Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Spring 2013 Issue | Page 25

Committee Spotlight Stewardship of Creation: Moving Forward Martha Burford Jones On Sunday, January 13, 2013, the Rt. Rev. Ted Gulick, assistant bishop, preached at Holy Comforter, Richmond, sharing the message that we should strive to be even better stewards of God’s creation. Gulick stressed that all of creation is an outreach and manifestation of the Divine Love. The sermon tied in the theme from the preceding day’s meeting of the diocesan Stewardship of Creation Committee (SoCC), where 20 people from around the Diocese gathered at Holy Comforter in faith and hope to address concerns about God’s creation. In the course of the day, the SoCC, chaired by Craig Dubishar, welcomed new members and guests, and the room buzzed with networking and brainstorming. Among the guests were Pat Watkins, a missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church serving as the executive director of Caretakers of God’s Creation; Marco Grimaldo, CEO and president of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy; and Robert Faithful, former policy analyst, U.S. Department of Interior. All who attended were welcomed at Holy Comforter Church by the church’s HoCo Eco Steward Committee, which served a thoughtfully sustainable lunch to the diocesan groups and guests. Core to the SoCC’s mission is education. The group debated its role as educators and networkers, as well as questions of where education evolves into advocacy or action. The committee expressed appreciation to Tal Day, vice chair, for his excellent leadership in developing the Committee’s 2012 and 2013 Fall Conferences, both addressing the key local and global issues of food and agriculture sustainability. The 2013 Conference (September 21, 2013) which will include presenters on preserving biodiversity, leveraging federal programs for agriculture, genetically modified crop issues as a concern for the Episcopal Church, and bay and ocean health. Our keynote Photo: Craig Dubishar Attendees at January’s meeting of the Stewardship of Creation Committee discuss current issues during the lunch break. Seated left to right are Eleonore Spears, Tal Day, the Rev. Pat Watkins, Craig Anderson and the Rev. Joie Weiher (back to camera). speaker is the Rev. Richard Cizik, the outspoken supporter of taking action to address climate change and global warming. After the SoCC meeting on January 12, Dubishar continued to explore topics of interest with the HoCo Eco Stewards group and presented a forum on stewardship of creation after Sunday’s service with members of Holy Comforter. For more information on these topics and to sign up for our weekly “eBlast” (short, topical communications perfect for your parish e-mails, bulletins and newsletters), contact Craig at [email protected] or visit the SoCC’s website at www.caringforgodscreation.net. Blog with us at www. caringforgodscreation.net/blog and plan to attend our next meeting May 4 in Fredericksburg (location to be announced). t DOV Q&A Diocesan staff provide answers to frequently asked questions about life in the Diocese. I know we want to do some mission/service work with the youth from my church. Now what? A: Do something. Anything! As long as you’re engaging with God’s creation in the world, you are off to a great start. “Mission” or “service” trips don’t need to be big, international endeavors. They don’t even have to be overnight trips! Begin by talking to the youth in your church. Where do THEY want to go? What do THEY want to do? And most importantly, what can they reasonably give of their time, treasure and talents? Where should I even start? A: Check out the Global Episcopal Mission Network for sample forms, documents, permission slips, and much more at gemn. org. For info on trip insurance, visit gomissiontrip.com. What are other churches up to? A: The youth-related mission and service events that the churches in our Diocese are participating in and leading are as diverse as the churches themselves! Please c