The purpose of this kit is to enable you to have a basic program and organization to function as a creation-care congregation as well as have access to the resources needed to carry out this program on an ongoing basis. Whether or not you are already active in greening your congregation, this kit will enable you to identify yourself with Lutherans Restoring Creation, provide an overall plan for your efforts, and help you to further your congregational commitment to ecology and justice.
This is not a certification program. No one will tell you what to do or require you to submit a report. Nothing is expected for you to do aside from what you choose to do in carrying out your commitments to the program. There is no cost for this program apart from what you decide to spend on your mission to care for creation.
Stated positively, this is a program of identification with the goals and mission of Lutherans Restoring Creation. It is a commitment program. That is, we are inviting you to embrace a mission statement for your congregation and then proceed to carry it out as you are able. You will be responsible to yourself and to Earth community for what you do and how you do it.
This is a program for any and every congregation—large or small, urban or rural, old or young, wealthy or poor, of any ethnic identification. For each congregation, there are multiple ways for you to carry out a commitment to God’s creation. Maybe you have already done a great many projects that are Earth-friendly as part of your commitment to care for Earth. Then this program will count and celebrate everything you have already done, provide some structure to your efforts, and enable you to act in solidarity with other Lutheran congregations.