OUR PURPOSE

As a PC (USA) certified Earth Care congregation, our vision is to connect, equip and inspire one another with the realization that creation is God’s gift to us.  By being good stewards, we honor God’s creation through worship, prayer, teaching and fellowship.

EARTH CARE PLEDGE

Our worship and discipleship will celebrate God’s grace and glory in creation. 

Our education will encourage and support each other in keeping and healing the creation. 

Our facilities will be managed, maintained, and upgraded to respect and cherish all creation. 

Our outreach will encourage community involvement and public policy to protect and restore the earth. 

(https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/environment/earth-care-congregations/)      

WHY SHOULD WE CARE FOR THE EARTH?

earth-care-4

Our faith urges us to strive for eco-justice: defending and healing creation while working to assure justice for all of creation and the human beings who live in it.  This call is rooted in the human vocation of “tilling and keeping” the garden (Genesis 2:15), as well as Christ’s charge to work with and for the most vulnerable.  Because of their love for Christ who is firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15), churches are challenged to live in a manner consistent with God’s call to not only care for creation, but commune with creation.

How can YOU participate in
Partners in Earth Care Activities?

Join the Committee:

Partners in Earth Care meets the fourth Tuesday of the month (excluding December) in the Hearth Room through June. We welcome new attendees to the group anytime!! For more information, contact Ailsa Blunk (email) or by phone: 248-974-0607.

Please check the Earth Care bulletin board for monthly activity updates.

Ways We Care for the Earth:

Dishwashing Help:

  • As we move toward being more earth-friendly, we would like to offer our services to any events within the church (receptions, funerals, breakfasts, etc.) using real plates from the kitchen or recyclable plastic plates & silverware.  Our dishwashing team would either use the dishwasher for the real dishes or rinse and recycle the plastic ones.  If you are interested in utilizing these services, please indicate this on your Room Reservation form.

Fair Trade Equal Exchange Coffee and Tea:

  • You can purchase Fair Trade coffee and tea from the Partners in Earth Care team. Until we are able to resume sales on the first Sunday of the month we will occasionally be offering coffee and tea for pre-purchase and contactless pick-up. Did you know that Fair Trade is a way of doing business that ultimately aims to keep small farmers an active part of the world marketplace and aims to empower consumers to make purchases that support their values. If you’d like to learn more about Fair Trade Equal Exchange, here’s a link for a video:

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb0dexyjlKqc_yEbhwzkgCw

Rethinking Textiles in our Lives: REDUCE-REUSE-RECYCLE

What can we do to address the over abundance of textiles in our lives?

Many times, we are often left wondering what to do with clothes that no longer fit and other household textiles (linens, rugs, towels, curtains, etc.) that we no longer use. Luckily, there are ways to be mindful and sustainable when ridding ourselves of what we no longer need and at the same time directly supporting those in need.

Following are FPCP and local resources that accept fabric and other textile donations:

Donate to the FPCP Thrift Shop

The Presbyterian Thrift Shop at 331 Main St. in Plymouth has been a donation center in our community for 70 years. They continue to accept donations of clothing and household textiles, such as towels and bedding. Among the biggest sellers at the shop is the clothing. Textile donations, including clothing that are unsaleable are taken to other local organizations such as Am Vets, The ARK, Hope Clinic, The Humane Society, Martin Luther King High School, PB&J, PCEP High School, Plymouth Furniture Refinishing, St. Michaels Lutheran Church and Vista Maria.

Donate to the FPCP ‘Threads to Heal the Heart’ and ‘Prayer Shawl Ministry’

‘Threads to Heal the Heart’ is a quilting group at FPCP that has been together for over 20 years and has made hundreds of quilts during this time. Many of the quilts have been made from donated fabric that is repurposed into prayer quilts and quilts for babies and young children that have been baptized at FPCP. The group gratefully accepts donations of 100% quilting cotton. Contact Ginny Weaver at (734) 207-7554 or ginnyweaver@hotmail.com for more information about fabric donations for the group.

The FPCP ‘Prayer Shawl Ministry’ makes hand-knitted or crocheted shawls that “bring compassion and love into a spiritual practice, which reaches out to those in need of comfort and solace, as well as in celebration and joy. Blessings are prayed into every shawl.”

Donations of yarn are always appreciated.  Donations of enough of one kind of yarn to make a shawl is preferred; however the group also make “Joseph shawls” with leftovers that create very colorful shawls of many colors and pocket prayer shawls.  

Contact Darlene Maginley at (248)-344-9908 (darlenemaginley@]fpcp.net) or Ginny Weaver at 734-207-7554 (ginnyweaver@hotmail.com) for more information about yarn donations or the group.  

Donate to The Michigan Foster Care Closet – Plymouth

Michigan Foster Care Closet is a 501(c)3 non-profit that currently operates on a 100% volunteer basis to provide the best quality “shopping” environment to local children in need.   The Michigan Foster Care Closet – Plymouth accepts textile donations including clothing in new and like new condition (preemie- 3XL), back packs for older teens, blue IKEA or large TJ-Maxx bags.

For more information, contact: plymouth@michiganfostercarecloset.org  or 1-888-6322

Why does textile waste matter? 

After paper, food, plastic, yard waste, and metal, textiles make up the largest component of household waste. Most textile waste is discarded clothing. The EPA estimates that textile waste generation was 16.9 million tons in 2017 with 2.6 million tons of textiles (about 15%) recycled that year.

Did you  know that:

• Textiles can take 200+ years to decompose.
• The volume of clothing that Americans throw away each year
has doubled in the last 20 years.
• The average American generates around 80 lbs. of textile
waste each year.
• In recent years, 17 million tons of textile waste ended up in landfills.

Recycling at FPCP

  • Each week the Partners in Earth Care recycle church bulletins and other items placed in the blue recycle bins placed around the church building. Monthly, we collect batteries and used printer cartridges for recycling. We also collect other items for recycling on a seasonal basis. Please see the Partners in Earth Care Recycling Programs below for more information.

Current FPCP Recycling Programs

Recycling in our Community & Recycling Resources

Wondering where you can take those unusual items that are still useful and don’t belong in your recycling bin? Do you have things you want to recycle but they aren’t accepted in your curbside bin? Need to recycle some old electronics but can’t wait until the hazardous waste days? Please contact each organization to determine current COVID-related hours and days.

Here are some places you can take advantage of to keep things out of the landfill.

  • Household Hazardous Waste Collection Information/Collection: Due to COVID restrictions, many communities have changed their collection policies.  Please check with your local governing body for individual community Household Hazardous Waste Collection updates.
  • The Scrap Box will accept donations of a wide variety of items you might otherwise throw away. They have extensive lists of things they accept including arts and craft supplies, office supplies, and other items that can be used in creative ways. Have a collection of scrapbooking supplies, wine corks, trophies or silk flowers you no longer want? Bring them to the Scrap Box collection center at 4567 Washtenaw Ave. in Ann Arbor. They normally accept donations on Tuesdays – Saturdays from 11:00am – 5:00pm. All items donated to the Scrap Box are sorted and then made available for creative individuals or groups to purchase at affordable prices. By reusing materials instead of buying new, you’re keeping them out of the landfill and helping to keep God’s creation cleaner. Call them at 734-800-4137 with questions or check out their website for more information: https://annarbor.scrapcreativereuse.org/
  • Recycle Ann Arbor accepts items that you may not be able to put in your curbside bin. Items like styrofoam, automotive and rechargeable batteries, motor oil and filters, small household appliances and Christmas lights can be recycled here. Their website has an ‘A to Z Recycling Guide’ with a search function that will enable you to determine if they accept your unusual item. There is a $3 per carload fee at the drop off station. The drop-off center is located at 2950 East Ellsworth Rd. in Ann Arbor. They are normally open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am – 6:30pm and on Saturdays from 9:00am – 6:00pm.  Call them at 734-971-7400 with questions or check out their website for more information: https://www.recycleannarbor.org/
  • The Reuse Center is a resale shop run by Recycle Ann Arbor. The Reuse Center helps to keep reusable items out of the landfill. You can donate items here or shop here if our Presbyterian Thrift Shop doesn’t have what you need. The Reuse Center is located at 2420 South Industrial Highway in Ann Arbor. They are normally open Tuesdays – Fridays from 10:00am – 6:00pm, Saturdays from 10:00am – 5:00pm, and Sundays from 11:00am – 3:00pm.  Call them at  734-222-7880 with questions or check out their website for more information: https://www.recycleannarbor.org/
  • MRM E-Cycling Management is a website that will help you identify where you can take electronics to be recycled based on your zip code. Items you may be able to bring for recycling include TVs, computers, computer monitors, and projectors. They recommend calling the identified recycler before traveling there. Check out their website for more information: http://www.mrmrecycling.com/

The Partners in Earth Care Facebook Page

Are you a Facebook user? Then you might enjoy the FPCP Partners in Earth Care Facebook Page. Check it out and follow them.

FPCP’s Earth Care Certification

PC(USA) Earth Reflections

Partners in Earth Care Document Archive

 

 For more information,
visit the PC(USA) Earth Care Congregation page.