WCPC is an Earth Care Congregation.

Creation Care Team • Earth Care Congregation
 
 

                                                            

WCPC is an Earth Care Congregation and as part of that, we pledged our church to the defense and healing of creation. And caring for God’s world takes a lot of work!

 

The Creation Care Team is a committee of the Session that has undertaken many projects, some of which are listed or described here. If you want to be involved in keeping our church green, helping to inform our church families on related topics, and improving our community, this just might be the group for you!

 

The Creation Care Team conducts an annual audit of WCPC’s earth care actions of the previous year and looks forward to the next. This is an essential part of getting recertified as an Earth Care Congregation by PC(USA). More importantly, it gives us a chance to reexamine what we’ve done and what we could do toward our mission of protecting and healing God’s creation.

 

As part of planning, we consult with our church leaders on four main areas: worship, education, facilities, and outreach. From this, we develop a list of environmentally responsible actions to be undertaken during the upcoming. Team members can work with these leaders to implement actions and to develop new initiatives.

 
To volunteer for this team or for more information contact Cinda Hitchcock, cchtx@att.net
 
This is our friend W.C. Peezy,
the official Praying Mantis for
the Creation Care Team.  
 
 

Saving Energy

 
Current Activities of the Creation Care Team
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

          

Thinners & Sinners Garden Group: meets the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month at 8:00 a.m. Anyone who wants to can work in the gardens and green space of the campus. On-going efforts include restoration of the Prayer Garden, work on a butterfly/pollinator garden, on-going weed patrol, care in chemicals used, and coordination with Mow & Blow Team.
 
 

        

Pathway Clean-Up: We have adopted the pathway along W. Panther Creek from Woodlands Parkway to Lake Woodlands Drive. We pick up litter quarterly on Saturdays. All are welcome!
 

        

Environmental Portfolio: We seek to understand our resource use by tracking electricity and water usage through a portfolio manager from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We also maintain a detailed record of energy use.
 
        
 
Nature Art Exhibit: A month long art exhibit is organized each year in April. The first exhibit was in April 2016 with an event larger display in the Sanctuary Narthex in April 2017.
 
 
        
 
 
Clean-Up/Green-Up: We organize a team for the annual Clean-Up/Green-Up celebration in The Woodlands. We concentrate on the areas near the church grounds but also along nearby pathways and streets. We often work with other groups cleaning up the same general areas.
 
        
 
 
Creation Care Sunday: This Sunday may include the sermon, Sunday School class or class, bike/walk to church Sunday, or special information displays of Creation Care Team activities.
 

        

Creation Care Articles: Throughout the year, the Creation Care Team writes articles and notices on topics related to an earth care congregation.
 
        
 
 
Campus-Wide Recycling: We have improved recycling capabilities at the church with new recycling bins and barrels. Team members take responsibility one month at a time to collect recyclables, which are then deposited in home recycling bins. Team members also deliver glass that is collected to the Township Recycling Center on Wednesdays or Saturdays. As part of this, we encourage recycling awareness as part of any activities at the church.
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If you want to be a part of the important work of the Creation Care Team, contact Cinda Hitchcock (713-542-8245 or cchtx@att.net).
WCPC Awarded Energy Rebate

 

Our congregation has again been awarded an incentive payment for the energy savings we are accomplishing with the installation of three new higher efficiency HVAC units. This $3,955 rebate brings the total incentive  payments WCPC has received to almost $13,000 over the last couple of years. These efforts reduce carbon emissions as well as other pollutants emitted by power plants that provide our electricity. In addition to these payments, we are reducing our electricity bills.

More importantly, saving money by reducing harmful emissions means we also have more financial resources as a church community to invest in the mission of the church. The Creation Care Team initiated these improvements through the process of becoming an Earth Care Congregation, which provided the structure for us to consider more closely our creation care actions and facilities. Lighting was our first target followed by heating/air conditioning. We are currently testing new WIFI thermostats on the six Sanctuary units.     (Jan 2017 WCPC Newsletter)

LINKS FOR MORE EARTH CARE INFORMATION
A Call to Engagement: Faithful Responses to Climate Change (Oct 2, 2015)
 The Woodlands GREEN      
Pollinator Gardens at WCPC
 
The Creation Care Team and its Thinners & Sinners gardening group include the creation of pollinator and host gardens as part of our mission. We are working with The Woodlands Township’s community pollinator program, and we have registered as a Monarch Way Station and as a SHARE Landscape, part of the national Pollinator Partnership.