Green Church Process Accelerated

The HPC Missions & Social Justice (MSJ) Committee has long been interested in steps to make our congregation greener. Improvements over the years have included the use of reusable coffee cups in place of styrofoam, stepped-up recycling, having the church evaluated by MassSave with subsequent free installation of insulation to improve energy efficiency, establishing Earth Day activities, and more.

This spring, MSJ renewed our efforts to become a UCC-certified Creation Justice Church. As a first step in this process, a covenant statement was drafted by the committee. The next step was to present the covenant to the Council, which took place at the June meeting. Council also unanimously approved the covenant and intent of the committee, clearing the way for more work to be done this Fall. The team will set out a detailed list of steps at that time. Green initiatives are not expected to increase our budget deficit. Covenant follows:

Covenant Affirming HPC As a Creation Justice Church

In fulfillment of this covenant, Hadwen Park Church commits ourselves, individually and as a congregation, to follow Jesus’ lead to responsibly care for and love all of God’s creation. We commit to support sustainable improvements to our church building and the operation of the church. We will educate and encourage church members to adopt sustainable practices at home and in our personal lives. We will advocate for climate and environmental justice, recognizing that factors such as race and socioeconomic class disproportionally impact marginalized communities. We affirm creation as a divine gift from God, and as God’s children, we are intimately bound to God, each other, the earth and every living creature.

As authored by Susan Kozicz on behalf of the Missions & Social Justice Committee, and approved by Council on June 4, 2025.