Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’
Genesis 1:26
This world is precious, and mankind has been fortunate enough to preside over it. But since our actions have such a large affect on the world we live in, we have to truly consider those actions.There are huge environmental issues that people tend to isolate: the polar ice caps melting, the deforestation of the Amazon, the Great Pacific garbage patch. All of these things are of course important, but there’s not much that we can do individually to fix them.
There are over 7 billion people on earth. That huge number of people means that we have a huge impact on the world. One person driving to work isn’t going to do much harm, but millions of people driving to work everyday will have a significant affect on the environment.But what can we do?
If one person out of millions started biking to work everyday, the difference in greenhouse gas emissions would be negligible. If everyone on the planet rode their bicycle to work just for one day, the difference in greenhouse emissions would be huge! Our individual decisions are important.
It’s impossible to put together a world-wide bicycle commute, but if people consciously try to make environmentally responsible decisions, it will make a difference. If we work together in communities, we could make a big difference.
What better place to start than the church? The world is as precious to God as it is to us.
So what can you do to make your church green?
One thing that you can do is buy US made goods. People have gotten into the habit of buying cheap goods, knowing that they will only have to replace them later. Once you replace them, where do they go? They go and sit in a land fill or join the Great Pacific garbage patch. If you buy quality goods in the first place, they will last you the rest of your life — in the case of church pews, even longer as future generations use the sturdy worship furniture we put into place.
Buying chairs made in China also uses much more fuel as those chairs are shipped around the world. US made goods don’t require as much fuel to ship.
The fact that it’s a green decision isn’t the only reason to buy US made goods.While it’s might not seem like it, buying higher quality goods is the cheaper option. Sure that US made backpack is $200, but it will last the rest of your life, and when you hand it down to your kids it will last their life. That $20 backpack made overseas needs to be replaced every 2 years. It’s not cheaper in the long run.
In addition to it being green and cost efficient, buying US made supports your local economy. The people that you know and that you talk to. The people that you go to church with.
That’s why we pride ourselves on making the best quality church furniture. If you want to make steps towards a green church, give us a call!
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