Saturday, April 15
- 10:00am-2:00pm Green Living Fair at College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL
- Gardening, composting, solar energy, conservation, and more!
- Recycling of bicycles, shoes, and glasses also available onsite.
- Click here for more information
Sunday, April 16
- 9:30am NSMC Hybrid Worship at Civic Center and Zoom (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- 10:45am Christian Formation using the study guide for Living More With Less
Tuesday, April 18
- 7:00pm ARCC Zoom meeting (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- The topic for discussion is the IPCC 6th Summary Report. (Click on the link to view or download the report.)
- This summary report for policymakers recognizes the interdependence of climate, ecosystems and biodiversity, and human societies, and presents an assessment of climate change impacts and risks as well as adaptation set against unfolding non-climatic global trends.
Thursday, April 20
- 7:00pm Bible Study on Zoom (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
Sunday, April 23
- 9:30am CCMC Hybrid Worship (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- 10:45am Christian Formation
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, May 6
- 7:30pm Coffee House at CCMC with the musical group “Not Done Yet”
Saturday, May 13
- 8:30am Combined CCMC & NSMC Women’s Breakfast at the Jelly Cafe, 795 W. Dundee Road, Palatine. There is outdoor seating and no RSVP is required.
The Mennonite Church USA Executive Board and MC USA’s Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference signed an amicus brief in support of Apache Stronghold and the protection of Oak Flat, a sacred site of Native American religious exercise in the Tonto National Forest in Arizona. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/news/oak-flat
Interested in volunteering at MennoCon23, Kansas City, Mo., July 3-6? Mennonite Church USA is seeking volunteers for special events, children’s and junior youth programming, and more! Fill out a form here: mennoniteusa.org/forms/mennocon-volunteer-interest
When Sue Park-Hur, director of racial/ethnic engagement for Mennonite Church USA, was invited by MennoMedia’s Leader magazine to write about intercultural churches, she knew right away that this should be in a conversational format with other Mennonite leaders who are committed to living out the vision of the church becoming intercultural. Sue invited Iris de León-Hartshorn, associate executive director of operations for Mennonite Church USA, and Tina Schlabach, moderator of Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference and co-pastor of Shalom Mennonite Fellowship in Tucson, Arizona, for a lively conversation. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/why-intercultural-church
–from Creation Justice Ministries 52 Ways to Care for Creation
Church of the Wild Service
Host/join a “Church of the Wild” Service at at nearby park, beach, or garden. Read Victoria Loorz’s book, “Church of the Wild” to learn about this time of gathering, wondering, and admiring God’s creation.
–from Creation Justice Tips | United Methodist Church
Spring Yard Clean Up
Compost—don’t trash—the results of your spring yard clean up. Leaves and clippings trashed and dumped into a landfill become a global problem. When cleaned up and composted, leaves and clippings become nutrients and a solution.
Time for Cleanup
Debris in waterways and plastic in oceans harm marine life—and ultimately all life. Pull together family, friends, or church members to cleanup a beach or stream nearby. If possible, weigh the collection and report it widely. Otherwise, raise funds and make an Earth Day donation to the Ocean Blue Project, and they’ll do the work for you.
MCC Thrifty 50 Challenge
Do you want to help our planet but aren’t sure where to start? MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) Thrift is celebrating their 50th anniversary by issuing 50 challenges to help us be more equipped to care for our planet. We’ll include one challenge each week for the next 50 weeks.
Week 45 | Replace your HVAC filter
For most of us, we’re in the middle of winter, which means we’re staying in more and can’t open our windows to let fresh air in. Enter your heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) filter.
This week’s challenge is to replace your HVAC filter (if you haven’t already replaced it within the last month.)
Energy Star recommends checking your filter every month, especially during heavy use months in the winter and summer. If the filter looks dirty, change it. What are the benefits of changing your filter every month? I’m glad you asked!
- Help extend the life of your system: Dirt and neglect are one of the leading causes of failure for heating and cooling systems. When the filter gets clogged, it prevents the air from flowing properly throughout the system and can lead to overheating. Replacing the filter is an easy way to lengthen the life of your system.
- Improve indoor air quality: A clean air filter can remove most of the dust and pollen particles that would otherwise be in the air. If you have people who suffer from allergies or asthma in your home, a new filter can help purify the air.
- Energy cost savings: Your system will work harder with a clogged filter. Save up to 15% on utility costs by simply keeping your air filter clean.
- Environmental benefits: A harder working HVAC system can lead to more carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gasses being released. Replacing your air filter helps make our planet a better place to live.Did you try this challenge? Post your most creative HVAC filter photo on social media with the hashtag #thrifty50 and tag us with @MCCThrift. We’d love to see how you’re doing!
Kitchen Tip of the Week
–from The Washington Post
Be intentional about potlucks
Hosting a potluck? If you haven’t, this is probably one of the best ways to reduce work for yourself as the host and to get a chance to taste your friends’ cooking. If you ask friends to bring a dish, make sure to let them know the number of people who will be in attendance and what other items will be on the menu. Be as specific as possible! This will allow them to proportion their dishes appropriately and lead to less waste at the end of the night.