Green Choices for Faith Communities: Green Awakening Network- Greening Sacred Spaces Third Annual Forum Saturday March 26th 2011 8.30am to 3.30pm & Sunday March 27th 9.00am to 12.00pm

TIME-SLOT A : 10.00 – 11.15am

A1. Being Strategic: Energy Retrofit Choices 

The list of possible options for improving the energy efficiency of faith buildings is endless.  How do faith communities decide which option is best for them, given their financial and human resources, and their current energy footprint?  Richmond Hill United has studied many of the options and has developed a strategy for making effective choices.  Key considerations for making energy retrofit choices will be summarized.

Presenter: Peter DeVita, Richmond Hill United Church

A2. Green Policies for Faith Communities

How can our policies reflect our faith and environmental commitments?  How can ‘walk the talk’ and live out our faith commitments through the decisions and choices we make in our buildings and practices?  Many local faith communities have considered these questions and developed environmental policies to help guide decision-making in their churches.  This workshop will provide insight into the role of and approaches to environmental policies for faith communities.

Presenters: Vicki Obedkoff, Trinty St. Paul's United Church & Jim Dillane, Newtonbrook United Church

A3. Community Gardening: A Fresh Idea for Faith Communities 

Many faith traditions call us to be ‘stewards of creation.’  One way that we can be such stewards is to start a community garden.  This workshop will outline the various forms that faith-based community gardens can take, the keys steps in organizing a garden, resources and expertise available to support these efforts, and examples from local faith communities.

Presenters: Paul Abell, A Rocha Canada; Nastassja Harris, Good Soil Community Garden, St. David's Anglican Church, Weston

A4. Getting Engaged 

Many faith communities are taking responsibility for the carbon footprint of their buildings, homes and individual lives.  However, the climate change situation is so urgent that this must be accompanied by the task of reaching reach those who shape the broad economic and policy frameworks that govern our lives. Lynn McDonald, co-founder of JustEarth will share some practical ways in which individuals and groups can take action to engage with their political representatives and others to make the case that the time for action is now.

Presenter: Lynn McDonald is a co-founder of JustEarth: A Coalition for Environmental Justice, and member of the Board of Directors of the Climate Action Network.

A5. Scripture, Creation, and Ecological Responsibility 

Embark on an exploration of the scriptural passages that inspire environmental values. Based on Norman Levesque’s book “Les pages vertes de la Bible” (Novalis), participants will be invited to take a moment to reread certain biblical stories through the eyes of an environmentalist: Noah preserving biodiversity, Jesus looking at the birds and preaching simplicity, Adam tilling and keeping the garden, Jonah preceding the modern prophets.  St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish in Toronto has created its building as a living example of these scriptural values and biblical figures.  In the second part of this workshop, Father Steve Dunn will provide an overview of the theological basis for St. Gabriel’s building design, and explore the concepts of church as an earth-connected building, as a cosmological building, and as an eco-cathedral.

Presenters: Norman Levesque, Director of Education and The Green Church Program, Canadian Centre for Ecumenism (Montreal); Fr. Steve Dunn, Elliott Allen Institute for Theology and Ecology, University of Toronto

TIME-SLOT B:  11.30 – 12.45pm

B1. Energy Efficiency for Faith Buildings: Retrofit Programs and Incentives for 2011
Are you planning retrofit projects in your building? While the new conservation programs roll-out in Toronto, Toronto Hydro will be the interim "go to" place for faith building incentives in 2011. The new Ontario government sponsored electricity conservation program provides incentives that may cover up to 50% of eligible costs; for lighting, air conditioning, voltage optimization and building envelope (insulation, roofs), etc. that save electricity. Energy audits and building-commissioning are also part of the new program. Applications, measures and technology will also be outlined.
Presenter: Joe Bilé, Manager, Conservation Demand Management Program Delivery & Business Development, Toronto Hydro

B2. One Part Religion, One Part Politics: Effective Advocacy for the Green Faith Communities

Why is climate change both a spiritual and a justice issue? This workshop will explore this question in light of Christian faith and look at diffferent ways we can all be part of a movement change.

(New Workshop description)

Presenter:  Dorothy McDougall, Ecological Justice Program Coordinator KAIROS–Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives

B3. Youth Engagement in Green Initiatives

Youth are the future and have the knowledge to lead congregational eco-actions. This workshop will feature two case studies of Youth Green Leaders who facilitated extensive energy retrofits, waste reduction, and water conservation initiatives in their faith buildings, with the help of Greening Sacred Spaces.  The energy reductions and financial savings realized through these youth initiatives will be shared.  Forming a Green Team, including volunteer engagement, will also be discussed. 

Presenters: Dev Ramballie, Devi Mandir Temple; Azba Hathiyani, Islamic Foundation of Toronto

B4. Sustainable Transportation Choices ** CANCELLED

B5. Protecting What We Love 1 : Deepening our Compassion & Faith as God's Earth-Keepers

This reflective workshop explores how our love for nature is grounded in God's care for the earth, and traces the roots of this care through our own spiritual experience and stories of our families as well as our growing concern with the deterioration of the earth. Using personal reflection and group discussion, participants will explore ways of deepening their compassion for God's creation as well as their own personal faith, hope, and sense of empowerment.

Presenter: Rev. Dr. Mishka Lysack, OIKOS Centre for the Environment, University of Calgary

TIME-SLOT C:   2.00-3.15pm

C1.   Engaging Faith Communities in Solar Energy

Community engagement in leading-edge initiatives such as green energy projects, is often a challenge! Neighbourhood Unitarian Universal Congregation took a unique approach and financed their recent solar photovoltaic installation by selling debentures to their congregation and to the community at large.  In this workshop, participants will learn about NUUC’s community participation process and debenture program, as well as the selection criteria used to choose a solar PV installer and other requirements for promoting success in a community solar project.

Presenters: Rick Salay, Member of the Greening Committee, Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation; Tony Tkebezes, Solar Specialist, Intervolt Electric

C2.  Protecting What We Love 2: Environmental Advocacy and Faith  

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"We know that we will exploit what we merely value, but we will defend what we love." Wendell Berry
Drawing on resources from both the Hebrew prophets and the abolition of slavery movement in the UK (Wilberforce, Clarkson), we will explore the building blocks of a faith-based advocacy, and what a "ministry of advocacy" looks like in our time. We will learn about the strategies and tactics used in both movements, and how we can use these tools of applied spirituality in Canada. In exploring the tools of change that we inherit from our faith, we will also examine the spiritual disciplines necessary to sustain our action
and hope in the face of ecological decline and political inertia, and identify strategic opportunities where we can take action.

Presenters: Rev. Dr. Mishka Lysack, OIKOS Centre for the Environment, University of Calgary together with Shaik Habeeb Alli, Canadian Council of Muslims

C3. Food and Sustainable Living 

Sharing food together is an integral component of many faith traditions.  However, our global food system is not sustainable and is causing degradation to the natural environment and people’s lives.  How can congregations support sustainable, local food production in their activities and reduce the impact of our food choices on the health of the planet and people?  This workshop will include an overview of the conventional food system and policies, as well as faith community case studies.

Presenters: Samira Kanji, Noor Cultural Centre; Barb Imrie, Palgrave United Church; Rita Bijons, Humbercrest United Church; Andrea Most, First Narayever Congregation

C4. The Greening of Discipleship

What is contemporary discipleship? What is the Christian disciple’s response to global warming? Is this a place to rethink discipleship and Church in an era of global climate change?  This interactive workshop will offer the opportunity discuss these questions, and explore biblical texts and reflection on contemporary discipleship.

Presenter: Rev. Stephen Drakeford, Chair of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto’s Environmental Working Group, Founder of the Green Witness Community

C5. Experiencing the Cosmic Walk  

Ecological action and solidarity require a deep spiritual foundation which can energize our work for the long haul. The Cosmic Walk, an experiential spiritual activity, unfolds the Story of the Universe as the basis for this deep, unifying, global spirituality. Through the walk, the fourteen billion year history of creation is revealed and participants are drawn into a place where religious awe and scientific revelation meet.  Using lit candles and meditation, this workshop will provide a demonstration of the Cosmic Walk.  Workshop participants will observe how this spiritual activity connects people to the consciousness of the universe and the stark realization that we are all ecological guardians.

Presenter: Sr. Noreen Allossery-Walsh, OSU

 Remember

• There will be three rounds of workshops.
• Please choose one workshop for each time-slot