We're celebrating a successful Lancaster Water Week!

In early June, communities across Lancaster County joined together to celebrate Lancaster Water Week; now in its 8th year, Lancaster Water Week celebrates the rivers and streams that nourish and sustain us and to learn about the efforts underway to restore these waterways to health. Created and organized by the Lancaster Conservancy, Water Week is supported by numerous local businesses, non-profits, artists, community groups, and faith communities and, this year more than 60 events were held as a part of Water Week. Partners held events ranging from stream clean-ups to native plant workshops to hikes and kayak trips.

Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, now in our third year supporting Lancaster Water Week, was a part of nine events this year, both in collaboration with partner organizations and with One Water Partnership congregations. These included:

• Sacred Habitat nature-walks at Hope Episcopal Church and Church of the Apostles United Church of Christ
• Numerous kayak trips on the Susquehanna River with KayakLanco and the Conestoga River Club
• Counting birds and bugs and plants with the Conewago Bioblitz
• A One Water Partnership Lunch & Learn, hosted by Bright Side Baptist Church

Across these events, IPC introduced Lancaster community members to new ways of thinking about stewardship and our relationship to the water and, with the special help of Bright Side Baptist Church, were able to show some community members what it looks like when a faith community commits to Creation Care. After talking about the One Water Partnership and why we, as faith communities, feel called to care for our natural environment, members of the Bright Side Baptist community walked their grounds with attendees. Congregants shared why Creation Care matters to them and how it had affected their lives; they also shared how their own experiences installing rain gardens and cisterns and explained some of the challenges and successes they have encountered. We cannot thank Bright Side enough for welcoming us and sharing your valuable experience! 

Spending a week connecting with the Lancaster community around our shared sacred waterways was a blessing and a privilege; thank you to all of the congregations who participated in Lancaster Water Week and to the partners who supported the many, many wonderful events!

In Other News!

On Friday, November 22nd, IPC will be participating in Lancaster's largest day of giving, the ExtraGive! The ExtraGive is a community celebration of giving that inspires thousands of donations and shinning a light on the work of Lancaster community benefit organizations, such as IPC. Support that we receive during the ExtraGive helps us to support congregations caring for Creation and allows us to host more events like the ones during Water Week! Thank you in advance for your support of our work!