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New congregation adopted Earth Care Pledge when it formed in 2013

By Deidre Jacobson

Retired pastor of 24 years and executive presbyter of the Inland Northwest Presbytery for 10 years, Rick Melin has taken the leadership role in his home church, Latah Valley Presbyterian, becoming an Earth Care Congregation, a designation by the Environmental Ministries of the Presbyterian Church (USA). 

Latah Valley Presby Garden
Community garden is part of church's Earth Care action.

Latah Valley, the newest congregation within the Presbytery of the Inland Northwest, chartered on April 21, 2013 decided to be an Earth Care Congregation.

Earth Care Congregations take the “Earth Care Pledge,” agreeing to do a specific number of actions in four categories:  worship, education, facilities and outreach.

“There is plenty of scripture involved in earth care,” said Rick.  “A favorite verse of mine is Psalm 24:1, ‘The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.’  We are keepers and tillers of the land.  I want to leave the planet in better shape for the next generation.”

Latah Valley has an earth care team, made up of members who attended a six-week class on the environment and set goals: outdoor worship once per month through the summer, one worship service in the spring with a complete earth care theme—including the sermon, hymns and prayers—and redeveloping the church’s prayer path. 

Other ways the church participates in the Earth Care Pledge are:

• Organic flowers decorate the sanctuary. 

• They use glass coffee cups for coffee hour, cloth towels in bathrooms and all washable dishes and silverware at dinners

• Sunday school and vacation Bible school have some earth care curriculum included.  Often, classes are held outside.

• The church building incorporates energy conservation through heating and cooling, lighting with motion sensors and effective heating of water.

The church’s board approves proposals from the earth care team.  The pastor, the Rev. Ed Hart is ex-officio on the team.

The earth care team applies for recertification each year.  They meet and decide what to accomplish in the next year, setting the year’s goals and presenting their proposal to the church board.   

“The church building is new,” said Rick “and well designed, but we seek further energy conservation, so we will install barrels to catch rain water.”

As outreach to the community, the congregation grew a community garden, which contributed over 120 pounds of fresh produce for Second Harvest. 

Rick has long held an interest in the environment, camping and enjoying the outdoors as a child. 

His early ministry was serving rural congregations.  He learned about farming and soil conservation and crafted sermons that were meaningful to people close to the land.

Rick represented the Northwest on a national organization, Presbyterians for Earth Care, from 2010 to 2012. 

That group developed the Presbyterian Earth Care Program, instructing Presbyterian congregations how to care for nature.

Latah’s earth care team meets on Sundays for discussions. 

One month, they challenged the congregation to pick up a piece of litter every day. 

Now the group has designed and ordered reusable cotton shopping bags for each member of the congregation.

“We try to walk the talk, modeling behavior for others,” said Rick. “I am proud of my congregation and hope to encourage others to follow suit.”

For information, call 448-4194 or visit latahvalley.org/earth-care.html.





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