Green Team
Let the heavens rejoice and the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord. Psalm 96:11-13
The Green Team is an intergenerational group that is dedicated to advancing sustainability and caring for creation. We welcome anyone with a passion for caring for creation to join us the first Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the Fireside Gallery or on Zoom. Adults and kids are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information please contact Pastor Amy Courts Koopman at ackoopman@glconline.org or (952) 935-1119.
Solar Panel Project
Gethsemane installed Minnesota-made rooftop solar panels in the spring of 2022. This project was the result of more than two years of research and planning, and financial support from many members of the congregation and community who believe in the value of this project. This project builds on other earth-friendly initiatives launched by the church in the last several years, including LED lighting, composting, and non-toxic lawn care.
You can still donate here.
GETHSEMANE SOLAR AT A GLANCE
Location: Roof of fireside gallery and education wing
# of Panels: 215 Heliene 72M-G1 400W
# of Inverters: 4 SolarEdge technologies
Total Project Cost: $175,210
Estimated Net Savings (30 years): $203,000
Estimated Project Payback: 15 years
VIEW GETHSEMANE'S SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCTION
LISTEN TO AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT OF HEILINE, INC. - the company that produced our Minnesota made solar panels
VIEW PHOTOS OF THE SOLAR PANEL PROJECT
Green Team Projects
Community Garden Boxes
Tree and pollinator garden planting
Solar panel project and Scandinavian meatball dinner fundraiser
Earth Day clean up events.
Environmental speakers for adult forums.
Special events for kids and youth.
Field trips
Facility improvements like enhanced recycling bins, eco-friendly cleaning products, etc.
Collaboration with org’s including the City of Hopkins and Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light.
Socials and celebrations.
Green Team Tidbits
The Green Team is providing ideas for actions people can take in their daily lives to support the health of our planet. Most actions are small and doable. How many can you make a habit?
WATER CONSERVATON TIP
Running your faucet for 5 minutes uses as much energy as running a 60 watt light bulb for 14 hours. Remember to turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth.
SPRING CLEANING
You can make effective, non-toxic cleaning products using baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and soap as ingredients. For example, here is a recipe for an all-purpose cleaner:
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons non-antibacterial liquid dish soap
In a 16 oz. spray bottle, add the vinegar and fill with water. Add dish soap last. Add lemon juice if desired.
Find more green cleaner recipes here.
SAVE THE BEES
We depend on bees to pollinate 70 out of our 100 crops—from apples and blueberries to watermelon and zucchini, yet the world’s most widely used class of insecticides—called “neonics”—is a key factor in the devastating die-off of bee colonies. Simply put: fewer bees = less food.
Bayer is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of bee-toxic neonics. In addition to producing aspirin, Aleve, One A Day, and Alka-Seltzer, this German chemical giant also invented neonics that have topped $1.5 billion in annual in sales.
Consumers yield power with their purchasing dollars and their voices. Collectively, we can help combat this issue.
Write a letter to NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) asking that Bayer discontinue producing neonics that are negatively impacting bee colonies and our food supply. Share this information with family and friends and encourage them to share their voices. Let’s flood NRDC with letters that will be forwarded to Bayer.
NRDC Address: 40 W 20th Street, 11th floor, New York, NY 10011
ELCA’s statement on Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice
The ELCA issued the following Social Policy Resolution in 2016: “To urge ELCA members, congregations and synods to set measurable goals to reduce their consumption of fossil fuels and improve their stewardship of energy resources, transition to renewable energy sources and promote care for God’s creation.”
The Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice social statement explains the ELCA’s teachings on ecology and the environment, grounded in a biblical vision of God's intention for the healing and wholeness of creation. “Caring for Creation expresses a call to pursue justice for creation through active participation, solidarity, sufficiency, and sustainability, and states the commitments of the ELCA for pursuing wholeness for creation — commitments expressed through individual and community action, worship, learning, moral deliberation and advocacy.”
