Article Archive

This page contains text of articles we've published in the Tidings Newsletter

November 2022 Fair Trade Coffee

May 2025 Certified Earth Care Congregation

June 2025 Beautifying the Church Grounds with Native Plants

July 2025 Climate change

Sept 2025 Winners!

Oct. 2025 Composting presentation

November 2025 Eco Friendly Christmas

December 2025 Second Mile Journey

Jan 2026 happy New Year

Feb 2026 Earth Day is coming up

April 2026 Earth Day "Our Power, Our Planet"

November 2022 Fair Trade Coffee

Our congregation is joining the Presbyterian Coffee Project by beginning to serve fair trade coffee at church events such as coffee hour between worship services.

This Project offers a special link between congregations and communities around the world. Churches can now reach out to neighbors overseas not only with the prayers and offerings we give, but with the goods and products we purchase. A warm cup of coffee (or tea) in our hands is perhaps the most tangible daily connection we have with farmers around the world. It represents warmth, hospitality, fellowship, hard work and life’s pleasures both fine and simple.

One answer for small-scale farmers is fair trade. Fair trade shares the bounty of the coffee trade with those who grow the crop, helping them build a better future for themselves and their communities. Through fair trade, farmers earn a fairer share of income, have access to services that are otherwise unavailable and gain long-term trading partners they can trust.

By working together and pooling their resources to form a cooperative, farmers can sell their coffee directly to international buyers without relying on middlemen. They receive a fair price that not only covers their costs of production but guarantees a fair wage for their labors.

Cooperatives use profits from fair trade coffee sales to establish community development or improvement programs such as schools, health clinics and training in areas such as leadership development.

The Presbyterian coffee project buys through Equal Exchange, a fair trade organization. Equal Exchange’s mission is to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound. You can personally buy Equal Exchange coffee from their website, and also from the Momentum Center on Columbus Ave.

May 2025 Certified Earth Care Congregation

First Presbyterian Church is proud to be one of only 14 Earth Care Congregations in Michigan, certified through the PC(USA) since 2019. This designation recognizes our ongoing commitment to care for God’s creation through action in worship, education, facilities, and outreach.

In worship, we’ve incorporated Earth Care themes into services like Waterfront Worship. We refreshed the Memorial Garden with help from the Boy Scouts, creating a natural space for reflection.

Educationally, we’ve hosted guest speakers, shared a video series on faith and climate, and provided resources in our library and Tidings newsletters.

Our facilities reflect our values: we’ve switched to LED lighting, addedbike racks and a repair station, and developed strong recycling and composting programs. We also use reusable or biodegradable materials at church events and gatherings whenever possible.

Outreach efforts have included Plastic-Free July, hosting a harvest table for produce sharing, opening our doors during the Coast Guard parade as a cooling station, sponsoring an annual Eco-Summer program to encourage people to ride their bikes, walk, or carpool; helping encourage recycling at our summer picnics, helping with removal of invasive species at local parks, as well as helping to clean up local rivers and lakes.

In 2025, we plan to continue these efforts with Eco-Summer (beginning May 25), more Tidings articles, Earth Day events, Coast Guard cooling station, adding new members, Plastic-Free July, welcoming a guest speaker on creation care, and establishing relationships with other local environmental groups. We believe every church has a role in protecting God’s Earth so it can flourish and be here to enjoy for generations to come.

June 2025 Beautifying the Church Grounds with Native Plants

Spring has brought new life to the landscaping around the church, thanks to the dedicated efforts of several church staff and congregation members. Todd Olson and Andrew Wolfert gave our Easter flowers—daffodils and hyacinths—a second life by planting them around the church, adding cheerful bursts of color for all to enjoy.

Continuing the effort, Todd Olson and Michele Smith picked up native plants from two locations: the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) at Hemlock Crossing and Weesie’s in Montague. With help from Ginger Aubrey, Michele helped arrange the plants around the front of the church. These were then planted by the Boy Scouts creating a beautiful and sustainable landscape that everyone can appreciate.

At the entrance to Joyful Noise, children will be welcomed by a charming mix of wildflowers and strawberries—an inviting and educational touch for our young ones.

The Earth Care Team is excited to share this native landscaping project with you and hopes it brings joy and a deeper appreciation for God’s creation.