Climate in the Pulpits / on the Bimah / in the Minbar – Fall 2019

This fall, through a partnership between Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA), Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, and Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, pastors, rabbis, imams, and other clergy in congregations across the region will be raising up Creation care and climate change as part of their sermons at weekly services and through other learning programs. Thank you for being one of many caring faith communities that have committed to working with us to raise up climate and Creation care.

Click to find the following resources below:

***Virginia resources coming soon.

Spread the Word!

Let your neighbors know your congregation is participating by sharing and tagging the Climate in the Pulpits events — DC & Maryland / Virginia — on Facebook! Use hashtag #ClimatePulpits to share photos and teachings from your congregation’s program.

– DC & Maryland Resources –

Bulletin inserts

All congregations participating in Climate in the Pulpits are encouraged to distribute bulletin inserts, ideally as part of the worship service, and to re-collect the filled-in postcards on the spot, perhaps in a collection plate as part of the offering.

If your congregation already told us how many bulletin inserts you need, the inserts you requested will be mailed to your congregation soon. If you need more, you can find pdfs below, that can be printed and copied, two to a page.

Click to download the bulletin insert in English or in Spanish.

Request a guest speaker

We can connect your congregation with skilled speakers whose environmental work is rooted in their faith traditions, and with passionate environmental educators who know how to share green skills and enthusiasm with diverse religious groups.

The speakers and teachers in our Speakers Bureau are ready to offer guest sermons, text studies, adult forum presentations, youth group programming, and skills workshops on environmental themes in local congregations, including Spanish-speaking communities. Click here to learn more and request a guest speaker.

Sample talk for speakers

For guest speakers, download our sample 5-minute talk in English and in Spanish (coming soon).

* Resources for children & youth

– Climate in the Pulpits: Children’s Message: Caring for the Gift of Creation (coming soon)
– From Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA): Light Switch Reminders coloring sheet
– From Catholic Climate Covenant: Friending Planet Earth Curriculum (youth)
– From Green Anglicans: The Story of Creation Sunday School Curriculum (children)
– From New Community Project: Operation Creation! Curriculum (children)

* Recursos para las iglesias en español

– Insertos del boletín
– De la Alianza Católica para el Clima: Cuidar la creación de Dios: Recursos para la liturgia, la predicación y la acción
– Del Columban Center: Guía de Estudio Para Personas Y Grupos Pequeños

Resources for Jewish communities

– Climate on the Bimah: Dvar torah notes for Parashat Ki Teitzei : Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19 and Al Chet: Confession for the Earth for Selichot services (September 21st)
– From Canfei Nesharim: Dvar torah on the environment for Parashat Ki Teitze
– For children, from BimBam: Parashat Ki Teitzei Video and Source Sheet
– From My Jewish Learning: Unguarded Roofs: Commentary on Parashat Ki Teitzei
– Jewish text studies: Toward a Wiser Use of Energy and Genesis and Human Stewardship of the Earth

Resources for Muslim communities

– From Khaleafa: Green Khutbah Campaign and Sample Green Khutbah
– Islamic Declaration on Climate Change

Resources for Unitarian Universalist communities

– From Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth: Honoring Earth Worship Resources
– For children & youth, from Unitarian Universalist Association: Climate Change Religious Education Curriculum