As a certified Presbyterian Earth Care Congregation, we strive to be better stewards of the earth. Our Earth Care Committee looks to incorporate sustainability in our communal life as we operate our church and its programs and keep environmental concerns, practices, and policies in the consciousness of our members.
Advocacy
- Sixth’s members regularly sign petitions, address legislators, and participate in Earth Day and other green advocacy activities aimed at improving the region’s air, passing environmental legislation, combating fracking, and advancing a host of other green-oriented activities
- Members have been active in issues surrounding the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, such as promotion of publicly owned water and green infrastructure for our water system
- Some members of Sixth’s congregation and community have participated with No Plastics Please and the What’s SUP campaign, initiatives that target single-use plastic reduction
- Sixth Church congregants have attended the Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light conference, which brings interfaith-based action and thinking to a variety of earth-care issues
Action
- Sixth serves as an active collection point for hard-to-recycle items like electronic waste, snack bag wrappers, CFL bulbs, bottle caps, and batteries. We have collected and recycled hundreds of pounds of e-waste.
- We have replaced two dozen ceiling fixtures all over the church to now use LED bulbs
- We have reduced use of paper and plastic products during our after-church fellowship hour
- We also replaced an old, leaky gas burner in our hot water system with a more energy-efficient unit and switched our electricity supplier to a green-energy provider
- Our Sunday school students and youth volunteer each year for our annual neighborhood clean-up which takes place on or around Earth Day
Education
- Sixth Church regularly hosts speakers from environmental programs, organizations, and advocacy initiatives. We’ve hosted leading environmental activists and representatives from green building and green burials groups, for example.
- We’ve chosen a Sunday School curriculum for elementary and middle school students which includes environmentally friendly suggestions and learning activities
- We use donated recycled materials for crafts and activities, recycle classroom supplies as we are able, and teach children ways to reuse items and reduce waste
- Our worship services regularly include and touch on themes of environmental justice and green advocacy
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