Care of Creation Ministry
Resources to help support the care of creation in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod
The Mission of the Care of Creation Ministry is to equip congregations and individuals for active participation in the stewardship of God’s creation, utilizing what God has put before us in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, so that we may live out our baptismal calling to care for others and the world God made.
The Care of Creation Ministry does this by the following means listed in no particular order (sample actions are in italics):
Fostering Connections and Communication
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- Develop networking opportunities for congregations to share ideas, experiences, and resources and to inspire action.
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- Serve as a contact for funding opportunities from foundations, corporations, governmental agencies, and the church that support congregational care of creation projects.
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- Recommend external partnerships for the Synod, congregations, and individuals to join and/or partners’ resources to utilize.
Providing Resources
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- Provide resources to enrich our understanding of the Biblical basis of our calling and responsibility to care for God’s creation. Resources to be identified from Churchwide materials and other relevant sources.
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- Promote and provide educational resources for implementing creation care actions in church facilities and properties.
Energy conservation; switching to renewable sources of energy (e.g., solar panel installation); reducing consumption of high greenhouse gas emission foods; reducing use of resources, including food waste; reducing local pollution; engaging in climate resiliency measures (e.g., planting shade trees; reducing flooding potential; cooling centers)
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- Provide congregational worship and children/youth/adult education resources.
Accessed via partnerships (e.g., Lutherans Restoring Creation; Blessed Tomorrow; Creation Care Ambassadors; PA Interfaith Power & Light)
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- Act as a resource for congregations wishing to create or enhance their creation justice ministry.
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- Advocate and provide educational resources for congregations to develop action plans for their facilities to meet the goal of net-zero carbon emissions (i.e., become carbon neutral) by 2050.
Best practices in benchmarking current emissions; implementing plans for emissions reductions; carbon offsets.
Foster public policy advocacy and identify advocacy opportunities on behalf of creation
Partnership with Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa; https://www.lutheranadvocacypa.org/)
Nurture hope in youth who are troubled by the prospects for our planet by providing a beacon of hope.
Emissions reductions are achievable and consistent with our calling to care for God’s creation.
Care of Creation Ministry Microgrants
The Care of Creation Ministry Team of the SEPA Synod is happy to announce a NEW funding opportunity is coming soon.
In order to encourage congregations to actively participate in the stewardship of God’s creation, a total of nine microgrants of up to $1000 each will be offered. Microgrants will be awarded to congregations over up to 2 rounds for projects that conserve God’s resources, reduce climate emissions, improve habitats, improve climate adaptation, or reduce pollution. These projects may include lighting upgrades from incandescent and fluorescent lighting to LED, energy audits, planting shade trees, planting rain gardens, projects that reduce food waste, setting up a cooling center, reducing consumption of high greenhouse gas emission food, solar installation, etc.
Applications will be available soon through MinistryLink. There will be two rounds of funding.
First Round Deadline: June 30th, 2025
Second Round Deadline: December 31st, 2025
A Virtual Information Session will be held on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 7:00 pm to describe the microgrant process and will provide information on how to do a lighting upgrade project to LED as an example. Representatives from PECO and PPL will be describing how to utilize their subsidized lighting upgrade programs.
Creation Care Bible Studies
Our Kairos Moment
The ELCA put out this study guide in June 2024 a study guide for the ELCA’s social message “Earth’s Climate Crisis.” In this guide you will find four sessions designed to dig more deeply into major themes from the social message. Each session is intended for a 60-minute, small-group learning experience. The study guide works best when groups can use all four sessions, but each session can be used independently with minor adjustments. Digital format.
Climate + Faith Bible Study/Devotional
This is an ecumenical product originally developed to pair with the Lenten Season but can be used anytime.
This was purchased for use in all churches in our SEPA synod.
Tell your U.S. Senators and Congress Representative to preserve the federal energy tax credits During his presidential campaign, President Donald Trump promised to make changes to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This means that the many components of the law that helped increase access to renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, and other energy sources are now at risk – including the 30 percent tax credit and the direct pay option that helps nonprofits to take advantage of these benefits, as well as the USDA Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) grants and more. However, these changes will require action from Congress.
The 30% direct pay option in the IRA has increased the number of houses of worship in PA going solar by at around 400%. Here are some of the local houses of worship who have been able to go solar with the help from the Inflation Reduction Act:
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Ardmore
Providence Monthly Meeting, Media
Germantown Jewish Centre, Philadelphia
Vineyard Church, Chester Springs
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, North Wales
Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, Media
Tell your Senators and Congress Representative to do everything they can to keep the energy tax benefits intact. The future of solar and energy reliability depends on it!
The PA Solar Center made this process as easy as possible — simply fill out a form with a message, and it will be sent to your elected officials!
Philadelphia Energy Authority Solarize Greater Philadelphia Program
Their new partnership will provide expert technical assistance for businesses, municipalities, faith organizations, and other tax-exempt organizations across the five-county Greater Philadelphia region. The program’s streamlined process makes going solar simpler than ever before!
Tune in to learn how you can take advantage of money-saving tax incentives, grants, and other financing. By maximizing these programs, your organization can save 30 percent or more off the cost to install solar on your property – helping your organization save big money in electric bills down the road.
Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light Updates
“The current Administration has taken steps via Executive Order that alter the landscape of nonprofit work, as well as climate, economic and workforce development, public health, and university research.
What are anticipated climate and environmental impacts?
The current administration is focused on promoting domestic fossil fuel energy production and rolling back regulations inconsistent with this goal. You can read the major executive orders relating to this:
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Call To Action
We invite folks in our network to utilize the power of the moral voice in this moment. You can reach out to your Senators and Members of Congress to share your thoughts, concerns, and stories related to the freeze of funding and priorities of these Executive Orders.
You can find a template here that can be used for calling in if that’s helpful to you.
Tell your U.S. Senators and Congress Representative to preserve the federal energy tax credits 
