January 2010 EVENTS

Legislative Workshop

Saturday, January 9, 9:30am-2:15pm

Gwinn Commons, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA

This annual event is your opportunity to be involved as the state’s leading conservation groups prepare for the upcoming legislative session. You’ll hear from legislators, environmental lobbyists, and others regarding the community's Environmental Priorities.  The 2010 Environmental Priorities are: The Safe Baby Bottle Act, Working for Clean Water, and Sustain Environmental Protections in the Budget.  More information can be found on the Environmental Priorities website.

Cost: $20 with lunch or $10 without lunch, student price is $10 with lunch.

Register for the Legislative Workshop

Urban Forest Restoration Project in the West Duwamish Greenbelt

Thursday, January 11, 10am- 2pm

14th Ave SW and SW Holly St, Seattle, WA

The Urban Forest Restoration Project is committed to the long-term stewardship and restoration of the West Duwamish Greenbelt. The Greenbelt is the largest remaining contiguous forest within Seattle city limits, consisting of 182 acres in park land and another 300 acres in privately owned land. Foxes, red-legged frogs, hawks, and bald eagles are found within the greenbelt, which encompasses the extended forest along the eastern slopes of West Seattle that is visible from I-5. Their main restoration goal is reintroducing native conifer species to the greenbelt, and they also focus on invasive plant removal, site maintenance and environmental education.

Nature Consortium hosts volunteer work parties year round several times per week.  They are currently working Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday in the West Duwamish Greenbelt located in West Seattle. Each work party begins with a short informal forest ecology workshop. Come help remove invasive species, mulch, and plant native plants and trees in the Seattle's largest remaining forest!  Tools, gloves and refreshments will be provided. Come dressed appropriately and prepared with a full water bottle and a bagged lunch.

RSVP is mandatory for all work parties. Email Marisa at volunteer@naturec.org or call 206.923.0853 (Please provide your Name, Phone, Email, and Work Party Date of Interest.)  Minimum RSVP 10 people.  To learn more, please visit www.naturec.org/restoration.htm

Environmental Lobby Day

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

State Capitol, Olympia, WA

No one who attends this exciting and engaging day goes away unchanged. Participating in the democratic process is joyful and empowering. Please join Earth Ministry staff, many people of faith, and friends of the environment throughout Washington State in Olympia to meet your legislators and support good climate legislation. Your voice will make a difference!

During Lobby Day, you will:

•    Learn about the issues: Get briefed by experts on all three priorities.
•    Attend lobbying trainings: Learn the tricks of the trade from top environmental lobbyists.
•    Meet face-to-face with your legislators: Practice the power of persuasion.
•    Attend an important committee hearing on the Capitol campus.
•    Eat well, with a continental breakfast and catered lunch.
•    Celebrate the day with food and drink at our post-event reception!

For further details and registration information, please visit our website.

"Building an Ethical Economy: Theology and the Marketplace"

Thursday, January 28, and Friday, January 29, 5:30-8:30pm; Sat, January 30, 9am-3pm

Bloedel Hall, St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, WA
 

St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral is partnering with Trinity Wall Street for the free public broadcast of the 2010 Trinity Institute event. Speakers include the Rev. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Partha Dasgupta, Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge, and Dr. Kathryn Tanner, Professor of Theology, University of Chicago Divinity School.
 

Given our current reality, discerning the intersection between economics, Christian belief and action is timely
and useful. “Advocating for an ethical economy—one that works toward the biblical ideal of sufficiency for all and is resistant to exploitation—will be a priority, especially for clergy and lay leaders.”  The evening broadcasts include a light supper. The Saturday broadcast includes a light lunch.
 

For questions and to RSVP please contact the Rev. Marilyn Cornwell at Saint Mark’s Cathedral at mcornwell@saintmarks.org or 206-323-0300 ext 222.

*Communion with Creation: Living on Sacred Ground
Saturday, January 30, 8:30am- 4pm

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 4400 86th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA

Emmanuel Episcopal Church and Earth Ministry invite you to join an inspiring all-day interfaith and community conference to explore our shared goals of thoughtful stewardship of the Earth. Extraordinary international, national and local speakers, interactive table conversations, and in-depth workshops will develop a wide range of approaches to understanding and caring for creation. You will return home with a new outlook towards living on this planet which, in the words of keynote speaker the Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald, is "a sacred gift of God that cannot be replaced." 

Earth Ministry's own Jessie Dye will lead a workshop on "Advocacy for all Creation."  This workshop will teach you how to speak about your faith on behalf of Creation with elected officials in the halls of power. The voice of faithful citizens is central to establishing strong climate and energy policy.

You may register for this event here.  The registration fee of $40.00 includes a continental breakfast prior to the opening (starting at 8:15 AM sign in) as well as a delicious, unique, vegetarian-friendly lunch. All registration fees go toward the cost of this conference.  Scholarships and student rate ($25) are available on request.

This event is co-sponsored by Earth Ministry, the First Nations Committee of the Diocese of Olympia, IslandVision, the Bishop's Committee on the Environment, the St. Clare Order of the Third Order Fransciscans, and Orgullo Purepecha and the Auburn Jubilee Center.

February 2010 EVENTS
 

*Search for Meaning: Pacific Northwest Spirituality Book Festival

Saturday, February 13, 9am– 5pm
Seattle University Campus, Seattle, WA

The second annual Search for Meaning: Pacific Northwest Spirituality Book Festival will bring together the best regional authors and works on issues of spirituality, faith, church-state matters, and theology. Last year, 38 authors hosted inter-active sessions on diverse topics.

Two keynote presentations will take the main stage:  Kathleen Norris is the award-winning poet, writer, and author of The New York Times’ bestsellers The Cloister Walk, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, and The Virgin of Bennington. Her new book, entitled Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life, was published in September 2008.  Gustav Niebuhr is associate professor of religion and the media at Syracuse University, having previously been a newspaper reporter at The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Viking Press published his book, Beyond Tolerance: Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America, in 2008.

This event is free and open to the public.  An RSVP is encouraged.  For more information, visit the School of Theology and Ministry's event webpage here. 

*Clean Greens CSA: A Planning Meeting for Congregations

Saturday, February 13, 10am- 12pm

Saint Mark's Cathedral campus, 1245 10th Ave E, Seattle, WA

Earth Ministry is encouraging our churches to join the community-supported agriculture (CSA) project of Clean Greens Farm and Market. Clean Greens grew from a vision of New Hope Baptist Church in the Central District of Seattle, supported by a small grant from the Black Dollar Days task-force. Entering its third year, the Clean Greens farm is now producing in great abundance! We especially welcome Seattle-area churches from Capitol Hill, downtown, the Central District, and the north end to participate in the healthy-eating, environmental justice-based project.

Please join Rev. Dr. Robert Jeffrey of New Hope Baptist and the producers of Clean Greens and Earth Ministry to learn how your church can be a part of the Clean Greens CSA. You are invited to come to our planning and logistics meeting, which will be in the house across the parking lot from the Cathedral.  In addition to supporting local, organic agriculture and bringing healthy meals for your family, for every box of healthy produce your church signs up for a free box of produce will be donated to a family in need!

Come and learn more about the exciting opportunities involved in the 2010 harvest season of Clean Greens for your congregation.

Faith Advocacy Day

Tuesday, February 16, 8:30am- 3pm

United Churches and State Capitol, Olympia, WA

This event, sponsored by Earth Ministry, the Washington Association of Churches, the Lutheran Public Policy Office, and several other religious organizations, brings people of faith from all over Washington to Olympia for a day to advocate for a unified social justice agenda. On this day, Earth Ministry members and friends come together to speak as one voice with the larger faith community on behalf of creation care and protection of our climate. This year, because our goals are strong and challenging, your voice is particularly important to convince legislators to be bold in voting for climate protection. Please check our website as the date draws closer for further details!