February 21, 2023, from 6:30–8:30 p.m., PST - Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) will have its first Green Circle meeting this year. Small groups, typically 3–7 people from a congregation or neighborhood, will meet once a month on Zoom from February–June, on third Tuesdays, This year EMO's Green Circles topic will be: Resilient Communities Cohort for Congregations.
From Cherice Bock: "The first hour will be a broader group with speakers sharing stories about climate and community resilience issues that are (or are not) being addressed in Oregon, with an emphasis on the intersections between justice issues such as housing, hunger, refugees, immigration, displacement, and climate and environmental concerns. The second hour will focus on building relationships and considering the particular work of your team in contributing to climate resilience in your community."
EMO is partnering this year with friends at Together Lab and the Oregon Synod ELCA for this cohort. You can learn more here, and sign up here.
Last year EMO's Green Circles met monthly on Zoom to get to know each other a bit by reading and discussing Randy Woodley's 2022 book Becoming Rooted, The EMO objective was to "build a good network of connections around the state of people of faith who want to take action to care for this planet, our common home."
"The ELCA has collaborated with ecoAmerica’s Blessed Tomorrow program, a faith community initiative that empowers climate action and advocacy."
Click here for an ELCA pastoral statement on "creation care and climate solutions to ensure a viable, livable world" from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton
The local Rogue Valley ELCA congregation is Ascension Lutheran Church, 675 Black Oak Dr., Medford Oregon, 97504
"The present moment is a critical and urgent one, filled with both challenge and opportunity to act as individuals, citizens, leaders and communities of faith in solidarity with God's good creation and in hope for our shared future." ~ 2018 ELCA Earth Day statement