STEWARDS OF CREATION
A Ministry for Protecting God's Creation

“All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the way in which we use and abuse it.” This is the first sentence of the first of the six Social Principles in the “Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church.”  It is how The Book of Discipline introduces us to our responsibilities as stewards of “The Natural World” -- God’s Creation. These “faith-based” responsibilities are as much our responsibilities as are meeting the needs of young children, the elderly, the poor, and the rest of God’s children. Furthermore, they are not viewed as responsibilities of United Methodists only, but are recognized responsibilities of most, if not all, other Christians and major faiths of the world. Our stewardship responsibilities are not limited by political persuasion but are recognized by conservatives and liberals alike.

Basis for Stewardship Responsibilities

Although we pointed to the Book of Discipline for illustrating our responsibilities as stewards of God’s creation, the Bible is our true source of those responsibilities and is further supported by the first social principal of the Book of Discipline. Although we can cite many verses that refer to many aspect of God’s relation to Creation and our responsibility, a single example is Genesis 2:15 – “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

Actions as an Individuals

What kinds of actions are we talking about to fulfill our stewardship responsibilities? These actions can be small, simple, and money-saving; they can be large, complicated, and costly. They can be as simple and money-saving as turning off lights or as complicated and costly as buying a more-expensive, less-polluting vehicle that gets better gas mileage. They can be as simple and inexpensive as installing compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or as complicated and costly as retrofitting your home with a passive, solar-heating system.

Does this mean you are “going green?” Certainly! Does this mean you are an “environmentalist?” In a sense, yes, but that is not bad. You are not being asked to protest or take actions that many view negatively. What you are being asked, however, is to take personal responsibility for reducing your personal impact on God’s Natural World. If you encourage others to become stewards along the way, that is even better.

One of the mantras of going green is to follow the three R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle, in that order. Reduce -- do not take, purchase, or use items you do not need; for example, do not take a handful of napkins at a fast-food restaurant if one or two will do. We all limit the material items that we buy and use in hard economic times and should try to do it more in good economic times. Reuse -- choose reusable over disposable products; clean up with a cloth rag that you wash rather than a paper towel that you throw in the trash, for example. We have created a throw-away society, much of which is not good for creation. Recycle -- when you are finally done with an article, recycle it if you can; do not just throw it into the trash. There are means for recycling so much more of what we use than curbside recycling collects. Batteries, fluorescent lights (CFLs and regular), electronics, the list goes on. Although recycling some of these may mean a small cost to you, they result in a longer-term savings to society and future generations.

Actions as a Church

Make the stewardship habits you develop in your home life part of your church life and habits you develop in your church life as part of your home life. The Stewards of Creation small group is working to help each of you be better stewards of creation in your life at Woodlake United Methodist Church. Specifics are listed below in “What We Have Done?” and “Where Are We Going?”

How We Started!

Stewards of Creation began as a “Small Group” at Woodlake United Methodist Church (WUMC) studying the “Social Principles of the United Methodist Church.” During this study, we began to become active in areas that were drawing us in different directions. We realized we would become fragmented if we continued in this direction and decided to focus our energy and actions in one area. Unanimously we decided to focus on our responsibilities to God’s “Natural World”, hoping to (1) increase the awareness of these faith-based responsibilities for members and friends of WUMC, as well as the local community, Chesterfield County, and beyond, and (2) provide these same children of God with some of the information and tools needed for this stewardship to become a routine, personal part of their daily church, home, and work lives. Like being stewards of the needs of God’s children, being stewards of God’s Natural World is the responsibility of us all. Like being stewards of the needs of God’s children, being stewards of God’s Natural World also takes effort and does not always come without a personal or financial cost. Some financial costs bring personal financial returns; others do not. In the end, the personal returns are great, and the returns for society and future generations can be even greater. All of us should prayerfully consider our responsibilities as stewards of God’s Natural World.

What We Have Done?

Although Stewards of Creation is a relatively new group, we have become fairly active, especially for our size. Since embarking on this direction, Stewards of Creation has addressed several areas:

v  INTERFAITH SERIES: During the winter and spring of 2008 we worked with other faiths in developing a four-part interfaith series of speakers and activities promoting our responsibilities toward Creation presented at Brandermill Church. This group included members of the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths.

v  CHURCH COVENANT: From the interfaith effort, we presented a covenant for our responsibilities toward Creation which the WUMC Church Council agreed to sign.

v  CHURCH NEWSLETTER: We have provided a piece in all except two of the monthly church newsletters starting in July 2008. These have attempted to inform you of our activities and provide timely ideas for your stewardship. Read it monthly.

v  NO STYROFOAM CUPS: We have promoted having members of adult Sunday-school classes and other groups bring regular, washable coffee cups to class and other meetings rather than use disposable Styrofoam cups. Consider doing the same when you come to activities at the church or education building.

v  ADOPT-A-STREAM: Adopted West Branch, the tributary to Swift Creek Reservoir that crosses Woodlake Village Parkway by the apartments near the church. This program is through the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Adopt-A-Stream Program where groups adopt a stream and commit to cleaning litter twice a year. Plan on participating.

v  STREAM CLEANUP: Took two groups from Helping Hands out to cleanup West Branch. They really enjoyed the effort including being out in nature. We had a cleanup for the rest of the stream in October. Although well advertised, only members of Stewards of Creation attended.

v  PRESENTATIONS: We have made presentations on our responsibilities and what our group is doing for one of our women’s circles and the Forever Young Small Group.

Where are We Going?

Stewards of Creation can undertake innumerable efforts; the list can go on forever. Our goal is to provide outreach that serves as a continuing resource to the church and God’s people throughout our community and world. We must, however, limit our efforts to those we can accomplish with our limited volunteer and financial resources. We, therefore, are trying to systematically develop strategies that will help Woodlake United Methodist Church, its members, its friends, and the community make stewardship of the Natural World part of their daily lives. We want to provide the incentive, knowledge, and tools to allow each of us do this as we deem appropriate. As our membership grows and activities are completed, we will take on new tasks and expand our activities. The vision of who we are can be as endless as God’s Creation.

v  WEB PAGE: This web page is a continuing tool to meet these goals. We will use this page as one of the main avenues for providing information on what we can do to be stewards in our church, home, and work lives, as well as inform you about what we as an organized small group are doing.

v  MONTHLY NEWSLETTER: The monthly church newsletter will continue to be an outlet for keeping you aware of our activities and your stewardship responsibilities. Because newsletter space is limited, this web page will be our primary source of information.

v  RECYCLING AT WUMC: We are coordinating with the Board of Trustees to investigate the implementation of recycling at both WUMC campuses by using a commercial company to pick up recyclable materials. The goal is to make recycling an automatic part of how we function as a church.

v  GREEN CHURCH INITITATIVE: We are investigating the commitment by Woodlake UMC to become a Green Church. The Green Church Initiative is an initiative of the Virginia Conference of the UMC. It includes a covenant by the church in the areas of (1) Worship, (2) Teaching and Learning, (3) Lifestyle (Personal and Congregational), and (4) Community, National and Global Involvement. It requires signatures by the Pastor and the Chairs of Church Council, Trustees, and Missions.

v  ADOPT-A-STREAM: We will continue to with the commitment for cleanup of North Branch and likely will link efforts with a Woodlake community environmental group. We encourage members living in other communities to consider adopting their local stream. We will work with you.