| Thanks to all who participated in Faith Climate Action Week, April 17th – 26th. Interfaith Power & Light’s campaign for climate healing and action is a whole week of activities in celebration around Earth Day. Now in its eleventh year, and with the help of people like you, the Faith Climate Action Week has reached close to 2-million people with more than 5,000 climate and Earth stewardship sermons and talks nationwide.
In light of the spread of COVID-19 IPL encouraged everyone to switch their events to virtual events. The Faith Climate Action Week kit is evergreen this year, and when it is safe to gather in person again, you will find yourself reaching for the kit. This year’s theme of Faith Climate Action Week, “Love Made Visible” encouraged Love Made Visible Climate March People nationwide posted photos of themselves with their signs with messages about caring for the climate to social media using the hashtag #FaithClimateActionWeek or #FCAW during Faith Climate Action Week April 17-26. Be sure to write a faith-based message and the name of your congregation on your sign. They found suggestions for messages and images from IPL leaders across the nation in the Sacred Activism Art Guide in the kit. Or they downloaded and printed this sign, or this one. Download the kit including the Sacred Activism Art Guide here Thousands joined the National Earth Day Climate Prayer – inviting members of their congregation to download the prayer to recite at 12noon local time on Earth Day. You can still click and pray along with Rev. Hendershot, IPL President and other religious leaders with their videos on IPL’s FB page. Share IPL’s FB post about the prayer to your FB page. Thousands viewed The Human Element by environmental photographer and filmaker James Balog, of Chasing Ice fame from the comfort of their homes. Due to the restrictions on gatherings required by the pandemic that prevent congregations from hosting screenings, Mr. Balog kindly provided a link to view for free for IPL congregations and their congregants to continue building awareness about climate change during this challenging time. Many congregations held post viewing discussions of the film. Hundreds joined the For Love of Trees campaign to celebrate Earth Day by planting trees in their community or through IPL’s Carbon Covenant program where $5 plants a tree that will live to maturity and sequester one ton of carbon pollution. Consider a monthly donation to offset your emissions. Report your trees planted on the For Love of Trees campaign page. Faith Climate Voter Pledge campaign – You can still invite your congregants to sign the online pledge to vote with the climate in mind. Download the postcard from the kit, take a photo of yourself with it, and post to social media with the hashtag #FaithClimateVoter and tag @interfaithpowerandlight and invite others to sign. Link to the online pledge. IPL is collecting pledges all year leading up to election day in November. Take the Faith Climate Voter Pledge Get your Faith Climate Action Week Kit with activities and postcards. |
congregations to plan acts of Sacred Activism to protect the people we love and care about who are most affected by climate change. The kit includes a Sacred Activism Guide on how and why people of faith an conscience engage in advocacy including several suggested challenges, a Sacred Activism art guide, “For Love of Trees” a special interfaith tree planting blessing and ceremony, Faith Climate Voter Pledge cards to collect pledges from your congregation to vote with the climate in mind and stickers for those who pledge, and more!
