The Bishop’s Challenge:

Activism and Community Action

Congregation Challenge:

Integrate care for creation into activism, community action, and community events.

Ready to try an action in this area?  Ideas for actions (and resource links) are below, or you can come up with your own innovative action idea and let us know about it.

Activism

Join with faith-based activism groups such as GreenFaith

Greenfaith is a multifaith group that promotes climate justice through peaceful activism.

Participate in lutheran Youth Ministry activism: No Plastics for Lent

The #NoPlasticsforLent initiative, led by young adults across the church, calls us to prayer for creation, to lament the ways we have been complicit in the degradation of the earth, and to action to care for our neighbor in fasting from the things that are hurting our planet.

Letter-writing / Phone-banking / Calls to representatives

LEAMNJ Guide to Advocacy

Food and Water Watch

"Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold and uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people’s health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests."

NJ Green Amendment for the Generations

"[Green Amendments for the Generations works] in collaboration with environmental leaders, legislators, faith groups and individuals to educate and empower communities to advance Green Amendment proposals which defend their inalienable rights to pure water, clean air, a stable climate and healthy environments, and to hold government accountable to ensure they honor the environmental rights of all people in the laws they enact, the decisions they make, and the actions they take."

Delaware Riverkeeper Network

"The Delaware Riverkeeper Network champions the rights of our communities for a Delaware River and tributary streams that are free-flowing, clean, healthy, and abundant with a diversity of life."

Potomac Riverkeeper Network

"PRKN’s mission is to protect the right to clean water for all communities and all those who live in and rely upon the Potomac and Shenandoah watersheds by stopping pollution, making drinking water safe, protecting healthy river habitats, and enhancing use and enjoyment for all."

Pinelands Preservation Alliance

PPA's mission is "[to] preserve the Pine Barrens ecosystem, promote wide public awareness of the values of Pinelands resources and issues involved in their preservation, and advance permanent acquisition of land and development rights by private and public conservation agencies."

Clean Ocean Action (Long Branch NJ - active statewide)

"COA uses research, education, and citizen action to unite and empower people to protect the ocean."

Protests, marches, bird-dogging

Fighting to shut down the Covanta Incinerator, Camden's biggest polluter

Social Justice messaging within the congregation

Encourage action and activism using tools such as the Interfaith Power and Light toolkit for climate action week

Community Action

Adopt-a-highway

"[A] comprehensive, statewide, volunteer program...to encourage volunteers to...reduce litter on state highways in an ongoing effort to enhance the appearance of New Jersey’s landscape [&] protect the health and welfare of New Jersey residents..."

Partnership with NJ Farmers against Hunger

Hold gleaning and/or Thanksgiving packing events

Community Events

Community Education events

Participate in local Green Fairs or host a Care for Creation community education workshop or event (such as a lecture or film screening).

Community-wide collection events

Act as a host for community-wide collections of plastic bags/film (Trex program), Styrofoam, etc. - items that are not accepted for municipal recycling.

Giving and Investing

Charitable giving

Give to organizations such as local wildlife refuges, nature center, GreenFaith Circle of Southern New Jersey, NJ Farmers Against Hunger, Pinelands Preservation Alliance, etc.

Investment in renewable energy or sustainable funds

Incoporate stocks/bonds from clean energy companies or funds that focus on sustainability into your congregation's savings / investment plan.

Congregations already working in these areas:

Cape May
Pastor Jeff Elliot

Christ Lutheran (Paramus)
Pastor Jonathan Westerund

St. Mathew (Secaucus)
Pastor Danielle McCleary

Trex Recycling at Our Savior in Pompton Plains

Collection point for NexTrex plastic film Recycling Challenge - open to the community.

How does the challenge work?

  1. Register on NexTrex.com to obtain access to the Trex Portal. 

  2. Collect a minimum of 1,000 lbs in a 12-month period and report recycling totals at my.trex.com.

  3. Weigh, record, and attach pictures, then deliver the collected plastic film to a participating retailer ( ACME, KOHLS, Wegmans, Whole Foods) for recycling.

Scan the QR code to find out what Trex provides, what can be recycled, and what your congregation can win!