He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka. #531 The land is a chief, man is her servant.
ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia. #142 No task is too big when done together by all. *Source: Pukui, M. K. (1983). ‘Ōlelo No‘eau Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings. Honolulu, Hawaii: Bishop Museum Press. ʻŌlelo Noeau compiled by Johanna Kapōmaikaʻi Stone and Danielle Espiritu
Welcome to the Diocese's Environmental Justice and Creation Care Ministry webpage. We are currently working on getting this fully populated. In the meantime, you can get more information from The Episcopal Church's Creation Care webpage HERE. Mahalo for visiting!
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE & CREATION CARE
In Jesus, God so loved the whole world. We follow Jesus, so we love the world God loves. Concerned for the global climate emergency, drawing on diverse approaches for our diverse contexts, we commit to form and restore loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with all of Creation. The Episcopal Church’s Covenant for the Care of Creation is a commitment to practice loving formation, liberating advocacy and life-giving conservation as individuals, congregations, ministries and dioceses. Explore the Covenant HERE and sign up for the newsletter and opportunities to formally adopt the Covenant in your community HERE.
Here in the Diocese of Hawai'i, the Environmental Justice and Creation Care Task Force was formed June 2021 from a larger appeal by The Episcopal Church to address our world's environmental crisis. The task force is led by the Revs. Jenn Latham and Brianna Lloyd, along with other volunteers from around the Diocese. Together, they raise awareness and take action in our communities. If you would like to learn more or take part in this important ministry, send an email through this link HERE.
Click on the buttons below to learn more about what our task force is involved with:
Latest News and Events:
Resources for Lent
RENEWING GOD'S CREATION DAILY MEDITATIONS - Lent invites us to reflect on our relationships with God, each other, and the Earth upon which all life depends. The Creation Care Leadership Circle, a small group in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts that advises our Missioner for Creation Care, invites you to sign up to receive an inspirational daily meditation (including a short quote and an image) during the Forty Days of Lent. The quotes come from diverse sources as we honor the wisdom of many voices and traditions. Please join us for our third annual series of Lenten meditations as we contemplate the gift of the natural world and our calling to reconcile humanity with the rest of God’s creation. Register HERE.
CREATION JUSTICE MINISTRIES Lenten Resources - Take one step every day to care for God's Creation, including an opportunity to practice a plastic-free Lent. Click HERE for more information. - Listen to the podcast Green Lectionary: Lent Edition throughout Lent.
Earth Day Resources from TEC
The Episcopal Church commemorates Earth Day this year on Sunday, April 21, or any Sunday this spring by praying, preaching, and taking action to care for God’s creation. They are offering the following resources: Earth Day Sunday 2024 – Plastic Jesus: Real Faith in a Synthetic World Each year, Creation Justice Ministries creates an Earth Day Sunday toolkit with reflections, liturgical resources, sermon starters, biblical insights, and action ideas. Download the resource here.
Faith Climate Action Week with Interfaith Power & Light Interfaith Power & Light invites participation in Faith Climate Action Week, April 19–28. This year’s theme is “Common Ground: Cultivating Connections between Food, Faith, and Climate.” Sign up here.
Liturgical Resources for Honoring God in Creation: Earth Day 2024 might be a perfect time for your congregation to use these liturgical resources for honoring God’s creation, from The Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music. Also available in Spanish. Liturgical Materials for Honoring God in Creation
Action
NEW!!! 2024 Grants Available Carbon Reduction Assistance Grant (CRAG) The Diocese announces the Carbon Reduction Assistance Grant, funds to help with your Carbon Reduction projects. Projects that are likely to be supported: alternative energy source projects (solar, carbon offsets), energy audits, energy efficient appliances and light bulb retrofits, safe building tear down and removal. The Task Force would also entertain other ideas that would result in carbon reduction or energy efficiency.
Two deadlines: May 1, 2024 and November 1, 2024.
The following is the structure and criteria for the program:
A. Congregation submits request of up to $800 to the CC&EJ with the following information 1. Budget for project 2. Narrative about how project will reduce energy use/reduce carbon 3. Timeline for project
B. Review by CC&EJ Task Force 1. Congregation is in good standing with diocese and has a Green Team or has named an Environmental Coordinator as contact person 2. Proposal has clear funding request and demonstrates how the funds will be used to reduce carbon/energy use 3. Timeline is reasonable so that funds will be used in 2024 budget year.
Check out the Hawai`i Episcopal Schools who are doing good sustainability work driven by students:
‘Iolani Community Engagement Project: Creation Care Infographics for Church Bulletins, Newsletters, Etc. Sharing their gifts and learning with our Task Force, four 'Iolani students have created a set of 25 infographics on the theme of creation care. These infographics can be used by any diocesan church or school that may want to publish in their weekly church bulletin or newsletter or, for example, to help educate around a Lenten environmental theme. The infographics include individual action items and environmental facts and tips. The team also created a website with information on meat consumption, solar power, and individual actions.
Youth Citizens Climate Lobby Club at `Iolani `Iolani students are leading the way in the democratic process, using their voices to express their concerns for the environment and lobbying their legislators for policies and laws that will help protect their island home.
Seabury Hall Students Take Action on Maui for Better Care for Creation The Seabury Environmental Alliance is a student club that advocates for sustainable practices and organizes actions to bring love to our "other than human" neighbors. Read this for an update of the great work of SEA together with the Seabury Community Service Leadership program!
Carbon Reduction for your Church If you want to have an assessment done to help you save energy and reduce costs, contact Hawai`i Energy. This organization has a variety of programs to help households and organizations who are Hawaiian Electric customers on all the islands reduce their energy use. These are your dollars at work since Hawai`i Energy is funded by a fee you pay on your monthly electric bill.
Hawai`i Interfaith Power and Light This interfaith organization engages faith communities to raise awareness of global warming and create inspirational solutions.