Items for your attention from Gladys Gifford:
Eco-palms
You have already received a notice about eco-palms, as a way to make our
liturgical practices encourage sustainable living among the suppliers of
our Palm Sunday symbol, but here is a reminder--check out
http://www.pcusa.org/palms/church.htm
Presbyterian Women Gathering, April 25
Presbyterian Women of WNY invite you to ”Jubilee: Sharing What We Have”
on Saturday April 25 at Deerhurst Presbyterian Church. Registration is
at 9:15. Bring a canned good. Lunch costs $5. Remember Ruth in the
Bible gleaned in Boaz’ field? There is still gleaning going on in WNY
in 2009. Come hear about it. Also the Food Bank of WNY will be making
a presentation on all their varied programs, and how we can
participate. Information will be available on other hunger programs
including Two Cents a Meal, Bread for the World, Angel Food Ministry,
Souper Bowl of Sharing.
West Valley Demonstration Project
As you all heard at the January meeting of the presbytery, the Federal
government has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for
the West Valley nuclear site. The comment period ends June 8. The
Peacemaking team (part of the Outreach20Ministry Team) will be presenting
a resolution and model letters at the March 28 meeting of the
presbytery. This resolution and model letter will serve as a guide for
all of us to submit comments to our Congressional delegation as well as
to the Federal Department of Energy.
Please be ready to ask questions and to receive the materials--in order
to energize our congregations to act on this very important issue. If
this DEIS is done properly, we can have hope that the lethal debris
buried at West Valley will be cleaned up and stored in a manner that
will respect and protect all future generations of living beings in our
region.
New York Interfaith Power & Light
I will be calling you soon--not to bring gloom and doom (necessary, but
a downer!)--but to bring hopeful news and help for your congregation.
New York Interfaith Power & Light (NYIPL) has as its mission: to support
congregations of all faiths in their actions to curb global warming and
protect the sacredness of the earth. I am an official representative of
NYIPL, and I am eager to come to your congregation and session to
present this organization and to enroll your congregation as a member.
There is no charge to become a member. Benefits are many, including
expert help in conserving energy in your buildings as well as incentives
to become a “Cool Congregation.”
Several of our congregations have already taken significant steps to
become “green,” so participation will help share your stories so that
all of us can learn how to care for creation through the stewardship of
our life-styles as well as conservation of energy.
I hope to schedule visits for NYIPL with several congregations before
Easter. Do give me a call at 836-2825, to ensure that I’ll be available
for your congregation.
That’s all for now.
See you at Presbytery, March 28!
Shalom,
Gladys Gifford, SCE (Stewardship of Creation Educator)
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