Earthwise

Local, healthy, delicious foods -- delivered to Mayflower!
Mayflower will be a host site for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm again this year. That means you can have organic, sustainably grown vegetables and/or fruit delivered to church for pick up once a week starting early June and going through September. Fresh produce grown on a local farm and delivered right here—and an opportunity to support a food system that contributes to our vision of an environmentally sustainable congregation. If you think a full share will be too many veggies, we will try to match you with another household to split a share. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 612-845-4788; or to sign up directly, visit www.mnfoodassociation.org.

Mayflower is an Earthwise Congregation! As people of faith, we are called to be earth-loving and earth-wise. That is why Mayflower has developed a model promoting ways churches can play an active role in changing our energy and resource consumption patterns. A resolution calling for the United Church of Christ to affirm this designation (similar to the “Open and Affirming” designation) was approved by the Minnesota Conference of the UCC in 2008 and by the national gathering of the UCC in July 2009. The Mayflower congregation officially voted to become an Earthwise Congregation at the all-congregation meeting on February 8, 2009. Read the resolution here.

Earthwise Groups at Mayflower
Today at Mayflower three communities are united under the vision of the Earthwise Resolution:

The Earthwise Action Core Team (E-ACT) holds the overall vision of the resolution and works to implement the Earthwise designation at Mayflower. This team currently is working with the BWBR|Harris architectural firm to complete a full-scale energy audit and develop a multi-phase plan to make Mayflower a carbon neutral building. This team meets monthly during the week.

The Green Action Team organizes monthly creation stewardship themes designed to help Mayflower church and its members be better stewards of the Earth through practical lifestyle changes. This team meets on the first Tuesday evening of every month. For more information, contact Rev. Gretchen Deeg: (612) 824-0761 ext. 133.

The Caring for Creation Adult Education community meets every Sunday between services to celebrate the cycle of seasons, discuss issues about the global environment, and support one another in personal commitments to live earth-friendly lives. For more information, contact Teddie Potter through the church office: (612) 824-0761.

Mayflower as an Energy Model of Hope: Carbon Neutral by 2030
Mayflower's E-ACT brought the BWBR|Harris Energy Audit Team to Mayflower on Sunday, Jan. 29 to hear from us and help us plan for how to best become carbon neutral by 2030. More than 50 Mayflower members joined in the discussions about why carbon neutrality is important to us, ways Mayflower can be a model of hope to other faith-organizations, and how we can turn our work at Mayflower into a movement across the state and nation! To see a glimpse of these discussions check out this slideshow presented at the forum. 

Earthwise work at Mayflower
Read a history of Mayflower's Earthwise work here.

Power Down
Mayflower's Green Action Team urges us all to show our love for creation by "powering down" this month. How much energy do we use? How much is essential? How much is wasted? One way of answering these questions is have a home energy audit. Another way is to look around your house and focus on how energy is used. Are cold drafts coming into you house around doors and windows? Are lights left on in empty rooms? Practice TOLBY (Turn Out Lights Behind You)! These are energy wasters that can be fixed. Check out this useful link providing energy ideas for kids.

Reduce Toxins in the Home
Search your home for hidden toxins that are not healthy for you or the earth! Start with your cleaning supplies and get rid of those with toxins.