OUR COMMITMENT AND JOURNEY TO CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION
For many years, our church has had an unwritten covenant to be a “green church” as a way to express our respect and reverence for God’s creation and to preserve it. To help us establish this identity, we have put these opportunities into place:
- Offered gardeners plots in a community garden
- Designed and led Peace with Justice and Earth Day worship services
- Used china and silverware at our social events rather than paper and plastic
- Advocated for preparing and eating plant-based meals providing recipes
- Installed LED lighting throughout the building
- Signed up for renewable energy with MG&E
- Outfitted the south side of our church roof with solar panels, and transferred our unused renewable energy to MG&E
- Established a food forest with help from Emily Steinwehe, who works with the Wisconsin Food Forests Project in Madison
- Planted a variety of plants this summer in a 60 x 10-foot rain garden to prevent flooding and reduce toxic run-off from our property
- Highlighted how to appropriately recycle plastics, including water bottles
- Hosted and led environmentally focused events for adults and children
- Written climate justice articles for our newsletter
Guided by the United Methodist Social Principles, we have been establishing our identity as a church that has committed to care for God’s creation in what may be small, but are nevertheless determined, ways. We believe that small steps matter and can lead us to larger ones.
One of our hopes is that the community of Monona will recognize our congregation’s commitment to creation care, will celebrate these small steps with us, and may even join us in some of this work.
Before elections, we advocate for voting for candidates who share the Christian values that are important to us including care of creation. Information about a fall 2024 forum will be coming soon.
2024 Focus
As our social justice work moves forward in 2024, we are focusing on two themes in particular this year: Care of Creation and First Nation Peoples, especially the Ho-Chunk and other Indian nations in Madison and Monona.
We hope you saw the work of the international woodcarvers who came to the Monona festival honoring Harry Whitehorse. What amazing work they created in the rainy, stormy June week they were here in Wisconsin. Although the woodcarvers were not all Native Americans, their subject matter had native themes. The carvings have been moved from the San Damiano property to Olbrich Gardens.
Upcoming Events
During the summer months, we continued our discussions of the history and mistreatment of Indigenous people in our country. We will continue to examine the First Nation Peoples theme in greater depth.
We to offer more opportunities to help us as a congregation increase our understanding of this hidden story of our nation’s history.
In early fall, we will shift from our thematic focus in anticipation of the upcoming election and once again offer a presentation about the importance of voting, using the values of our United Methodist faith to guide us. Please join us for an eye-opening uncovering of our history and heritage as Christians and as Wisconsinites who care for all of God’s creation.
Our fall events will focus on our right and responsibility to vote justly. Monona United Methodist Church will continue our collaboration with the justice ministries team at St. Stephens Lutheran Church as we explore the social justice topic of voting—for the common good of all of our citizens.
Our first event. on September 20, will be a panel presentation about why we should vote and how to cast our ballots. We will meet at 6:30 pm at Monona UMC, 606 Nichols Road in Monona
The panel for the evening includes Rev. Breanna Illéné, Director of Justice Initiatives for the Wisconsin Council of Churches, David Liners, Executive Director of Wisdom, and Madison City Clerk, Maribeth Witzel-Behl.
In October, we will continue our spotlight on voting with a presentation from Cynthia Crane, Director of the Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin. Cindy will offer us insight "beyond voting" suggesting how we can continue to work within government systems to get our voices heard on critical social justice issues.
And finally in November we will conclude our consideration of voting with a post-election follow-up about the areas where we want to stay engaged with the officials we have just elected.
Please join us as we examine this critical topic from the perspective of why voting is an act of social justice and vital to our faith.
