God’s Earth – Our Hands Team


“Humans, in service to God, have special roles on behalf of the whole of creation. Made in the image of God, we are called to care for the earth as God cares for the earth.”
(ELCA, “Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice,” 1993).

PoP's God’s Earth – Our Hands Team (for the care of creation) was formed to promote within the congregation a commitment and direction for the care of God’s creation. The team will provide leadership to the entire congregation (staff, Ministries, and congregants) in carrying out care of creation in the following areas: Worship, Education, Building and Grounds, Discipleship at Home & Work, and Public Ministry.


Solar Panel System Celebrates One-Year Anniversary!

The Solar Panel System at church had its one-year anniversary in July 2023. During the past year, the system has been quietly generating electricity from the sun, saving us expenses on our utility bills and helping to save the planet!

Based on the monitoring records for the solar panels, during the first year of operation, our solar system has generated 48.63 Megawatt-hours (Mwh) of electricity! This is equal to the amount of electricity used by about 4 ½ homes in Wisconsin.

The electricity we generate each month is directly credited to the electricity our church uses. In addition, Prince of Peace is paid for any extra electricity generated in any given month. During the first year of operation, we saved an estimated $5,060 on our electric bills.

More importantly, we have reduced the church’s carbon foot significantly with the solar system by preventing an estimated 56,820 pounds of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) that would otherwise have been generated from electricity purchased from the grid the first year of operation.

The solar panels on our roof are a visible example to the community, demonstrating Prince of Peace’s commitment to restoring God’s Creation by reducing carbon emissions and, thus, slowing harmful effects of a warming climate!


Check out PoP's Solar Production!


Upcoming Opportunities:
 

Electric Car Show Coming to Prince of Peace!
Sunday, August 27, 2023 | 10:15 am | PoP CLR & West Parking Lot

 

God’s Earth – Our Hands (for the care of creation) Team will be hosting an Electric Vehicle (EV) Show after the worship service on Sunday, August 27. PoP member, Tom McNeely, is arranging for a number of EV owners to display their cars in the church west parking lot for your viewing. There will be a brief presentation that morning to explain the different types of electric vehicles. In addition, the GE-OH Team will provide coffee and locally-sourced snacks in the Narthex after the service.

Here are a few positive trends regarding EVs:

  • 47% of polled Millennials are interested in buying an EV as their next vehicle; followed by Gen Z at 41%, and Gen X at 38% (2022).
  • More model types will be on sale in the U.S. this year: The Kia EV9 3-seater SUV, Tesla's Cybertruck & VW's Microbus!
  • 96% of first-time EV buyers purchase a second EV (PlugInsights).
  • Current entry-level EVs are cheaper than comparable ICE w/ incentives - Ioniq 5, Model 3, Kia EV6, and the Chevy Bolt.
  • Tesla and Ford's EV charging agreement and GM just joined too for Tesla charging plug being the national standard.

Feel free to check out photos from last summer's EV event.

Be sure to mark your calendars for Sunday, Aug. 27 for the upcoming EV event at PoP!


Previous Opportunities:
 
Sunday, April 16, 2023 | 9:10 am    10:50 am | CLR
 
Then God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of the all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit, you shall have them for food.” - Genesis 1:29 

Food is an important part of how we express our faith in our daily lives, many worship services, and some religious holidays. What foods we choose to eat also impacts the climate!  Come join God’s Earth – Our Hands Team after both services on April 16 in the Congregational Life Room (CLR) for a lively discussion on Climate, Food, and Faith. We will explore and discover together how we can eat more thoughtfully in a way that aligns with our faith and benefits our health and creation. We will be using this resource form Blessed Tomorrow (Caring for Creation today) as a discussion guide for what we need to know and what we need to do in choosing foods both for our health and the health of the environment.

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Earth-Friendly Mindful Meal
Sunday, April 30, 2023 | 11:00 am | Fellowship Hall
 
As Christians, it is our calling to be stewards of our earth. Every day we become more aware that our earth needs us to make better decisions. One of the places we can do that is in our kitchens—by choosing eco-friendly foods to eat. Eco-friendly means eating foods that have a low impact on our environment and our community.


The God’s Earth – Our Hands Team would like to invite you to an earth-friendly mindful meal prepared by 2 local professional chefs, Vanessa and Ross Sabee. Just reading their menu makes your mouth water. Please sign up, no later than April 16, via Sign-Up-Genius or at the table in the narthex for our meal on April 30 at 11:00 am. A freewill offering will be collected to help defray the costs.
 
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Lent 2023

2023 Carbon Fast Lent CalendarDownload and start using it today with your family!

Lutherans Restoring Creation, and PoP’s God’s Earth – Our Hands Team, is encouraging all of us try one new practice every day that may prevent further desecration of God’s good Creation or harm to those in the wake of unjustly utilized natural resources. Rather than giving things up – you will be taking on new habits that help us all!

As we recall Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert during Lent, may this “Carbon Fast” not only strengthen our faith, but also prove that taking little steps toward environmental stewardship can have a big impact. For more information visit the Lutherans Restoring Creation website.

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ELCA Seeks Input on Climate Care Social Message Draft by Dec 2, 2022

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has drafted a new social message on climate care in response to the ELCA Church Council’s authorization last November to develop the teaching document.

The ELCA Social Message on Earth’s Climate Crisis builds on previous social statements, particularly from Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice, drafted in the 1990s.The ELCA is asking for public input through a survey that is due back by Friday, Dec. 2, 2022

“With this social message the ELCA provides facts, raises questions, draws on its own social teaching, and identifies convictions that expansively address caretaking for climate. At the heart of this social message lies the claim that climate change presents our generation with a kairos moment; that is, a critical moment in time when decisive action is required,” the message reads.

Grounded in scripture, the document comes at a time when the ELCA at its Churchwide Assembly this past summer reaffirmed the commitment of the church to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, directing the churchwide organization to set a goal of a 50% reduction of net greenhouse gas pollution by 2030, with a long range goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

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Solar Electric Panel System
 
The solar panels on the roof of church went operational on July 6, 2022 and are now producing clean (carbon-free) electric energy. This month (as of 8/23), they have produced 4,455 kWh of electricity, saving nearly 6,200 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. A reason to celebrate Caring for Creation! We recently received this link where you can view PoP’s production of solar electricity—take a look! (You will need to click the “Accept All Cookies” button when the window pops up).

Plan to attend the dedication of the Solar Electric Panel System at 11 AM on September 11, 2022, as part of the PoP Fall Kickoff Celebration! We will have a display on the system, and the installer, Appleton Solar, Inc., will be there to answer questions.
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Electric Vehicle (EV) Meetup

In celebration of the new solar panels at church, there will be a gathering of electrified cars out in PoP’s West Parking Lot on Sunday, July 31 from 9 am – 1 pm. Owners will be there to answer questions you have about hybrids, plug-in hybrids and full electric cars. We are inviting any church members who have a hybrid car, plug-in hybrid car, or electric car to park their cars with the other ones participating by 8:30 am or earlier on July 31. Prior to the event, Tom McNeely will hold an informational session called “EV 101.” More details on the session to come. We hope you can make it to this event on July 31st!

Topic: Electric, Hybrid & Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles
Date: Sunday, July 31, 2022
Time: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

 
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Solar Power Generation – At Church & Home

In celebration of Earth Day this year, God’s Earth – Our Hands Team has invited the owner of Appleton Solar, LLC to lead a discussion about solar electric power generation, the solar module project at Prince of Peace, and opportunities for solar power for homeowners. Plan to join this informative presentation/discussion on Sunday, April 24 following the second service (about 11 AM). To ensure we have a good attendance for our guest, we ask that you sign-up for this presentation by April 22. Sign up here or email Ron Jones at rjones3155@gmail.com.

Topic: Solor Power Generation
Date: Sunday, April 24, 2022
Time: 11:00 AM