“…as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
—Matthew 13:23
We are thankful to all of the Committees and Staff who are actively incorporating environmental stewardship into their Ministries and work. A few highlights: Property has completed installation of LED lighting in the worship hall; accounting for the additional lighting that has been converted to LED throughout the church, Property has been significantly decreasing our energy usage (roughly 15% over the past few years and counting)!
Altar Guild has also been considering ways to “walk softly,” continuing to recycle our plastic communion cups and actively looking for alternatives. The Sunday School has also been busy creating birdhouses, birdfeeders, and bat houses to provide safe harbor for our winged friends in the grove. In February, the Sunday school children will again participate in a seed planting activity.
Looking ahead to spring and summer, we will be hosting special guest speaker Meg Lemieur from the Water Ways Project at Adult Forum on March 15. Meg will lead us in a workshop exploring the Water Ways series of highly detailed illustrations, telling the story of water and the impacts of the natural gas industry in the Mid-Atlantic region (for more information, visit: https://www.thewaterways.org/).
The Annual St. Matthew Earth Day celebration is planned for Sunday, April 26. We will also be planning another service opportunity gleaning with NJ Farmers Against Hunger in early summer; details to follow.
For up-to-date information or to sign up for the Green Team, please follow SMLC on Facebook, check out our website (https://stmatthew-lutheran.org/green-team/) or email me at brianlestini@yahoo.com. We’re always looking for new members to join us!
Eco-Tip of the Month: Save Energy and Money – switch to LED bulbs! Good-quality LED bulbs can have a useful life of 25,000 hours or more—meaning they can last more than 25 times longer than traditional light bulbs. That is a life of more than three years if run 24 hours a day, seven days a week! (source: https://www.energy.gov/articles/top-8-things-you-didn-t-know-about-leds)
—Brian Lestini, chair
Lutheran Disaster Response
We pray for those afflicted by natural disasters, including the ongoing wildfires in Australia that threaten life, property, and habitat for humans and all creation. As a warming planet leads to hotter, longer and drier fire seasons, we are reminded of our humility and our responsibility as stewards of the natural world that God has granted to us. https://elca.org/disaster
If you would like to donate, please make your check payable to St. Matthew Lutheran Church, with “Aussie Fire” in the memo.