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Can Religion Save the Bay?

Last spring I received a phone call from Michael Finch at the University of Maryland Extension Office - Maryland Sea Grant. He explained he was going to be writing an article about how faith communities are engaging in watershed restoration and had some questions for me. We talked for about an hour and I shared with him some of my personal motivations for engaging in this work. He also asked for names of others in the field and on our team who he might talk to...so I pointed him to some of our past board members like Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, Charlie Conklin, and Bill Breakey. I also pointed him to partner organizations and funders and Cassandra Carmichael of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment...so many people and groups have contributed to this movement...every person an essential piece of the puzzle. 

What Michael put together is a beautiful expose on the intersection of Faith and Environment and how it is impacting Maryland's Bay restoration efforts. It was just released last month. You can find links to all of the articles on our home page, and here:

1. The Case for Religious Environmentalism
2. The Third Wave: An Environmental Movement Reaches the Chesapeake
3. The Road to Empowerment: In the Field with Faith-Based Environmentalists 

We are extremely proud to be highlighted in these articles -- but, more importantly, we are grateful for the many people who influenced and shaped the work of Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake. As we approach the month of Giving Thanks, we are mindful of the many faith-filled people who have stepped up to the plate to push this movement forward at different times. 

And there is another "wave" of religious environmentalism that is emerging -- the Black Church is claiming their role in the movement and making their voices heard! An incredible Green the Church Summit took place last week and was attended by over 100 black pastors and lay leaders. Organized by Interfaith Power and Light, the event was a huge success from workshops to networking to a wildly fun "Sermon Slam." One pastor said "No longer should our churches be simply Places of Worship!" He challenged the audience to see their congregations as forces for change and to drive this movement to heal the Earth from the pulpits. 

With a historical election upon us tomorrow there is no question that we are living through a time that the future will look back upon and judge for whether it successfully turned the tides on this pathway to environmental degradation --or whether our efforts fell short. With this unifying voice of all people of faith -- no matter race, creed, or walk of life-- can religion save the Bay? IPC certainly won't give up until the job is done.

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What Issues are Important to You?

The Maryland State Legislature will begin their session in January, and your state representatives will vote on hundreds of bills that will shape Maryland's future. Many of those bills will relate to the environment. As IPC decides which bills to focus on, we want to hear what's most important to you. Do you want to ban fracking? Do you want to limit the use of antibiotics in factory farms? Do you want a foam ban?

We have summarized the issues that might come up in the Maryland State Legislature in 2017. Please take 5 minutes to complete this survey and tell us how important these issues are to you.

A free training and curriculum for a Vacation Bible School (VBS) or Sunday School program will be offered to churches in Prince George's County, through a grant provided by Chesapeake Bay Trust and the PG County Department of Environment! Our program offers, for free:

• water-themed curriculum for 5 separate activities with materials
• training for your lead teachers, including a boat ride on the Anacostia for an in-depth experience of the content you'll be teaching
• pre-printed banner to hang outside and advertise your program
• one-on-one support for your team to help you succeed in putting on the program for your youth
• participating congregations will receive a 25% discount off their Clean Water Fee since this satisfies the educational requirement 
• More information on this flyer

We only have 13 spots left. Already, Walker Mill Baptist Church and Richie Baptist Church have signed up! Email [email protected] to hold your spot!

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. Simply click HERE and select Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake as your charitable organization of choice. That's it! Next time you shop online, make sure you start at AmazonSmile and IPC will receive .5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.

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Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities

• November 8 - National Elections - Your Vote Counts!
• November 12 - Green Muslims Outdoor Education Program for youth ages 13-18 - Find out more HERE. 
• November 12 - Claggett Center (Adamstown, MD)- Tree Planting Day and Workshop 10am-3pm.
• November 12 - St. Alban's Episcopal Church (Salisbury, MD) - Tree Planting Day 9am-12.
• November 13-15 - Chapman Dialogues~Conversations on Faith presents "Faith and the Environment." Click HERE for more info.
• November 19 - St. Andrew by the Bay (Annapolis, MD) - Tree Planting Day and Workshop
• November 19 - Blue Water Baltimore fall tree planting @Chinquapin Run, 9am-noon. Sign up HERE
• November 20 - Earth Forum of Howard County presents a post-election round table "What's Next For Our Environment?" 2pm, First Presbyterian Church of Howard County. Click HERE for more info.
• November 20 - Global Day of Jewish Learning "Under the Same Sky: The Earth is Full of Your Creations" Click HERE to register.
• November 29 - #GivingTuesday! For the holidays, in lieu of giving your loved ones more "stuff", honor them with a gift to IPC!
• December 3-4 - Join a retreat for activists, "Where Spirit and Action Meet," at the Trinitarians Retreat Center in Baltimore, MD. Co-led by Kaira Jewel Lingo and Marisela Gomez. More information HERE. Register HERE.

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Volunteer and In-Kind Needs