earth care congregation
Members of First Presbyterian Church Fort Collins have long-standing personal commitments to the environment, as evidenced by their career and recreational choices, as well as lifestyle decisions. As a congregation, FPC has embodied these values by incorporating creation care into sermons, youth and adult education, mission activities, all-church camping trips, and supporting initiatives such as bike-to-work and bike-to-church, among others.
In 2018, we reaffirmed our commitment to the environment by forming an Earth Care Group to study, advocate for, and act on behalf of God’s creation, providing encouragement and direction for FPC’s environmental efforts. One initiative that arose from the Earth Care Group was the decision to pursue PC(USA)’s Earth Care Congregation program. Earth Care Congregations are congregations that have committed to the “Earth Care Pledge” and have accomplished a specific number of actions toward caring for God’s earth in four categories: worship, education, facilities, and outreach.
FPC’s Session adopted the Earth Care Pledge and directed that we live into the Earth Care principles and pursue certification. Members of the group worked with the five Centers (now six teams) to expand and document efforts in the four categories.
Our commitment to environmental stewardship was recognized in March 2020 when FPC was officially certified as an Earth Care Congregation, honoring our achievements from 2019. Despite the challenges of the global pandemic, we remained dedicated to this mission and successfully earned recertification in 2021, and have continued to earn certification each year since.
If you would like to meet with other Christians who are concerned about God’s Creation and are seeking ways to act on that commitment, consider joining or visiting FPC’s Earth Care Group.