small(er) blog

Bottled Water Backlash

2007-10-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

Just wondering if anyone out there has seen a similar Bottled Water Backlash in their faith community?

Lose "environmental"

2007-08-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

"...there is a soullessness to the word "environmental" that lets even crappy preachers run roughshod over it. I cherish men and women who live as if the statements "The kingdom of heaven is within you," and "Hate ceases by love," and "Worship God as though you see Him" are true. And are these words by Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad "environmental statements"? Not really. They're much more. Those of us engaged in the earth's battle for survival need deeper, higher, more lovable descriptions of our daily efforts. The "environmental movement" is a caterpillar in the process of being transformed into a much more beautiful butterfly. It's time to let the e-word go and find a butterfly of a word."

David James Duncan from By Book and by Hook
ht: Malcolm Johnson

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Small(er) summer camp

2007-07-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

Jordan blogs today about the small(er) steps Camp Qwanoes is taking to reduce it's impact on the environment. Is anybody else out there hooked up with a summer camp that's doing anything similar? If so, we'd love to hear about it!

A Rocha videos and talk

2007-06-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

As part of a series we're doing on the move from "doing missions" to "being missional" we spent an evening last Sunday looking at the church's mission to the created world around us. Markku "Dr. Soil" Kostamo from A Rocha Canada came and spoke to the challenge/responsibility. You can give his talk a listen here, and we've also posted two videos he brought along with him below.

Enjoy!

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Small(er) Landscaping

2007-06-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Does anyone out there know of a church community using small(er) landscaping practices like reel/push mowers, rain collection, hand-weeding? If so, we'd love to hear your stories.
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It's sunny outside

2007-06-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

Seems to be the same forecast right across the country. Make sure you're playing in it.
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Hallowed Ground | Thursday May 31st

2007-05-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

Who: Church leaders, stewardship teams, environmental committees, interested churches and community members

What: Hallowed Ground: The Church and the Environment
A workshop about making your church green-er

Where: Ontario Street Baptist Church

When: Thursday May 31st | 6:30-8:30 pm

If you're around Southern Ontario, this looks like its going to be an excellent night of inspiration, networking, education and general overall fun. To find out more visit the C.A.R.E Stratfod site or read the press release below.

Join the Stratford & District Council of Churches, CARE Stratford and Stratford's Energy & Environment Committee to learn how to green your world and your church.

We invite church leaders, stewardship teams, environmental committees, interested churches and community members, to work together to reduce the environmental impact of worship spaces in Stratford.

Listen to Don Eaton of the Elora Centre for Environmental Excellence share his expertise on energy efficiency for church buildings; view local environmental information displays; share ideas about how energy can be saved in church facilities; and contribute other environmental practices to your fellow community members.

The event takes place on Thursday, May 31st from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Ontario Street Baptist Church. Please RSVP Terry Hastings at thastings@knoxstratford.on.ca

Refreshments will be served beforehand. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the program will run from 7-8:30.

If you have planters (3-6"), used cell phones, printer cartridges or socks that you no longer need, please bring them with you.

For more information contact:
Terry Hastings
Minister, Knox Presbyterian Church
Stratford, ON
thastings@knoxstratford.on.ca

Kerry McManus
C.A.R.E. Stratford
(519) 271-4500 ext. 24
carestratford@cyg.net

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Clean Air Day | June 6th

2007-05-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

National Clean Air Day is around the corner. If you've got any witty things planned to help celebrate the day (or the rest of Canadian Environment Week) let us know and we'll pass the word around.
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BC/Everyone Turns it off

2007-05-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

If you're in BC, you've probably heard of tomorrow's (May 16th) BC Hydro sponsored "Turn it Off!" event. Basically, they're encouraging businesses and homeowners to turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment as part of their 30 Days of Sustainability initiative.

But why keep this party in BC eh?! No matter where you're reading this from take a quick lap around the house tomorrow (heck, even now) and unplug the stereo you aren't listening too, turn the lights off in the room you just left, take your cell phone charger out of the wall...

Happy turning-off'ing!

Join the facebook group.

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Re-thinking Mission | Thinking Small(er)

2007-05-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

Although there is a growing debate surrounding the whole concept of short-term missions, the reality is they are still a powerful and effective way to reach out to people in the name of Christ around the world. Let's leave that debate aside. Our concern is about thinking small(er) missions. If your church is anything like my church, trips to far-off, exotic locations have often been glamorized as the epitome of short-term missions. They require lots of fundraising, expensive flights and all that jazz. Why emit oodles of carbon dioxide when "the least of these" - the poor, the hungry, the imprisoned, the naked - are mere kilometres from us?

This summer, we'll be trekking a couple of hours north of Toronto to a Native Reserve on the shores of Georgian Bay to run a day camp for a week under the umbrella of DayStar Native Outreach. Did you know there are 27,000 orphans from Native Reserves? The rates of suicide, depression, mental illness, alcoholism and drug abuse sky-rocket among Native Reserves. As Parliament debates about offering a formal apology for the travesties that occurred in the residential school system, we have an opportunity to re-think short-term mission: think small(er)!

We'll camp on a Provincial Park site for the week. Total cost per person: ~$300. Total transportation required: 1 or 2 vans. Don't get me wrong, we are all called to different places, but our neighbours near us need God's Body reaching out to them as much as our neighbours in far-off places. That's Small(er) Missions.

Summer Conferences

2007-05-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

If you're attending, hosting or planning any gathering of sorts near the intersection of faith and all things good and green and small(er), we'd love to hear about it....feel free to use the comments to this post, or send us something bigger and we'll see what we can do!

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Walk to work day/less is often more

2007-04-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

The cool thing about this idea is that it realizes that many people live so far from work that to walk the whole way would equal a day off! In light of this, the campaign encourages long-distance commuters to figure out a way to fit in at least 30 minutes of walking along the way (in between bus stops etc).

This is the kind of compromise that will actually garner more involvement if you ask me. A "let's get closer" attitude is yet another example of the power of taking small(er) steps toward bigger goals rather than commanding "all or nothing" out of "everyone." Most people want to affect change - they want to make a difference - they don't want to be kicked out of the party because they can't stay for the whole thing.

Ask for more and you'll often get nothing. Ask for less and you'll often get more...

(cheers to Spacing Wire for the link)

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Next Up: Small(er) Summer?

2007-04-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

Possible ideas we're kicking around for some small(er) Sundays over the summer:

Sunday June 17th - Small(er) Solstice
cheeky tagline: "Shine a light by turning yours off!"
In anticipation of the longest day of the year (June 21st) we turn the church lights out on Sunday the 17th and inspire everyone to do the same when the 21st rolls around too.

Sunday August 12th - Small(er) Service
cheeky tagline: "God is on the side of the powerless"
Mark the Northeast Blackout by going unplugged for your Sunday Gathering. Enjoy a sermon with no powerpoint, create a mood by keeping the lights off, pull out the acoustic guitars and wear a t-shirt because (gasp) you've turned the air-conditioner off!

Got an idea for a small(er) event? Leave it in the comments to inspire others, go out there and do it!

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How'd Earth Day go for you?

2007-04-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

News of carpools, 40-minute skateboard journeys, travel mugs and the like are slowly trickling in from this past weekend's Small(er) Sunday: Earth Day Edition, and it's pretty rad to hear the great ways people celebrated. So, how did you kick it? Any crazy-fun/sparkle-fresh noteworthy things happen in your neck of the woods on Sunday? I mean, telling the story is often half as much fun as the act itself!

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Happy Small(er) Sunday/Earth Day

2007-04-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Wishing you a smooth bike ride, a leisurely stroll, a conversational carpool, an interesting busride, a great skate etc...

Have a great small(er) Sunday!

Here's to the big difference many small actions can make!
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Small(er) Sunday this weekend!

2007-04-18T20:54:00.001-07:00

Walk, Bus, Carpool or Bike to church this Sunday.Join the party!

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Earth Day party continues to spread

2007-04-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

With a few days left before Sunday's "I'm going to carpool, bus, walk or bike to church on Sunday April 22nd" event, we wanted to pop by and let you know that so far we've got people joining the party from all across Canada including: Calgary* , Edmonton, Kitchener, London, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver** and Victoria.

If you know anybody out in the maritimes or farther up north it'd be great to make this a coast-to-coast-to-coast thing! And it's rad to hear that the word has already jumped borders and oceans and spread as far as Atlanta, Georgia and Austrailia!

*Go Flames Go!
** Go Canucks Go!
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"I'm going to carpool, bus, walk or bike to church on Sunday April 22nd"

2007-04-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

We're currently trying to spread the word about some upcoming stuff to "do" on Earth Day (April 22nd). Seeing as how Christians believe Sundays are "a day of rest" we figured why don't we give our parking lots a rest and encourage everyone to pick up a few friends on the way to church that Sunday. Better yet, why not make it a leisurely stroll or meandering bike ride?! Whatever you choose to do, we'd love you to share your stories with us....

Need more help? Follow these instructions

Step 1: Carpool, bike, walk or bus to church on Sunday April 22nd.

Step 2: Convince some friends to do "Step 1" with you.

Make it a small(er) Sunday!

On facebook? Join the party here.

Fivelimes, Clean Air Foundation, Greendeals.ca

2007-04-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a good Easter Saturday morning filled with adding a few more links to the "Less Talk, More Rock" section of the website. Dig in and familiarize yourself with the following green cats:

Fivelimes
Fivelimes is a very promising looking user-defined site connecting users with maps and info about business with a green twist. Its really both easy to use and contribute to and the "add-your-own" aspect to it is quite appealing. Social networking with a splash of green.

CleanAir Foundation
Home to a number of great energy-reducing programs including: Mow Down Pollution (lawn mower retirement and rebates), Car Heaven (car retirement), and Chill Out (appliance retirement).

GreenDeals.ca
As they say, this site is good for the pocket-book AND for good for the planet. They've got a great listing of government and private incentives for a wide variety of "lighter on the planet" technologies.

Torontonian Rain Barrels

2007-04-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Greenopolis.ca has a great post about rain water today which is well worth the read. Apparently, Toronto's chipping in some change for anybody interested in making better use of rainwater. If you're in the GTA and find your church constantly getting rained upon....

BikeFriday > BikeSunday?

2007-03-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

How hard would it be to take a tip from Toronto's bikeFriday and pull of a "bikeSunday."

Any two-wheelers out there willing to check your tires and invite some friends to fill your church's bike rack on a Sunday?

Let us know and we'll spread the word.

On the paper towel note...

2007-03-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, this here post is a not-yet implemented idea, but it is in the works. I was just reading the These Come from Trees post - scary how much paper towel we use! However, for those of us in Toronto, not only can we reduce our consumption of it, but we can place all soiled paper towel in the Green Bins. So, with some well-placed signage and instruction, we are hoping to put small green bins in every washroom so that people will organicize (a new word) their paper towels rather than throw them in the garbage heading to landfills (read here for info on Toronto's garbage consumption).
And did you know you can put your paper coffee cups in the organic bin too? Roll up the Rim in the Green Bin!

Environmental Audit Guide

2007-03-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Guide to Developing an Environmental Audit for offices and institutional buildings provides a super in depth evaluation and analysis of just about every dimension of a facility's impact. This is a great do-it-yourself tool, that can easily be applied to church or religious buildings/facilities as well.

Change in Toronto's air

2007-03-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

It'll be interesting to see if any faith communities around the Toronto area will be getting involved in the conusltation and implementation phases of the city's "Change is in the Air" campaign. If you're from the area and are getting your fingers in the mix, let us know as we'd love the inside scoop. Learn more at Spacing Wire.

So far we've thought about...

2007-03-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

Although the Presence gathering isn't yet officially a month old, here are some of the things we've had to think through already...

Building...we're meeting in a public facility (an art gallery) that is used constantly during the week aside from us. Facility wise, our footprint is practically zero.

Coffee time...along with the fair trade coffee, we're also using ceramic mugs. (This works great for now, but if more than 70 people show up we're going to have to get some more mugs!)

Announcements...we're doing all our announcements and teaching notes on video screen and blog site - no printed paper.

Communion...did you know some churches actually just throw away the little plastic communion cups? We've adopted the tradition of dipping the bread into the wine/juice.

Future hopes...our aforementioned art gallery home is central to a majority of our city's bus routes, and we'd like to encourage the use of public transportation as an act of worship on Sundays.