The North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church has been a leader in the denomination when it comes to taking care of God’s Creation. We are one (in partnership with WNCCUMC) of only two Conferences that have a full-time position dedicated to creation care, and our Conference is well-represented in the leadership of the UM Creation Justice Movement, which has worked across the connection to have resolutions passed at multiple Annual Conferences calling on local churches to improve their environmental stewardship.
We know that starting a creation care ministry at your local church can seem daunting, with many not knowing where or how to begin.. Likewise, making changes to your church property can be a costly procedure.
To assist local churches, we would like to share these upcoming opportunities.
Funding Webinar for Local Churches
April 17, 2:00, Register Here
Faith communities have new options for making significant upgrades to their places of worship. As nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations have long been excluded from government incentive programs, but that has now changed. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) makes certain tax credits available to nonprofits. (Yes, that is correct, tax credits for nonprofits even though they have no tax liability). There are also grant, loan and rebate programs available as well.
On April 17 you are invited to a webinar tailored for faith communities which will help congregations understand what is available and how to start planning improvements they can make
The presenter is John Morrison, Executive Director of NC Clean Future, a joint venture of the Center for the Environment at Catawba College and the Wake Forest University Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability. John trained as an engineer with a career in the clean energy industry, but more germane to this webinar, he is a preacher’s kid on his father’s side and the grandson of a missionary on his mother’s side, and thus steeped in church life.
Register for the webinar at this link.
District Trainings
Last year, both the North Carolina and Western NC Conferences passed similar resolutions urging local churches to form creation care teams or begin (or continue) creation care ministries. To assist local churches, both Conferences have rolled out a collaborative training workshop across the state.
Rev. Jarrod Davis, Creation Ministries Coordinator for NCC and WNCC, will lead these trainings. Topics that will be covered include the theological basis for a creation care ministry, practical tips for getting started with or ways to grow a creation care ministry team in the local church; and resources available for helping with the process. There will be an opportunity for questions following the presentation.
District training dates are below; please click on the link for your district to go to the registration page. There is a Zoom option for each training.
Gateway and Harbor Districts, April 14, 4:00-5:30, Bethesda UMC
Capital and Fairway Districts, April 20, 10:00-11:30, Apex UMC
Corridor and Heritage Districts, June 1, 10:00-11:30, Mt. Sylvan UMC