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Green Sanctuary

"Unitarian Universalism has a long history of leadership among faith communities committed to caring for our Earth and taking action on our commitments. The seventh principle of Unitarian Universalism is respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part," per the UUMFE website.

The idea of adding support for our Seventh Principle within the Unitarian  Universalist community began in 1989, and in 2005, the organization changed its name to Unitarian Universalist Ministry for the Earth (UUMFE), and instituted a process by which individual UU Congregations could become accredited as "Green Sanctuaries."

The UUMFE is focused on safeguarding our planet and its inhabitants.

 

In September 2009, our UU congregation members voted to apply, and instructed the Committee to begin the job to secure the accreditation. Although the process was rigorous and took over two years to complete, we learned much and were very proud to be one of the earliest UU congregations in Iowa to be designated a Green Sanctuary.

In brief, here’s what we did in the four required areas:

 

  1. Completed two worship and celebration projects.

  2. Established two religious education programs, one geared toward children, and the other toward adults.

  3. Organized and participated in two community environmental justice projects.

  4. Improved our Fellowship’s Sustainable Living in six areas.

High above Mississippi River

Rosecrans Falls in Clinton County

Resident Bald Eagle

We continue to work toward greater Earth-accountability in our congregation and our community, understanding that the current Climate Crisis demands that we do much more to protect our planet.

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