Tidbits, 03/2005
UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS
Joan Lund, March 2005
In the February column I said that I would write about the January Board meeting in Boston in March because the deadline for submitting the February column occurred before the meeting. After I returned and wrote the Trustee Report summarizing the meeting for the District packet I realized each of you should/could have access to the report and hopefully will take the time (if you are interested) to read it. If not just let me know and I will send it to you via an attachment.
This month I will write briefly about the Seventh Principle Project of the UUA, specifically their Green Sanctuary Program. My interest was awakened by a Florida UU who emailed me a concern that, although the SPP is an Independent Affiliate, it is not getting the attention and funding from the UUA worthy of its importance, especially because the Threat of Global Warming was selected by GA to be the 2004-06 Study/Action Issue. The mission of the SPP is to facilitate and support the work of UUs by affirming and promoting the Seventh Principle of our Association, ?Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part?.
The SPP sponsored GSP provides a framework for study and reflection, and encourages individual/collective action for responding to the call to heal the Earth. The goals of the program include: building awareness of societal environmental issues among UUs; generating commitment for personal lifestyle changes; motivating UUs to community action on environmental issues; building a connection between spiritual practice and environmental consciousness; and building awareness of, and rectifying environmental injustices.
To provide some standardization for the use of the term GS, the SPP has an accreditation program for recognizing GS churches and fellowships who have undertaken a simple process. To begin the GS application process the applicant church must document the formation of a GS committee which must declare its intent to seek recognition as a GS church. Then the church must document completion of one accomplishment in each of three Action Areas: energy Conservation and Environmental Practices; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; and Church Communication. Within in each of these Action Areas are a number of accomplishments churches can complete.
Becoming a Green Sanctuary is a wonderful effort your church can make to address the deep seated and systemic problems that affect the health of our living planet. There is much more that could be written but hopefully I have stimulated interest in one or more of our Florida congregations becoming a GS. Further information can be found at www.uuaspp.org. As always I enjoy hearing from Florida UUs and can be reached at (813) 931-9727 or jlund@uua.org. Continue your work in our faith communities.
Joan Lund, March 2005
In the February column I said that I would write about the January Board meeting in Boston in March because the deadline for submitting the February column occurred before the meeting. After I returned and wrote the Trustee Report summarizing the meeting for the District packet I realized each of you should/could have access to the report and hopefully will take the time (if you are interested) to read it. If not just let me know and I will send it to you via an attachment.
This month I will write briefly about the Seventh Principle Project of the UUA, specifically their Green Sanctuary Program. My interest was awakened by a Florida UU who emailed me a concern that, although the SPP is an Independent Affiliate, it is not getting the attention and funding from the UUA worthy of its importance, especially because the Threat of Global Warming was selected by GA to be the 2004-06 Study/Action Issue. The mission of the SPP is to facilitate and support the work of UUs by affirming and promoting the Seventh Principle of our Association, ?Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part?.
The SPP sponsored GSP provides a framework for study and reflection, and encourages individual/collective action for responding to the call to heal the Earth. The goals of the program include: building awareness of societal environmental issues among UUs; generating commitment for personal lifestyle changes; motivating UUs to community action on environmental issues; building a connection between spiritual practice and environmental consciousness; and building awareness of, and rectifying environmental injustices.
To provide some standardization for the use of the term GS, the SPP has an accreditation program for recognizing GS churches and fellowships who have undertaken a simple process. To begin the GS application process the applicant church must document the formation of a GS committee which must declare its intent to seek recognition as a GS church. Then the church must document completion of one accomplishment in each of three Action Areas: energy Conservation and Environmental Practices; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; and Church Communication. Within in each of these Action Areas are a number of accomplishments churches can complete.
Becoming a Green Sanctuary is a wonderful effort your church can make to address the deep seated and systemic problems that affect the health of our living planet. There is much more that could be written but hopefully I have stimulated interest in one or more of our Florida congregations becoming a GS. Further information can be found at www.uuaspp.org. As always I enjoy hearing from Florida UUs and can be reached at (813) 931-9727 or jlund@uua.org. Continue your work in our faith communities.
