Why would churches want to encourage the formation of Eco/Justice groups?

We've found that many individuals like the idea of integrating their spiritual beliefs with their actions in the world, and the idea of their churches supporting stewardship and social justice action. Also, many churches have found that youth tend to be attracted to this work, and remain involved in their church and community. Increased involvement by members leads to greater financial support to the church, and favorable articles in the media about work being done in these groups attracts positive attention. We understand that prayer and spirit-based action for bringing our earthly home closer to our religious and spiritual ideals is the natural province of our faith communities, and being good stewards and caretakers of the Earth is consistent with caring for God's creation. And finally, the close connections, relationships, and sense of community that develops in these groups is profoundly sustaining to people, and in its own way fulfills an important ministry in the church.

Churches are our centers for consideration of moral and ethical issues, and these are moral concerns -- justice, consumption, waste. Stewardship is a spiritual concern -- we are destroying God's creation. That has profound implications for us as physical and spiritual beings. We recognize that church members have respect in their communities and can influence corporate practices. Corporate leaders do not want unfavorable publicity (letters to the editor of newspapers or direct action such as picketing) suggesting they are responsible for social or environmental ills. But perhaps most importantly, many studies and polls have shown that Americans believe in the power and effectiveness of prayer. This is central to our belief as well. Praying and prayer-centered action is fostered most naturally in our church and faith communities.

Is this inter-faith or intra-faith work?

It is both. We need better communication between people of differing faiths and we need interfaith efforts on behalf of our common humanitarian and ecological goals. At Stewards, we are hoping to create ways for people of differing faiths to be more cooperative without some of the traditional barriers created by religious "language" differences. Our goal is to provide inspiration, education about issues, and suggestions for taking action; the specifics of religious practices and theological understandings will not be dictated by us in any way. In this manner, we hope to foster excellent interfaith networking.

The support of intrafaith networking is central to our beliefs, too. We recognize that many individuals look to their own faith communities as primary sources of spiritual renewal, social interactions and ethical/moral guidance. Active people of faith often prefer to meet with others within their own church or spiritual comunnity where they are known and accepted instead of joining other organizations where they are unknown. This is why Stewards believes that promoting eco/justice groups within a familiar church community is the best model.

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