At Church of the Nativity we believe that our faith in Jesus, our reverence for the earth, and our service to others are deeply woven together in our life of faith. We seek a connection to God through our connections with one another, through caring for the natural world, and through an examination of our interior life. All these things are a form of prayer. We hope that the reflections of this blog reveal and inspire this belief.
To join Nativity’s Environmental Stewardship team or for more information, please Email Steve Dearth.
Below is a list of Creation Care outreach projects Nativity is involved in. Click on each of the projects for more detail.
- Environmental Stewardship
- Haiti Reforestation Partnership
- North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light
- Nativity Community Garden
- Audubon NC
- Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle
Environmental Stewardship
Church of the Nativity has a strong commitment to promoting a healthy environment, with a range of efforts promoted by a committee called Environmental Stewardship at Nativity. Activities range from cultivating an organic community garden, to installing solar panels to power two of our buildings, to using recyclable cups and plates, to partnering with the Audubon Society to make our campus habitat friendly. Recently Church of the Nativity received a grant to promote composting in North Carolina as a means of sequestering carbon dioxide.
For more information, Email Steve Dearth.
Haiti Reforestation Partnership
Haiti Reforestation Partnership partners with the CODEP (Comprehensive Development Project) to plant trees in the Leogane province of Haiti. It is internationally recognized for its 30 years of work in the community, with over 14 million trees planted. This effort has changed lives in these rural mountainous communities for over a generation – providing stabilized mountainsides, space for agriculture, community schools, and increased economic opportunity. One Nativity parishioner serves on the board and Nativity contributes financially to this organization on a yearly basis. CODEP can always use money for tools, fertilizer, and small stipends for the 750 community workers that plant with the program. There is no practical limit on the trees that can be planted, only resources! It costs $1 to plant a tree and protect it over five years until it is mature. If you are interested in learning more, Email Becky Showalter, who is on the board.
North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light
North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light (NCIPL) is a program of the NC Council of Churches. NCIPL works with faith communities to help them become faithful stewards of creation by responding to climate change through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. A Nativity parishioner is Chair of the Executive Committee. To become involved in this or other parish environmental initiatives, consider joining Nativity’s Environmental Stewardship Committee and/or Email Steve Dearth.
Nativity Community Garden
Youth and adult parishioners interested in organic gardening, composting, water conservation and being good stewards of the land reconnect with the land and share Earth’s bounty with those in need in our community through the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. The garden itself is on the parking lot side of the Education Building. Participants are each assigned a raised bed, from which they share a percentage with a nearby low-income housing development. If you would like to participate, Email Steve Dearth.
Audubon NC
Nativity is one of Audubon NC’s Bird-friendly Communities. In February 2015, the Kinder Garden Preschool installed 10 brown-headed nuthatch nesting boxes. To become involved in this or other parish environmental initiatives, consider joining Nativity’s Environmental Stewardship Committee Email Steve Dearth.
Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle
The mission of Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle, founded in February 2019, is “to work within and across communities of faith to urgently fulfill our sacred duty to love and protect Creation, address our changing climate, and ensure justice for all life.” ICCT now has several hundred members from many faith communities including Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Protestant. Four ICCT action teams are working to support Creation care in faith communities by developing and providing resources in the areas of Faith & Worship, Earth Friendly Practices, Education, and Advocacy. For more information, Email Steve Dearth.