CRC Gives Green Grants

March 3, 2009 – Two agencies of the Christian Reformed Church have announced that Covenant CRC of Sioux Center, Iowa, is the winner of the first annual U.S. Green Congregation Grant. To win the competitive $500 prize, congregations concerned about the environment had to demonstrate “effective and replicable ‘greening’ through education, lifestyle, and theological initiatives.”

Covenant CRC submitted curriculum for a four-day Creation Care Day Camp next summer that focuses on composting, deciduous tree and insect life cycles, and organic gardening. The church is active in local government, community organizing, and the region’s universities.

One church member says he believes that “God is concerned about careless behavior and unthinking misuse of his creation, and our culture is primed to discourage good conservation measures. We need to encourage one another to live responsibly.”

The more than 1,000 Christian Reformed churches across the U.S. and Canada had the opportunity to compete for the nationally-based Green Congregation Grant last fall.

Among the dozens of entries received, evaluators awarded the grant to Covenant CRC based on the project’s ability to be replicated, environmental impact, potential for congregational and community transformation, and creativity.

“Some of our churches have already been making changes to their facilities, worship, and lifestyles in order to care for God’s creation,” says Kate Kooyman, Congregational Justice Mobilizer for the CRC’s Office of Social Justice and the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee.

“We want those congregations to share their experiences and resources as well as encourage others to get involved in combating very real threats to the creation that God calls us as Christians to keep.”

Grant evaluators found many worthy efforts among the grant submissions -- and added two second- place U.S. grants of $200 each. One of these grants was awarded to Seymour CRC in Grand Rapids, Mich., and the other went to Third CRC in Lynden, Wash.

Seymour CRC’s funding will expand an ecumenical partnership with Alger Heights CRC and Tabernacle Church in Grand Rapids to grow an inner-city garden club. Third CRC in Lynden will expand its organic community garden, “Five Loaves Farm,” which includes a greenhouse and raised plant beds made from reclaimed cedar planks that members planed themselves.

Part of the grant project’s aim, Kooyman says, is to further draw together a network of churches involved in creation care that have access to each other’s resources and ideas.

“At the denomination’s annual Synod in 2008,” Kooyman says, “the Board of Trustees requested that we make resources available to Christian Reformed congregations to help them practice justice and mercy in being good managers of our environmental resources.”

Grant winners agree to share their ideas to encourage environmentally responsible behavior in other congregations. Starting this month, grant submissions and links to the premier issue of the Justice Seekers e-zine on “Creation Care” can be accessed at www.crcjustice.org. The Green Congregation Grant application period for this year will open in August 2009.

“Cultural, political action, and change happen slowly,” says a Covenant CRC member. “It takes time to educate ourselves so we can speak knowledgeably with governing bodies and others about the environmental issues that concern us.”

For more information about CRWRC, visit www.crwrc.org or call 1-800-55-CRWRC. Or contact Beth DeGraff, , 616-648-7821, or Kate Kooyman, 616-648-6068, or email kkooyman@crcna.org.

CRWRC is a Christian, non-profit organization of the Christian Reformed Church in North America ministering in development, relief, and justice education with people in need in 30 countries around the world since 1963.

--Beth Degraff, CRWRC

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