Davis congregation gets environmental award

Davis United Methodist Church was honored earlier this month by Earth Ministry for its environmental stewardship and status as Earth Ministry’s Greening Congregation of the Month for September 2012. Jessie Dye of Earth Ministry, a national environmental organization with headquarters in Seattle, presented the church with a banner during the church’s worship service.

“You are an excellent model of how a greening congregation makes good choices in protection and love of God’s creation,” Dye told the congregation. “We at Earth Ministry continue to be very proud of you.”

The church also was recognized by California Interfaith Power and Light last fall as a finalist for its Energy Oscars competition. Both awards recognized the congregation’s efforts in recent years to conserve energy and care for the environment by installing solar panels, energy-saving lights, insulation and weather stripping; transitioning from paper to electronic communication; utilizing reusable plates, cups and utensils; creating Grace Garden, which provided 1,000 pounds of food to community members in need in 2011, while saving transportation energy; participating in the Low Carbon Diet and other Cool Davis initiatives; promoting May is Bike Everywhere Month; and discussing climate change and environmental responsibility in children’s and youth education classes.

“We believe that God calls all of us to be careful stewards of our Earth,” said Davis United Methodist Church pastor Kelly Love. “The Earth is a gift to us from God, and environmental stewardship is how we cherish such a gift in practice, in real life.”

Davis United Methodist Church is a reconciling congregation, welcoming all people regardless of sexual orientation. The church offers worship services at 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays. Educational programs for adults and teens take place between worship services at 9:45 a.m. and include a contemporary issues forum and adult Bible study. Children’s Sunday school meets during the 11 a.m. service. Child care is available all morning.

For more information, call 530-756-2170 or visit www.davisumc.org.