in their thick bark. The main take away I have is that whether you're a youthful sapling or an old snag, you have purpose.
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