The Episcopal Ecological Network (EpEN)

What does a Green Team do?

There are a lot of different avenues. The first thing is to establish your team's goals and priorities, and that will depend on the state of your congregation as well as the talents and energies of your group. Here are some ideas to just get your brainstorming going:

• Structural and energy audits
• Advocate for less waste by getting rid of Styrofoam cups at coffee hour
• Organize a thrift-store day to educate about over-consumption
• Educate around food issues and get church events to become more vegetarian-friendly
• Work for community gardens or organic/climate appropriate greenscaping around the church
• Research low-flush toilets and water use
• Connect your church with local recycling resources
• Organize carpools to church events

…and whatever creative ideas your group comes up with!

What you need to do most of all is agree, as a group, on what your goals are and commit to pursuing them - and to realize that you can't do everything at once, and that change takes time. The team needs to support its members while working for change. That's the main reason for its existence.

If you don't find the answer to your question, please send your question to
info at eenonline.org (replace the "at" with the appropriate symbol).

The EpEN is a national network of active lay and clergy persons within the Episcopal Church, USA, who share a common concern for the environment and a common belief in the presence of God in all Creation and who work to make these concerns and beliefs known throughout all Provinces and Dioceses within the church. Members come from around the Episcopal Church USA. The activities of the EpEN are focused on the areas of Reflection, Education, and Action.

If you would like to contact any of these groups or to find out more about the EpEN, please click on the links on the left.