What are you doing to mark Earth Day (April 22) 2020? Find some inspiration from St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lititz, whose members are partnering with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the Lancaster Conservancy to transform three acres of grass behind their church building into a National Wildlife Federation “Sacred Grounds” covered with native trees, bushes, meadow grasses, and wildflowers. A grant with the Alliance will provide all the seeds and seedlings to restart a forest and meadow in Lititz. A native earthscape will create a beautiful and attractive green space that will benefit the broader ecosystem and community.

The congregation formed a green team under the leadership of Pastor Matt Lenahan, pastor for mission and outreach at St. Paul and director of the Wittel Farm Growing Project in Elizabethtown. The green team and Lancaster Conservancy habitat specialists are preparing to offer a Sacred Grounds workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., April 18. The workshop is open to the public. The team will also offer an adult forum at noon on April 19 that will share ways to practice ecological stewardship in a time of climate crisis. They will share both the biblical rationale and the ELCA Social Statement on Caring for Creation as the roots of our moral calling as Lutheran Christians called to restore creation, and LAMPa will provide opportunities and resources for advocacy.

Do you have an Earth Day commemoration that you’d like to share, or would you like to have a conversation about how you can add advocacy to your event? Contact us here.

“It has been an amazing blessing to partner with the Lancaster Conservancy and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to steward church lands in ways that honor our commitment to creation care and natural habitat restoration,” Lenahan said. If you would like to learn more about how you can steward church or private land to create native habitat, contact Pastor Lenahan here.

Lutherans Restoring Creation shares another creative way to celebrate this year’s 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. They have decided to take on a challenge of inviting at least 50 Congregations in their synod to make a Covenant with Creation in honor of Earth Day turning 50! Want to take the challenge? Follow these steps below and let them know how it goes!

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