Vision 2025: Loving the earth

Our Vision 2025 sets out as one of our core values caring for creation. It reads:

We desire to care for all of God's creation. We will reduce our environmental footprint. We will provide educational opportunities for our congregation and community to promote good stewardship of our natural resources.

This goal has been chosen by your congregational council as one of our first projects to pursue. President Kaaren Hatlen is in the process of forming an ecology team who will help us pursue these goals.

In 1993 the ELCA adopted a social statement entitled "Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice." This church has had a desire to help heal the deep wounds that humans have caused to this earth. In this document it reminds us that

Christian concern for the environment is shaped by the Word of God spoken in creation, the Love of God hanging on a cross, the Breath of God daily renewing the face of the earth.

For us in the Pacific Northwest we are especially aware of the consequences of a deteriorating environment. The Summer of 2018 was one of forest fires and intense smokey days. Our fish and game are affected by our mismanagement and the list could go on.

For First Lutheran Church it is an important work we are attempting. What we do really does make a difference. We will be looking at how we process our waste, how we use electricity, and alternative power sources such as solar. It means changing the culture of our community to be better stewards of what we have.

As we consider our financial commitment to FLC I hope you will consider whether this work is something you are called to do. If you are interested in serving to help FLC become an eco-friendly community contact President Hatlen.

God saw everything that was made, and indeed, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)