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

December 2022 A Green Christmas

Christmas Made Fun & Green

Planning for a green Christmas can be a great family experience for and always be mindful of ways to make your Christmas greener!  Making your own Christmas decorations is a great idea and good for the environment. Here are some great crafting ideas: 

• Old blue jeans can be cut into strips and woven into a basket

• Styrofoam printing blocks are easy to cut and make great prints (make your own wrapping paper or artwork) 

• These links have many creative and fun DIY decorating ideas:

https://greenglobaltravel.com/recycled-christmas-decorations-diy-christmas-crafts/

https://www.pinterest.com/Recyclart/recycled-christmas-decorations-ideas/

• If you are thinking of an artificial Christmas tree, Oncor makes artificial trees from 100% recycled PVC plastic. Here is a link to their website: http://oncortrees.com. If you prefer a cut live tree, recycle it into compost after Christmas. Both the city of Grand Haven and Grand Haven Township offer Christmas tree pickup and they are composted.

• A live potted Christmas tree is another green option and can be planted outside after Christmas. Live potted trees should not be kept inside for more than 10 days, and once moved outside their roots need to be protected from freezing.

• As most wrapping paper is not recyclable, consider using brown shipping paper and decorating it with ribbons and bows, then, reuse the ribbons and bows next year.

November 2022  Fair Trade Coffee

October 22  Eco Sunday Prize Winners Announced

The Earth Care Team sponsored the Eco-Sunday Challenge this year from June through September. We are very pleased to announce that we had over 100 people in our congregation participate by either riding a bike, walking, or car-pooling to church this summer. We want to thank everyone who took part! At the end of each month, a participant’s name was drawnfor a prize. Here are our winners:

June :Juno Allen won a $50 gift certificate to the Momentum Center for carpooling to church

July: Lillian VerDuin won a $50 Dune Dollars gift certificate for walking to church.

August: Mike VerDuin won a new helmet from Rock ‘n’ Road for walking to church.

September: Quinn Miller won a new bicycle pump from Rock ‘n’ Road for riding her bike to church.

We also want to thank our generous prize donors: Rock ‘n’ Road Cycle, David Gritter, Sally Dunn, and Bob Day.

Because of the surge of people riding bikes to church (including during the week), the Trustees have agreed topurchase another bike rack. Thank you, Trustees!

July 22   Plastic Free July

Join millions of people reducing their plastic waste. Plastic Free July® is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics? In addition to the global challenge, we will be offering a different type of challenge each week!  Take the Plastic Free July Global Challenge by following this link: plasticfreejuly.org. Look for weekly tips and see our sign up table in the Gathering Area between services starting July 3rd.

June 22  Building Energy Efficiency

As a team, one of our goals is to reduce our building’s energy We researched solar panels, building enclosure, lighting and heating/cooling. Through the help of Michigan Gas Utilities, MYSECO, Rycenga Electric and others, we created an initial plan to reduce our energy consumption and lower our utility bills. Our first step was to implement an easy task, replacing lighting within our church with LED bulbs, as the incandescent and fluorescent lamps burned out. We are now considering replacing all remaining lighting with LED, which will provide us with a three-year payback and save an estimated $1,350 on our electric bills from that point forward. Heating circulation pumps will be replaced with more energy efficient units as current pumps require replacement. This alone is an estimated $865.00 annual savings. After a cooling system evaluation, we learned that new controls can be programmed and adjusted remotely from a computer or cell phone by a designated person(s). This is estimated to save another $2,210 per year by better temperature control, only cooling areas of the church which will be occupied vs. our current system which doesn’t allow this much flexibility. The control systems are being evaluated in more detail, considering when these more expensive changes should be implemented. The Earth Care Team will continue to work toward new energy savings, with the goal of having a positive impact on our environment.

Jan. 2025 Earth-Friendly Resolutions for 2025!

January is here and it’s time again to make resolutions for the new year. Let’s consider the earth that God gave us and take care of our home.

Start with an activity which will save you money as well as saving energy. Consumers Energy offers customers a free whole-home energy audit and will provide free product upgrades. Visit this link to schedule your audit: https://homeanalysis-consumersenergy.com/

Next, let’s consider how to use less plastic. Plastics don’t disappear; they degrade into harmful microplastics that affect nearly all living organisms, including us. To reduce plastic use, consider these steps:

• Use stainless steel reusable water bottles instead of plastic.

• Place groceries in reusable bags and not the grocery store plastic bags.

• When traveling use reusable or compostable utensils and plates.

Become pesticide free in your yard and home. Pesticides for insects will also kill butterflies and bees. Do an internet search on “pesticide free insect control” for ways to control insects without pesticide. 

Shop local and organic whenever possible. Shopping local helps your neighbors, and shopping organic helps you and your health by eliminating additives and chemicals.

Recycle as much of your throw-away items as possible. Glass, paper, cardboard, metal cans, and plastic bottles are all recyclable. If you have a vegetable or decorative garden, begin composting to gain new fertile soil to add to your gardens. There are many online articles to help you learn to compost.

Feb 2025 Who is to Care for the Earth?

Perhaps how to care for God’s creation is debatable, but who is to care for God’s creation isn’t. As Christians, we aspire to righteousness, (“living in right relationship with God, other people, and all creation”), but how much attention do we pay to the right relationship with creation?

In Genesis we learn that God has given us “everything that has the breath of life” and “every green plant for food.” The Lord then gave us the responsibility to “work and keep it.” The word for keep in Hebrew, shamar, has been interpreted as “guard," “preserve,” “to be faithful to,” “maintain,” and “exercise great care over.” 

The first step toward caring for creation might simply come from being AWE-STRUCK as we marvel at the beauty of the landscape through which we hike or drive, amazed at the fruitfulness of the soil, inquisitive about the magic of the human body (strongly recommend you read Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancy), and thankful for photosynthesis that generates the air we breathe from the plants that surround us.

Yes, we need to pass some responsibility for care of creation to others. But several decades ago Lord Moulton, talking about morals and ethics, introduced the notion of “Obedience to the Unenforceable.” Government through the mechanism of law creates the enforceable, but what about those things that are simply the right thing to do; those things that we find in both the old and new testaments of our Bible. Scripture asks us all to be part of the Earth Care Team.

 March 2025 Small Steps Toward Better Stewardship!

As we approach the Lenten season, we are reminded of two things, Jesus’s sacrifice and God’s love. We also are reminded that God loves the Earth and that perhaps there are things we can give up to better use the resources God has given us. Even simple things would help, like using one paper towel instead of two, or reusing a piece of aluminum foil that is still clean, or not using sandwich bags when a small container that can be washed and reused will do.

We need to be watchful and creative in finding way to reuse, recycle and reduce. For example, during the removal of of the Christmas decorations this year at the church, there were a number of poinsettia plants left. Instead of throwing them into a plastic bag to put into the trash and thus into the landfill, one of our members suggested that we compost the plants and soil by removing the pots and stakes; and the pots and stakes were then recycled. As Easter approaches, perhaps we can do the same with our Easter flowers, or better yet, select ones that can be replanted outdoors. With a little rethinking, we can come up with solutions that will help us preserve God’s earth, even if they are small steps.

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.

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.