Welcome to the Green Team
Kenilworth Union Church Green Team was formed in the fall of 2019 to encourage us as a church community to be good stewards of God’s creation. Our members are: King Poor and Katie Nahrwold—Co-Chairs, Kathryn Freemond, Gail Pascus, Julia Peterson, Ann Wortel, and J.P. Ruck—high school representative.
Putting together a Green Team also gave Kenilworth Union the opportunity to become part of a statewide organization, Faith in Place, whose mission is to support hundreds of houses of worship across Illinois to “be leaders in caring for the Earth, providing resources to educate, connect, and advocate for healthier communities.”
Guiding Principles
The Lord is an everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. —Isaiah 40:28
Our faith calls us to be good stewards of an earth that we share with family and friends, communities nearby or across the globe, and generations yet unborn. And because of this call, Kenilworth Union Church has established a Green Team with these guiding principles.
Educating: Caring for our earth begins with awareness. It means educating ourselves about the challenges facing our environment and raising awareness both within our church and communities beyond.
Inclusion: To be good stewards, we need each other. We welcome a variety of outlooks and voices, including people. of all ages. And we will remember too not to seem “Greener Than Thou.”
Practical Progress: We will seek practical ways to make our church home more sustainable. We also seek to work with other houses of worship, advocate, and be mindful that poor communities often suffer the most from environmental pollution.
Celebrate: God created a world of great beauty and wonder and we will pause to celebrate it. We will celebrate as well the progress of projects within our church or with other communities.
Prayer: Amid news of the environment that is daunting and discouraging, this unshakeable truth sustains us: God loves God’s Creation. With humility, we will pray for the wisdom and courage to be good stewards and care for the creation God loves.