Eco-Justice Council
Our mission is to work together to build a just and sustainable ecological ethic that informs our actions every day, based on: cooperation, mindfulness, simplicity, temperance and respect for nature. Join us in strengthening our parish’s commitment to environmental consciousness and working with the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, other faith communities and business and government advocates.
2025 Eco-Justice Actions / Events
Top 25 Tips for a Zero Waste Christmas
The St. Peter’s Eco-Justice Council wishes everyone a blessed Christmas and urges you to include Creation Care in your hopes and prayers and actions. Link to 25 Tips for a Zero Waste Christmas.
Plastic Free July 2025
For one month your Eco-Justice Council asks you to eliminate (or minimize) your use of single-use plastics. Individual actions are powerful and can influence others: REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.
Commit to these 3 changes NOW to make a real impact:
- Choose to Refuse single-use bottled water — use refillable water bottles always.
- Choose to Refuse plastic straws!
- Choose to NOT USE plastic wrap — store leftovers in reusable containers.
Take the Plastic Free July Challenge and access resources for change.
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Jim O’Brien, with the support of eco-justice council members, continues to lead the planning of informational forums for the St. Peter’s community and beyond. We welcome suggestions for forum topics at communications@stpeterscheshire.org.
Caring for Creation
Sunday November 16
Our Caring for Creation forum focused on sharing the Episcopal Church’s call to see all living things as a gift and to honor and protect them. For God’s sake, we will adopt practical ways of reducing our climate impact and living more humbly and gently on Earth.
Specific practices recommended for congregation/ ministry:
- Perform energy audit and set energy consumption goals
- Reduce energy consumption and waste, including eliminating disposable plastic bottles
- Use carbon offsets for travel
- Responsibly steward ministry owned lands
- Make conscious food choices
Link to view entire forum presentation.
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St. Peter’s Garden Plot at Boulder Knoll Community Farm
Parishioner-volunteers help prepare, plant, weed, water and feed our vegetables. We share the garden’s bounty with our parish community and GWIM and are always looking for more help – no expertise required. Come dig with us.
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Link to review our 2024 actions.
The Active Hope Action Team
The Active Hope Action Team invites you to participate with us in resetting and strengthening HOPE at this moment in our challenging world. Together we will review and discuss six sessions created by Krista Tippett and her On Being team
Please join us alternate Thursdays in the St. Peter’s library at 7 p.m. to discuss an episode and listen together to the next one. To learn more link to the Hope Portal introduction. Our discussions will continue on alternate Thursday evenings. All are welcome. Preparation is NOT required. Please join us when you can. Email Marj Chapman (mfittsc15@gmail.com) if you have questions.
The Active Hope Action Team welcomes new team members. Join us and share our commitment to making a difference.
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Annual Actions
- In April, we organize and partner on local Earth Day activities.
- In May we promote No-Mow May, reminding folks that May flowers – dandelions, clover, violets and more – are essential to bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.
- In July, the council oversees a Plastics-Free July awareness campaign.
- Sept. 1 to Oct. 4 is The Season of Creation, celebrated by Christians around the world as a time for renewing, repairing and restoring our relationship to God, one another, and all of creation.
- Look for our ongoing deposit-bottle/can recycling effort’s repository in the St. Peter’s kitchen.
Collaboration with Community Partners
Cheshire Creation Care: St. Peter’s Eco-Justice Council is a founding member of this interfaith group committed to explore, discover, and restore life-affirming relationships with all of creation. Our member partners are: Cheshire United Methodist Church, First Congregational Church of Cheshire, and Temple Beth David of Cheshire.
Additional Community Partners:
Coalition for a Sustainable Cheshire
Cheshire Pollinator Pathway
Suburban Garden Club of Cheshire
Boulder Knoll Community Farm
Green Houses of Worship
The Council is working, with others at St. Peter’s, toward the certification of our parish as a “Green House of Worship.” This program is sponsored by the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network. We have completed Level 1 of the 3-tiered system. See the Green Houses of Worship requirements.
Links to Online Resources
- Creation Care (National Episcopal Church)
- Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations Environment Resources
- ECCT Climate and Environmental Stewardship Ministry
- Interreligious Eco-Justice Network
- Episcopal News Service
- Sustainable CT
- Green Houses of Worship
- Save the Sound
- Prevent Stormwater Pollution
- Save Our Water, CT
- Yale Climate Connections
Sunday Services
8:00 am Rite I Worship
10:00 am Rite II Worship
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St. Peter's Episcopal Church
59 Main Street
Cheshire, CT 06410
203.272.4041
office@stpeterscheshire.org
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communications@stpeterscheshire.org
